Azul Brazilian Airlines introduces Spix’s Macaw-livery on brand new Embraer E195-E2

Azul just revealed one of its new E195-E2s in a striking tropical livery. Designed by São Paulo graffiti artist Luiz Pardal, the big E2 features 3 ararinhas (Spix’s macaws) on each side of the 41.5m fuselage. The aircraft (registered PS-AEF) is christened “Ararinha Azul.” The native bird was considered extinct for more than 20 years, but several were recently discovered in captivity.

The livery has 58 non-corrosive paint colours of which 28 are specially blended to capture the vibrant look of Brazil’s tropical landscape. The work was completed over 10 days at Embraer’s facility in São José dos Campos. Although it may appear to be painted by hand, the process involved masking the aircraft and then applying 150 kilos of paint using automated robots.

Azul commissioned AzkoNobel and Tintas Coral, a Brazilian paint company, for the project. Despite the complexity of colours, the overall weight of paint used for this design is about the same as more conventional liveries. The paint is extremely durable and is designed to withstand forces that typically cause cracking – rain, cruise speed, air pressure changes, and takeoffs and landings.

When you spot the airplane at an airport, look carefully for the sparrow at the back of the fuselage. It’s Luiz Pardal’s signature mark. The word “pardal” means “sparrow” in English.