Northwest Airlines claims it will save up to 20% of future aircraft painting costs by changing to a simpler livery, unveiled last week. The airline says that the simpler design, which replaces a 14-year-old scheme, uses fewer colours and more durable paints, will mean that repaints will only be needed every six years - a year more than currently - and the process of repainting its entire feet will be 5% cheaper. By the end of the year, Northwest expects to have 77 aircraft in the new scheme, and the old livery should be eliminated by 2008.
Source: Flight International
