Ask a Cathay member: what’s your favourite Cathay Pacific livery?

Since Cathay Pacific was established in 1946, our fleet has evolved in line with our changing identity from a small regional airline to a global premium brand rooted in Hong Kong. From our original bare-metal Douglas DC-3 to the green-and-white Convair 880 Jetliners and present-day aircraft featuring Cathay’s iconic brushwing, our livery designs capture our spirit and dedication to elevating travel. We asked Cathay members to reminisce on our different liveries through the eras and tell us which designs have a special place in their heart. 

“Cathay Pacific’s ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ livery has always been my favourite. As a schoolkid in Kowloon City, my secret pastime was pressing up against the classroom windows to watch Lockheed TriStars and Boeing 747s in those green and white stripes arc low over the rooftops into Kai Tak. The livery disappeared in the late 1990s, but in the hearts of aviation geeks like me, it never really left. Now, as Cathay turns 80 and brings the lettuce leaf back on its jets in 2026, it feels like the planes from my childhood have taxied out of memory and taken off again, this time with me waving from the other side of the fence.” 

“My favourite Cathay Pacific livery is the 80th anniversary livery on the Airbus A350-900. To me, it is the perfect meeting of past and present. The classic green-and-white 'lettuce leaf sandwich' design carries so much history, while the A350-900 represents Cathay Pacific’s modern elegance, innovation and global reach. Seeing the heritage livery on such a new-generation aircraft feels like watching eight decades of Cathay’s story come alive in one frame.” 

“What makes this livery especially meaningful is that it does more than look beautiful – it reflects Cathay Pacific’s legacy, its Hong Kong identity, and its continued journey forward. When I photographed B-LRJ in this special scheme, I felt I was capturing more than just an aircraft; I was capturing a tribute to the airline’s evolution and the memories it has created for so many people over the years.” 

“Among all Cathay Pacific liveries, this one stands out to me because it is both nostalgic and forward-looking, reflecting now and the future.” 

“I love the ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ livery – it’s the ultimate classic design and brings back memories of my first flight with Cathay Pacific. My grandson’s favourite is the brushwing livery because that was on the first aircraft he ever boarded! I bought him Cathay’s B777-300ER wooden puzzle to commemorate his first flight experience.” 

“Cathay Pacific’s 80th anniversary livery marks a milestone for Hong Kong’s home carrier, so it has great commemorative value. I also miss the retro livery that used to grace Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 747s .” 

“To me, it has to be the brushwing design with the calligraphic logo style . It’s the livery that I grew up with as far as I remember, and it’s so iconic that it takes just one glance to know its Cathay.” 

“I have fond memories of Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 747 with the green and white livery. The introduction of this aircraft marked the beginning of comfortable, affordable long-haul flights and defined air travel for a generation of Hongkongers.”