B-58553 departed Toulouse on July 4th, heading to its home base in Taipei, Taiwan. Two new colors have emerged from the AIRSORAYAMA project, with Pantone translating acclaimed Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama’s signature metallic aesthetic into bespoke aviation colors, silver and gold.
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Developed in a collaboration between STARLUX Airlines and global color authority Pantone, these colors serve as the defining element of the STARLUX AIRSORAYAMA aircraft, a three-year initiative that required solving technical problems never before confronted at this scale.
On the AIRSORAYAMA A350-1000s, Sorayama’s iconic metallic “silver” and “gold” aesthetic are translated to precision-engineered shades designed for consistent reproduction. The result, visible at scale on STARLUX’s Airbus A350-1000, is a fluid, liquid-metal effect that shifts in depth and tone depending on viewing angle and lighting conditions, transforming the aircraft fuselage into a striking visual statement.
The project united STARLUX, Airbus, and German premium coating specialist Mankiewicz around a fundamental challenge: Sorayama’s signature mirror-like metallic finishes could not be used on the Airbus A350-1000 due to aviation safety, structural, and lightning-protection requirements. A new technical solution needed to be developed.
The solution was a family of high-concentration mica-based pigments capable of producing reflective metallic luster while meeting the rigorous standards of commercial aviation. After extensive testing and validation, the formulation underwent more than 10 iterative adjustments before receiving final approval from Sorayama himself. This process yielded the signature finishes of the AIRSORAYAMA Silver and Gold aircrafts.
With the formula approved, engineers implemented a precision multi-layer coating process to apply the colors at aircraft scale, balancing visual performance with engineering requirements. It took a team of 16 specialists over 20 days to complete the livery.
Photo: Eurospot x.com/cliper31