AkzoNobel Helps Latvian Airline Celebrate Nation’s 100th Anniversary

airBaltic is flying the flag to celebrate Latvia’s 100^th anniversary after one of its new A220-300 aircraft was given a unique livery using AkzoNobel’s aerospace coatings.
 
The special project was carried out in Magnetic MRO’s paint hangar in Tallinn, Estonia before the eye-catching artwork was gifted to the nation during an official ceremony at Riga Airport. 
“We’re proud to see our industry-leading exterior paint system used for such a striking design to mark such a special occasion in the history of Latvia,” said John Griffin, global director of AkzoNobel’s aerospace coatings business. “The livery looks amazing and is a fantastic example of how our customers share our passion for paint.”
“It took 15 professional painters 1,000 hours to create the one-off livery, which honors Latvia’s red and white flag,” added Rihards Priedkalns, Magnetic MRO Aircraft paint shop manager.
 
More than 250 liters of AkzoNobel aerospace coatings were applied to create the design. The high-performance system included the 4101 Alumigrip primer – which uses non-chromate pigments to provide corrosion protection – as well as the company’s leading basecoat/clearcoat system, Aerodur 3001/3002. The aircraft livery was accepted on behalf of the nation by the President of Latvia, Raimonds Vejonis.
 
“Now the flag of Latvia will proudly wave above our heads high in the skies and travel around the world,” said Andris Vaivads, DT Technical Department of airBaltic.