At the start of January 2025, AeroTime reported that the Dutch leisure airline Transavia would be unveiling one of its new Airbus A321neos in a special ‘retro jet’ livery during 2025 to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the airline, a milestone which is due to be celebrated on October 21, 2025.
The livery to be replicated will be the version which appeared on the airline’s early Boeing 737s and Sud Aviation Caravelles. The design would revitalize the design created by Dutch designer Thijs Postma who proposed the green scheme in 1966, which included a lime green window line and tail, with a large black ‘T’ on the tail and forward fuselage with ‘Transavia Holland‘ titles also in black on the forward fuselage above the window line. The aircraft is expected to carry its first passengers during the summer of 2025.
Coming up to date, Transavia has now released several images on social media showing the aircraft chosen to receive the retro scheme in the paintshop at Airbus’ Hamburg-Finkenwerder (XFW) assembly plant in Germany. The images clearly show the aircraft receiving the green window ‘cheatline’ and the black ‘T’ on the forward fuselage. The tail has already been painted, as is common for Airbus aircraft as the tail assembly is prefabricated and painted elsewhere for weighting purposes before being attached to the rest of the aircraft in Hamburg.
Images: Transavia
According to a statement issued by the carrier, “A nice detail can also be found on the inside of the sharklets – the raised wing tips. The retro style can also be seen there, through the window, from your seat.”
At Transavia, its fleet of Boeing 737-800s is gradually making way for new incoming Airbus narrowbody aircraft. The airline’s ninth Airbus A321neo (not the retro jet plane) is expected to arrive at Amsterdam-Schiphol with the carrier on April 5, 2025. By the end of 2025, the Transavia fleet will consist of fourteen Airbus A321neos, plus 40 Boeing 737-800s.
An A321neo destined for Transavia wearing (a small part of) a special livery. https://t.co/FZUoHV5N2y © Tim Donell pic.twitter.com/Mkm1lG1NSy
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The carrier’s Airbus A321neos all operate in a single-class 232-seat configuration and are powered by a pair of CFM International LEAP 1A-32 powerplants. Transavia operates 147 routes to 94 destinations across 28 countries. The airline operated its first commercial service on November 16, 1966, using a Douglas DC-6 on a return flight from Amsterdam to Naples.
Transavia currently maintains bases at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam-The Hague Airport (RTM) and Eindhoven Airport (EIN) in The Netherlands. It also flies to and from Brussels Airport (BRU) in Belgium, while sister airline Transavia France operates as a low-cost airline flying scheduled and charter services from bases in France.