Planespotters have a new target to find: the first Sun Country Airlines bearing its new paint job.
Sun Country's new livery -- industry parlance for an aircraft's paint scheme -- uses more of its signature orange than the current fleet's predominantly blue coat.
The Eagan-based carrier will gradually paint all 27 airplanes in its fleet with the new livery, though it will take several years. Sun Country will refresh each individual aircraft as it comes due for its scheduled paint job. The lifespan of a livery can last between seven and 10 years before needing a new coat.
Under the airline's previous ownership, Sun Country announced in 2017 its Hometown Lakes project, which was naming each aircraft after a different Minnesota lake. The lake's name was to be emblazoned on the livery. The company's new leadership recently scrapped that plan in favor of a more dramatic overhaul of the planes' look.
Executives solicited input from employees on the new design.
Passengers at its hometown hub of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will have a chance to see the new look in November when the first spruced-up plane begins flying routes. On Tuesday, Sun Country released a video showing a time-lapse of the makeover, which took place at a contractor's facility in Lake City, Fla.
