Sichuan Airlines, based in Chengdu has launched a brand new bold uniform, designed to embrace both ‘enthusiasm and calmness’. The 7th incarnation of the uniform comes just in time for their new A350 which arrived today signalling a new era for the carrier including (what seem to be) all-aisle-access Zodiac Aerospace Cirrus business class seats.
While you might not have heard of the airline, it’s a fairly formidable carrier with no less that 130 aircraft in its fleet, and the A350 now featuring a Giant Panda (due to its Chengdu hub) means its going to be easily identifiable on international aprons, however to start with, the aircraft will be rotated on Beijing and Shanghai routes for crew familiarisation.
The new uniforms, “show off the elegance with the beauty of the agility,” according to their facebook feed. The new uniform, as a part of the airline’s “Panda Routes” roll out, shows a rather appealing and striking new international image of Sichuan Airlines.
As well as being lucky, the colour red represents the hospitality of Sichuan people, and their famous spicy food – after all, most know Sichuan for its peppercorns. But the designer, currently unnamed, brings together both traditional Chinese elements and Sichuan tastes.
These might not be ornate as the award winning Hainan Airlines uniforms, but they certainly will catch the eye of passengers. Both professional and fashionable there are beautiful lines, colors and detailing within the uniforms that certainly will raise the level of the carrier’s brand image.
The airline itself has been running for no less than 30 years, and owns the largest Airbus Fleet in Chinese Mainland. In total, there are 270 ‘Panda Routes’ which connect Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America. Under the programme “One Belt, One Road” the carrier is underway to transform itself to an international standard full-service carrier with an extensive network connection.
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I don’t mind the uniform. But I still wouldn’t fly a Chinese airline yet. They still have much to grow.
This is a beautiful uniform, and because airlines like Sichuan can hold their flight attendants to very strict weight and grooming standards, their crews will really turn heads wearing this simple but stylish design. The only discordant note is the male crewmember’s blue tie. Black and/or red would seem to have been a more logical choice.