Alaska Airlines unveiled its stunning new Xáat Kwáani livery this week after painting in Amarillo. The livery, designed by Alaska Native artist Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl, uses traditional formline art to honor “salmon, culture, artistic expression, and language.” Xáat Kwáani means “Salmon People” in the Alaskan Tlingit language and “refers to the spiritual link between the people who interact with the beloved salmon and all of us who benefit from their stewardship of the environment,” says Alaska Airlines.
How do you paint such an intricate livery?
N559AS is the former Salmon Thirty-Salmon livery aircraft, so it is no stranger to special paint. The airline says that the Xáat Kwáani livery used 117 gallons (443 litres) of paint and includes a special clear top coat to lengthen the time the livery can remain on the aircraft without repainting. Watch a time lapse video of the painting of N559AS, compressed down from 12 days.
How to track Xáat Kwáani
You can follow Xáat Kwáani by searching Flightradar24 or setting an alert for registration N559AS. The aircraft will make its first revenue flight in the new livery from Anchorage on 12 May. Xáat Kwáani will make its way from Anchorage to Juneau to Sitka to Ketchikan to Seattle. Then continuing to Santa Ana and back up to Seattle—a busy first day in action.
