15. Air Malta: The national airline of the small Mediterranean island nation recently revamped its livery to feature the Maltese Cross prominently on the tail and wingtips.
14. China Southern Airlines: Based out its hub in the city of Guangzhou, China Southern is the country's largest airline. Its elegant livery features a combination of multiple hues of blue with its tail dominated by a brilliant red kapok flower.
13. Asiana: The Seoul, Korea-based airline may not have the eye-catching turquoise paint scheme of its rival — Korean Air— but its simple yet elegant livery depicting a blossoming flower is still one of the best around.
12. Arik Air: The upstart Nigerian airline flies with this attractive maroon-and-blue paint scheme.
11. Skyteam: Although Skyteam is an airline alliance and not a single airline, its grey-and-blue livery, adorning many of the member fleets, is one of the most chic in the skies.
10. British Airways: With a waving Union Jack adorning the tail, British Airways delivers a modern take on tradition British elegance.
9. Swiss International Airlines: Swiss International's eurowhite-and-red livery is pure understated style.
8. American Airlines: This is American's first new livery since the 1960's era polished metallic. Although the rebranding has been controversial, the new livery scheme is an effective modern take on American's eagle-and-flag motif.
7. Hainan Airlines: China's largest privately-owned airline has livery evokes element of China's culture and history. For the Chinese, red is symbolic of happiness and good fortune, while gold was the official color of China's imperial past.
6. Kulula: This South African low-cost carriers has built quite a reputation for interesting liveries, but its best effort so far is the 'Flying 101' design that double as a flying teaching tool for anyone interested in the different parts of an airliner.
Here's the view from the other side.
5.Fiji Airways: The recently re-branded Air Pacific is the national airline of Fiji. Its tribal-esque livery is evocative of the island's rich native culture.
4. Virgin Atlantic Airways: As with all Virgin Group companies, Virgin Atlantic carries Richard Branson's signature corporate logo. Even though it's been around in various iterations for a couple of decades now, the design still looks as modern and stylish as the day it debuted.
3. Air Seychelles: Air Seychelles is the national airline for the eponymous small island nation situated off the coast of Africa. Its stunning livery consists of a pair of 'fairy terns' flowing amid a sea of tropical colors.
2. Hawaiian Airlines: Even 40 years after its founding, the airline's trademark Pualani (Flower of the Sky) logo is still the most beautiful and distinctive in the business.
1. Air New Zealand: Air New Zealand is our winner with its teal and white livery dominated by the Maori Koru logo on the tail. However, as good as the airline's normal paint scheme may be, its specialty jobs are even better...
...like its Boeing Dreamliner, painted in honor of the country's all-conquering rugby squad the 'All Blacks.'
Or this Hobbit-themed livery promoting the movies filmed in the country.
And as the 'Official Airline of Middle Earth,' it's only fitting that the fearsome dragon Smaug adorns the sides of its planes.
Bonus: No livery is quite as evocative and effective in projecting American power as Air Force One. Although it's operated by the US Air Force's 89th Airlift Wing, the pair of Boeing 747-200-based VC25A's will literally bring any airport in the world to a screeching halt.
These airlines are as good as they look...
