The comeback story of a very special bird inspired AkzoNobel, Azul Airlines and Embraer to create the most colorful airplane in South America – the “Blue Macaw” Embraer 195 E2.

The new Azul Airlines livery features the little blue macaw (Spix’s macaw), a national symbol in Brazil. Although considered extinct in the wild, a program is underway to re-introduce the bird to its natural habitat.

Brazilian artist Pardal created a design that pays tribute to the blue macaw and the protection of biodiversity. Of its incredible 58 colors, half are custom and had to be mixed in only two weeks. The Embraer paint team in São Paulo then applied AkzoNobel’s Aerodur 3001/3002 basecoat clearcoat system to bring the artwork to life.

"This colorful project had a lot of moving parts, bringing together all the elements of our ‘People. Planet. Paint.’ approach to sustainability,” says Daniel Geiger Campos, President of AkzoNobel South America. “While working with our partners to share the story of the blue macaw, we were also able to showcase AkzoNobel’s incredible range: the same brand that manufactures high-tech solutions for aircraft also offers innovative and high-quality Coral products to transform your homes and communities.”

Joining the company’s aerospace coatings team in welcoming the blue macaw back to Brazil, decorative paints colleagues supported a Let’s Colour project to restore public spaces. More than 2,400 liters of Coral paint and 620 liters of Weathershield, Ambience and Easycare paint were used to refresh the inside and outside of a local theater and church.

It’s not the first time AkzoNobel has gone wild with Embraer. Previous wildlife collaborations include life-like tiger, eagle, snow leopard and shark airplanes.