AkzoNobel colours the 787th Boeing 787

Boeing has flown past a major milestone in its paint partnership with AkzoNobel following the delivery of its 787th 787 aircraft.

The landmark plane was painted in a special livery for China Southern Airlines, using the company’s industry-leading base coat/clear coat system.

At the same time, Boeing recently delivered its 1000th new aircraft to have been painted with AkzoNobel’s Aerodur 3001/3002 paint system.

Aerodur 3001/3002 is the most widely-used aerospace paint system in the industry.

AkzoNobel has been supplying it to Boeing since 2010, and has been supplying base coat/clear coat to the aircraft maker since 2014.

"Our partnership with Boeing stands out in the industry and is a great source of pride for AkzoNobel,” said John Griffin, the company’s Aerospace Segment Director.

"As we celebrate these major milestones together, we are thankful for the long-standing trust Boeing has put in our products and services and congratulate Boeing on the delivery of the 787th, 787.”

He added: "AkzoNobel’s state-of-the-art Aerodur 3001/3002 remains the only base coat/clear coat paint system qualified to meet Boeing’s paint specifications and this is one of the reasons propelling AkzoNobel to the leadership position in the aerospace coatings market.”

The Aerodur system stands out for two main reasons – reduced application time and improved durability.

This results in drastically reduced downtime.

It also provides outstanding gloss and colour retention, superior chemical and stain resistance, flexibility and weathering performance, which explains why it has become a trend-setter in the aerospace industry.

Airlines that once requested mono-coat systems now specify a base coat/clear coat system.

Continued Griffin: "We are proud of this accomplishment and will continue to work with Boeing and our other airline customers to advance our state-of-the-art paint systems to ensure superior performance now and into the future.”