Alaska Airlines unveils salmon livery designed by Alaska Native artist to celebrate Indigenous culture & language

As a tribute to Xáat Kwáani (Salmon People), this special Alaska Airlines aircraft is the first of any domestic airline fleet to be named in an Alaska Native language and to depict the ancestral importance of salmon through Northwest Coast formline art

Alaska Airlines unveils salmon livery designed by Alaska Native artist to celebrate Indigenous culture & language

Alaska Airlines unveiled its newest aircraft paint theme - Xáat Kwáani - designed by the talented Alaska Native artist Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl. 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 them who benefit from their stewardship of the environment.

Using Northwest Coast formline art, the salmon design by Worl is a one-of-a-kind work that honors salmon, culture, artistic expression, and language. Traditional formline art dates back thousands of years and is a two-dimensional design style of the Northwest Coast.

Through her art, Worl aims to bring attention to Indigenous culture and to pass on ancestral values to a new generation.

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Alaska Native artist Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl got a private first showing of the aircraft after its arrival in Anchorage, Alaska, May 10, 2023.

Salmon has a special meaning and significance in the state of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and along the West Coast. Some travel as far as 600 miles each way, each uniquely adapted to its particular river system, ocean and watershed environment.

The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 is the first livery of a U.S. airline fleet to have the name of the plane in an Alaska Native language and the first time Alaska Airlines has featured a language besides English on the main door of an aircraft.

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X̲áat K̲wáani means “Salmon People” in the Alaskan Tlingit language and refers to the spiritual link between the people who interact with the beloved salmon.

The aircraft will begin flying on May 12, 2023, with an inaugural flight from Anchorage through Southeast Alaska. First stop of Alaska Airlines flight 62 will be through Crystal's hometown of Juneau, the state's capital, before it continues through Sitka, Ketchikan and Seattle.

Xáat Kwáani (Salmon People) paint facts:

It took 117 gallons of paint to complete the livery.
Four main colors were used to create the livery: Midnight Blue, Atlas Blue, White and Pink.
From landing to take-off, it took just 12 days to paint.
The specially painted livery will fly for a number of years through a paint system that applies a protective clear coat over the base coats. This protective coating will keep the livery looking fresh for many years.