PPG creates ‘all black’ livery for Air New Zealand

‘Green’ coatings by PPG Industries’ aerospace business were specified by Air New Zealand for the black livery on four aircraft that are part of the airline’s sponsorship of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and the world champion All Blacks rugby team.
Air New Zealand has taken delivery of a new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and subsidiary Eagle Airways has had two Beechcraft 1900D aeroplanes repainted with PPG Aerospace’s environmentally responsible coatings system: DesoGel EAP-9 metal pretreatment, Desoprime CF/CA 7502 epoxy primer and Desothane HS topcoats.
Eagle Airways also plans to have a third Beechcraft 1900D turboprop repainted in the black livery.
Air New Zealand commissioned the dramatic livery, featuring an all-black fuselage with a silver fern (symbolic of New Zealand) overlay across the rear of the aircraft to celebrate sponsorship of the All Blacks through 2015.
"New Zealand is crazy about rugby,” said Richard Wilkinson, PPG sales manager at the aerospace application support centre in Tullamarine. "As the national carrier, Air New Zealand and its Eagle Airways subsidiary are keen to protect New Zealand’s unique natural environment. Using these PPG Aerospace products enabled them to do so without compromising performance.”
Instead of using chromates for metal corrosion resistance, DesoGel EAP-9 metal pretreatment and Desoprime CF/CA 7502 primer inhibit corrosion with a chromate-free formulation, Wilkinson said. Additionally, he said Desothane HS topcoats by PPG Aerospace contain less volatile organic compounds than conventional paints to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Air New Zealand and Eagle Airways will maintain the glossy appearance of their black aircraft with Desoclean Green dry wash and polish by PPG Aerospace, which reduces the amount of required wet washing.