Cathay Pacific’s Retro “Lettuce Leaf” A350 Touches Down in Japan as 80th Anniversary Celebrations Gather Pace
Tokyo, Japan — Cathay Pacific’s specially painted Airbus A350-900 wearing the airline’s beloved “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery made its first appearance at Narita Airport on Monday, marking another milestone in a year-long celebration of the Hong Kong-based carrier’s eight decades in service.
The aircraft, registered B-LRJ, arrived from Hong Kong to a warm reception organized by Cathay’s Japan-based staff. In a touch that underscored the nostalgic spirit of the occasion, approximately two dozen ground employees greeted the retro-liveried widebody while dressed in vintage Cathay Pacific uniforms spanning nine distinct design eras — from the airline’s 1946 founding right through to its current look.
It was a scene that neatly captured what Cathay is trying to do with its “80 Years Together” campaign: connect eight decades of aviation heritage with the modern operation it runs today.
A Livery That Defined an Era
The green-and-white striped paint scheme — affectionately nicknamed “Lettuce Leaf” or “Lettuce Sandwich” by aviation enthusiasts — originally adorned Cathay’s fleet from 1971 through 1994. Its bold Brunswick Green horizontal stripes against a white fuselage became one of the most recognizable looks in Asian commercial aviation, inseparable from memories of Boeing 747s threading their approach over Kowloon’s rooftops into the old Kai Tak Airport.
Now rendered on one of Cathay’s current-generation A350-900s, the retro scheme also features a prominent “80” anniversary logo on the rear fuselage. The airline first put the specially painted jet into revenue service on Jan. 6 as flight CX870 from Hong Kong to San Francisco, and it has since been rotating across medium- and long-haul international routes.
A Boeing 747-8F freighter, registered B-LJE, received the same treatment and entered cargo service on Jan. 24. Cathay has indicated a third special livery is also planned, though it hasn’t yet disclosed the aircraft type or design details.
Nine Generations of Uniform on Display
The Narita arrival doubled as a showcase for Cathay’s uniform heritage. The airline’s flight attendant and ground staff attire has evolved through nine recognizable generations, each reflecting the design sensibilities and cultural currents of its time.
The earliest navy military-style suits, worn when Douglas DC-3s formed the backbone of the fleet, gave way to progressively more fashion-forward designs. The 1960s brought the brand’s signature red for the first time, coinciding with jet age operations. By the late 1960s and into the ’70s, miniskirts had arrived. Then came a series of high-profile designer collaborations: Pierre Balmain created wave-patterned blouses that accompanied the introduction of widebody aircraft like the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar; Hermès designed the seventh-generation uniform that debuted alongside the carrier’s 747 fleet expansion; and Nina Ricci followed through the 1990s. The current ninth-generation uniform, by Hong Kong designer Eddie Lau, has been in service since 1999 with periodic refreshes.
Throughout 2026, Cathay plans to have around 2,000 cabin crew and 390 ground staff members wear these vintage uniforms during regular duties — a rolling tribute to the people who’ve shaped the carrier’s service culture over the decades.
A Broader Anniversary Agenda
The retro livery and vintage uniforms are only part of a wider anniversary program. Cathay Group Chief Executive Ronald Lam has signaled the airline is investing more than HK$100 billion into fleet renewal, cabin products, lounges and digital innovation as part of its ambitions to evolve from a traditional airline into what management describes as a premium “travel lifestyle brand.”
On the ground, a new flagship lounge is slated to open at New York JFK’s redeveloped Terminal 6, and The Wing First Class lounge in Hong Kong will reopen mid-2026 after a full-year transformation. A new lie-flat regional business class product for the A330-300 fleet is also expected to debut this year, addressing a longstanding inconsistency in cabin product across Cathay’s regional and long-haul networks.
Deep Roots in Japan
Monday’s Narita arrival also served as a reminder of the airline’s long history in the Japanese market. Cathay Pacific first flew to Japan on July 4, 1959 — 13 years after its founding — operating a Hong Kong to Tokyo Haneda route via Taipei. The carrier was established on Sept. 24, 1946, by Australian Syd de Kantzow and American Roy Farrell, both former military pilots who recognized the commercial potential of air cargo in post-war Asia. Their first aircraft was a single Douglas DC-3 nicknamed “Betsy.”
From that one propeller-driven airplane, Cathay has grown to operate more than 160 widebody jets and 16 narrowbody aircraft, serving over 100 destinations worldwide. It remains one of the largest operators of Boeing 747 freighters anywhere in the world — which is partly why applying the retro livery to a 747-8F cargo jet carries its own symbolic weight.
As the specially painted A350 departs Narita and rotates through the global network in the months ahead, it will carry more than passengers. For an airline born in a small fishing port that became one of the world’s great aviation crossroads, the question isn’t really where Cathay has been — it’s what the next chapter looks like for a carrier that’s managed to stay relevant through eight very different decades of commercial flight.
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