In Photos: STARLUX AIRSORAYAMA A350-1000 Delivery Ceremony

‍TOULOUSE — This week, Starlux Airlines (JX) took delivery of one of two A350-1000s sporting the AIRSORAYAMA gold-and-silver special livery, the result of a collaboration between the Taiwanese airline and artist Hajime Sorayama. Airways was in attendance at the delivery ceremony held at the Airbus Delivery Center in Toulouse, France.

On January 27, 2026, STARLUX announced a historic collaboration with Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama to launch the AIRSORAYAMA project. The project aims to transform two Airbus A350-1000s into true flying masterpieces, on which Sorayama’s iconic metallic aesthetic will be fully expressed—both inside and out.

The concept behind this livery is founded on a desire to bring emotion and human warmth to a mechanical structure that is, by nature, cold and rational: “An airplane is the quintessential mechanical structure: rational, precise, and inherently cold. What we sought to do was bring warmth and beauty to the flying experience.”

Sorayama-sensei’s creations embody futurism and breathe emotion into metal, reflecting the precision and care that characterize aviation itself. Together, we have created something unprecedented: a flying masterpiece that carries emotions around the world,” said the president of STARLUX.

For the Taiwanese artist, decorating these two 72-meter-long Airbus aircraft fulfills a 30-year-old dream: to create the world’s largest work of art. Each of the two planes features a unique livery: one is predominantly silver with touches of gold, while the other is gold with silver accents.

Airsorayama livery: a flying showcase and art masterpiece 

These spectacular liveries took three years to develop to bring the artist’s vision to life while meeting rigorous aircraft requirements. To meet these technical challenges, Airbus and the paint manufacturer MANKIEWICZ developed special paints based on highly concentrated mica and multi-layer techniques to achieve this fluid “liquid metal” visual effect. 

On the underside of the aircraft, lines inspired by his classic “Mechanical Shark” motif give the impression that a mechanical shark is slicing through the sky from the ground. A true traveling exhibition across the skies of the entire world.

These breakthroughs culminated in the launch of AIRSORAYAMA SILVER and AIRSORAYAMA GOLD, two bespoke metallic colors co-created with PANTONE and officially added to their color library. This marks the first time proprietary metallic shades have been engineered exclusively for commercial aviation. 

Beyond the technical and aesthetic aspects, the two AIRSORAYAMA A350-1000s, positioned in highly visible locations, will serve as flying showcases for the brand, at the crossroads of contemporary art, industrial design and long-haul aviation. It is also, in fact, a strategic decision that enables STRALUX to set itself apart from its local competitors, EVA Air and China Airlines, and to position itself as Taiwan’s leading full-service premium airline.

A striking delivery ceremony

The delivery ceremony began with speeches by representatives from Airbus, Starlux, and Rolls-Royce. Starlux chairman K.W. Chang and CEO Glenn Chai personally led a delegation to Toulouse to mark the occasion alongside Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Lars Wagner, Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace President Rob Watson, and MANKIEWICZ Director, Jacques Robillard. 

Mirroring the project's vast scope and vision, the event offered a truly immersive atmosphere, highlighted by imposing metallic installations, striking lighting effects, and custom-tailored audio. Closing the speeches, gift exchange, and photo ops took center stage. 

Luxury and art: a unique travel experience

The AIRSORAYAMA spirit isn’t just about the A350’s exterior—it also extends to the interior, the cabin, and includes themed in-flight services, a safety video, and a range of co-branded merchandise (soon to be launched in-flight in October 2026), ensuring that the experience of this flying masterpiece permeates every stage of the journey. 

The cabin also features the Airbus AIRSPACE cabin, enhancing the passenger experience: “The A350-1000 Long Range Leader is the natural flagship of STARLUX’s long haul ambitions, built to optimize routes, reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and deliver the comfort their passengers expect as they connect more of the world with efficiency and style,” said Lars Wagner, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus.

Today, July 4, the AIRSORAYAMA silver A350-1000 embarked on its maiden flight from Toulouse to Taoyuan Airport in Taiwan. At the controls was STARLUX Chairman Chang himself, personally piloting the inaugural journey.

Registered as B-58553, the aircraft will initially service routes to Prague in August, the Oceania region with Sydney, as well as Tokyo Haneda, before expanding its reach across the entire Starlux network.

The Taiwanese carrier will also open new routes this year, in addition to Prague, including Barcelona and Zurich in Europe; Bali in October for the Indonesian region; and Sydney and Auckland for the Oceania region.