A FORMER Bolton art student is making his mark in the clouds.

The sky really is the limit for Bury-born Chris Holt as he supervises a brand new design for British Airways' fleet of planes.

The BEN revealed yesterday that London-based Mr Holt, aged 48, who was brought up in a council house in Almond Avenue, Jericho, now heads a 12-strong team as Head of Design Management for BA.

He watched proudly as the airline revealed its new corporate image at Manchester Airport.

The "dressed" British Regional Airlines ATP aircraft unveiled to dignitaries carries a painting of dolphins on its tail. They featured originally on a Poole Pottery dish and vase created by ceramic artist Sally Tuffin.

There will eventually be 50 world images to reflect BA's status as a global operator.

They will include a tartan from the Scottish Highlands, a tent panel from Egypt, calligraphy from China, a Polish paper cut and a painting from the Bush people of the Kalahari desert.

This major art commission - one of the largest the world has seen - is being overseen by a man who was educated at Derby School in Bury and Bolton College of Art and Design in Hilden Street.

"I am proud to be from Bury and I had very happy years at college in Bolton," he said.

He paid tribute to the help he received from art master Mr Barker at Derby School and Ken Adshead, his senior lecturer in Bolton. Mr Holt moved from Bolton to London in 1969 and started a design career which eventually led to him joining British Airways as Creative Services Manager in 1988. The new design is intended to underpin a major re-launch of the company.

It involves a staff re-structuring exercise which has incensed cabin crew and ground service employees, who are balloting for strike action.

BA has a £6 billion investment programme which includes 43 new aircraft and buildings such as the airline's new terminal at Manchester Airport - due to be opened in May next year.

Mr Holt was charged with projecting an image of a "global and caring" airline which was still proud to be British. But this target of representing the different communities of the world has not so far included a tailplane design to reflect the contemporary life or heritage of the Manchester area.

Mr Holt says there is still scope for this and he is prepared to talk to anybody who comes up with decent ideas.

The new image budget is £2m and it will cost £60m to implement over the next three years as aircraft are painted in line with normal maintenance schedules.

Apart from on planes, the images will appear on other items such as ground vehicles, stationery, timetables, baggage tags, ticket wallets and uniforms.

BA says: "The name 'British Airways' will be painted in a new softer, rounder typeface and a new three-dimensional Speedmarque has evolved from the flat, red Speedwing symbol along the fuselage of the aircraft."

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