The financially and managerially tattered Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) -- Nepal's national flag carrier -- has planned a new scheme to uplift its dilapidated image through the change of its 26-year-old livery, the officials at the Corporation said.

This is the first time the NAC has been planning to change its livery. Introduced in 1987, the existing livery features red and blue stripes on the aircraft's tail and the name Nepal Airlines in blue. It also portrays Nepal's nationality, religion, national color and the Hindu God.

According to the officials at NAC, the symbol of Akash Bhairav - - a Hindu deity regarded as protector of the sky -- will be kept intact and other design will be changed.

Concluding that 'the old livery of being stale,' the NAC had at the end of September decided to change it and asked all interested individuals through local newspapers to send new livery as a competition.

"The last date for the submission of the new livery has been closed only yesterday (Thursday) and a total of 32 contestants have proposed new livery," Ganesh Bahadur Chand, spokesperson at NAC told Xinhua.

He said all submitted livery will be judged by a group of experts and best three designs will be then forwarded to the meeting of NAC Board for final endorsement.

"The change in livery has been intended to give a message of change and of course, betterment in our services amid the growing negative messages about the NAC all over," a source at NAC told Xinhua preferring anonymity.

He also added, the new livery will be introduced within this year through the new airplanes that NAC is planning to procure.

On June 27, the NAC had ordered two Airbus A320-200 jets. Similarly, NAC has also planned to procure six Chinese aircraft from China.

Sources however said no decision has been made so far in regards to if the livery of the existing aircraft that NAC possesses will be changed. NAC currently has three airplanes -- two Boeing 757 and a twin otter.