diff --git a/src/blackgui/components/dbliveryselectorcomponent.cpp b/src/blackgui/components/dbliveryselectorcomponent.cpp
index fda1f5a29..de067a171 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/components/dbliveryselectorcomponent.cpp
+++ b/src/blackgui/components/dbliveryselectorcomponent.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,11 @@ namespace BlackGui
         void CDbLiverySelectorComponent::setLivery(const CLivery &livery)
         {
             QString code(livery.getCombinedCode());
-            if (code.isEmpty()) { return; }
+            if (code.isEmpty())
+            {
+                this->ui->le_Livery->clear();
+                return;
+            }
             if (livery != m_currentLivery)
             {
                 this->ui->le_Livery->setText(code);
diff --git a/src/blackgui/editors/liveryform.cpp b/src/blackgui/editors/liveryform.cpp
index 5bf5b1850..39510625b 100644
--- a/src/blackgui/editors/liveryform.cpp
+++ b/src/blackgui/editors/liveryform.cpp
@@ -79,16 +79,26 @@ namespace BlackGui
             this->ui->color_Fuselage->setColor(livery.getColorFuselage());
             this->ui->color_Tail->setColor(livery.getColorTail());
 
-            this->ui->editor_AirlineIcao->setValue(livery.getAirlineIcaoCode());
+            if (livery.isColorLivery())
+            {
+                this->ui->editor_AirlineIcao->clear();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                this->ui->editor_AirlineIcao->setValue(livery.getAirlineIcaoCode());
+            }
         }
 
         CStatusMessageList CLiveryForm::validate(bool withNestedForms) const
         {
             CLivery livery(getValue());
             CStatusMessageList msgs(livery.validate());
-            if (withNestedForms && (livery.hasValidDbKey() || !livery.getAirlineIcaoCodeDesignator().isEmpty()))
+            if (withNestedForms)
             {
-                msgs.push_back(this->ui->editor_AirlineIcao->validate());
+                if (!livery.isColorLivery())
+                {
+                    msgs.push_back(this->ui->editor_AirlineIcao->validate());
+                }
             }
             if (this->isReadOnly())
             {
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.cpp b/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.cpp
index d28563119..645506ee7 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             return (this->hasValidDesignator() && this->getDesignator() != getUnassignedDesignator());
         }
 
+        bool CAircraftIcaoCode::hasSpecialDesignator() const
+        {
+            if (!this->hasDesignator()) { return false; }
+            return getSpecialDesignators().contains(this->getDesignator());
+        }
+
         bool CAircraftIcaoCode::isIataSameAsDesignator() const
         {
             return hasDesignator() && hasIataCode() && m_iataCode == m_designator;
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.h b/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.h
index 3626397f8..6e5f515db 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocode.h
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             //! Has designator and designator is not "ZZZZ"
             bool hasKnownDesignator() const;
 
+            //! Special designator
+            bool hasSpecialDesignator() const;
+
             //! IATA code
             const QString &getIataCode() const { return m_iataCode; }
 
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocodelist.cpp b/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocodelist.cpp
index 48ecf7664..4571262f3 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocodelist.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/aircrafticaocodelist.cpp
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             for (const QJsonValue &value : array)
             {
                 CAircraftIcaoCode icao(CAircraftIcaoCode::fromDatabaseJson(value.toObject()));
-                if (ignoreIncomplete && !icao.hasCompleteData()) { continue; }
+                if (ignoreIncomplete && !icao.hasSpecialDesignator() && !icao.hasCompleteData()) { continue; }
                 codes.push_back(icao);
             }
             return codes;
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/livery.cpp b/src/blackmisc/aviation/livery.cpp
index 03f2311c5..9a3982a61 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/livery.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/livery.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,18 @@ namespace BlackMisc
             if (!hasCombinedCode()) { msg.push_back(CStatusMessage(cats, CStatusMessage::SeverityError, "Livery: missing livery code")); }
             if (!hasColorFuselage()) { msg.push_back(CStatusMessage(cats, CStatusMessage::SeverityWarning, "Livery: no fuselage color")); }
             if (!hasColorTail()) { msg.push_back(CStatusMessage(cats, CStatusMessage::SeverityWarning, "Livery: no tail color")); }
-            if (!getAirlineIcaoCodeDesignator().isEmpty()) { msg.push_back(m_airline.validate()); }
+            if (this->isColorLivery())
+            {
+                if (!this->getAirlineIcaoCodeDesignator().isEmpty())
+                {
+                    // color livery, supposed to have empty airline
+                    msg.push_back(CStatusMessage(cats, CStatusMessage::SeverityWarning, "Livery: color livery, but airline looks odd"));
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                msg.push_back(m_airline.validate());
+            }
             return msg;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp
index 78667ab9c..185f8e122 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/simulation/aircraftmodellist.cpp
@@ -202,7 +202,11 @@ namespace BlackMisc
                 if (!model.getDistributor().hasValidDbKey()) { subMsgs << "No distributor from DB"; }
                 if (!model.getAircraftIcaoCode().hasValidDbKey()) { subMsgs << "No aircraft ICAO from DB"; }
                 if (!model.getLivery().hasValidDbKey()) { subMsgs << "No livery from DB"; }
-                if (!model.getLivery().getAirlineIcaoCode().hasValidDbKey()) { subMsgs << "No airline ICAO from DB"; }
+                if (model.getLivery().isAirlineLivery())
+                {
+                    // for color codes we do not need to check
+                    if (!model.getLivery().getAirlineIcaoCode().hasValidDbKey()) { subMsgs << "No airline ICAO from DB"; }
+                }
                 CStatusMessage msgDb(CStatusMessage::SeverityError, subMsgs.join(", "));
 
                 CStatusMessage singleMsg(CStatusMessageList({msgModel, msgDb}).toSingleMessage());