Air India gets a makeover with a new logo

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Air India unveiled its new logo on Thursday which signifies limitless possibilities. The Tata-owned airline has been working on the new logo for as many as 15 months. It will replace the old logo of a red swan and orange spokes inside the swan, inspired by the Ashoka Chakra.

Air India’s new logo symbol – ‘The Vista’ – includes a modern design with golden, red and purple colours.

“It is inspired by the peak of the gold window frame, signifying limitless possibilities, progressiveness, and the airline’s bold, confident outlook for the future,” the company said in a press release.

The new logo is inspired by the classic and iconic Indian window shape, historically used by Air India, which the airline believes is symbolic to ‘Window of Opportunities’.

“Our transformative new brand reflects an ambition to make Air India a world class airline serving guests from around the globe, and that represents a new India proudly on the global stage,” said Campbell Wilson, Air India CEO & MD.

As Air India soars higher sporting new livery for new beginnings, N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Group and Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India, flag off the event, for the airline’s next chapter.

Colours, patterns, shapes and how they come together and what they represent matter, but actions speak so much louder. It is in the midst of a total transformation to reimagine the role of India’s flagship airline, he added.

Designed in partnership with FutureBrand, travellers will see this logo on Air India’s aircrafts from December 2023, when Air India’s first Airbus A350 enters the fleet in the new livery.

London-based brand and design consultancy firm FutureBrand has worked on branding American Airlines and British luxury automobile brand Bentley as well as the 2012 London Olympics. It now worked to refurbish Air India’s identity as the carrier aims to take on elite carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Maharajah mascot took a step back as the Tata Group embarked on a long-awaited revamp of the national carrier’s brand, having taken it over in January last year following the airline’s privatisation.

The Maharajah has had an iconic association with Air India since 1946, while the carrier’s logos have also included the centaur, the rising sun and a flying swan through the decades.

Designed in 1946, when Bobby Kooka, Air India’s Commercial Director, and Umesh Rao, an artist with advertising agency J.Walter Thompson, together created the brand icon. Those were the times when flying was an ultra-luxury experience and mostly very rich people and celebrities travelled by air.

However, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said that the rebranding by Tata, will not completely do away with the iconic mascot of a cheerful Maharaja in a red turban and with an outsized moustache.

It would stay on in some elements of the design, but would not be as prominent, CEO Campbell Wilson said, adding that all of the airline’s widebody planes will be refurbished with the new livery by 2025.

Since the Tata Group took over last year, Air India has been on a steady drive to improve its image among passengers. As part of that, the airline will be refurbishing its cabins, installing new seats and retiring older aircraft through next year.

In January 2022, the Tata group took over the management and control of the airline, it bought from the India government at Rs 18,000 crore. Later in September 2022, Air India had unveiled Vihaan.AI, its multi-stage transformation roadmap towards becoming a “world class global airline with an Indian heart.”

In recent months, Air India placed an historic order for 470 aircraft and announced massive outlays for refurbishing existing aircraft and IT upgrade.

The airline aims to fly an entirely new long haul fleet by the end of 2026.

There will also be a phased launch of new Air India website, mobile app, loyalty programme and refitted interiors.

Chandrasekaran, also the Chairman of Air India, said the best of artificial intelligence and machine learning will be deployed at Air India and emphasised that the airline is not just another business for the group but a passion and a national mission.

On a complete rebranding spree, Air India had also revamped menus on international and domestic routes, launched Premium Economy seats for the first time ever on select long-haul flights and insourced some of the critical customer service functions.(The Economics Time)