
Often, logos have a long history and change from time to time. The American Airlines logo too has undergone some significant and some not so significant changes since its inception. Its meaning and evolution has been in line with what the country symbolizes and wants to showcase to the world- growth, progress and unity.
About the American Airlines Brand
The first American Airlines flight on April 15, 1926 was one that carried mail from Missouri to Illinois. After almost eight to ten years of carrying cargo, the airline moved to ferrying passengers. The first commercial service took place in a D-C 3 plane on June 25, 1936 from New York to Chicago. It was after World War II that American Airlines flew its first overseas passenger flight, to Europe.
Origins
Current Status
American Airlines Logo Design History
Pilots and flight attendants working for American Airlines have for a long time been seen as heroes of the sky and being associated with the airline has been been a matter of privilege for everyone. The American Airlines logo has been an iconic symbol of flying pride. The winged “AA” logo of American Airlines has been its identity for many decades.
Colors and Significance of the Original American Airlines Logo
The famous American Airlines logo was created in 1967 by Italian graphic designer Massimo Vignelli. Thirty years later, in 1997, American Airlines bought the domain name AA.com and branded the company website with its emblem.
This logo had the letters AA (one letter in red and the other in blue) in Helvetica font (which was new then), with an eagle in between.
The red color represents passion, energy and vitality while the blue signifies duty, trust and care. The eagle, a popular American symbol for the country’s growth and great leaps of progress has been part of the American Airlines logo since its inception. This has been a solid symbol of American Airlines for over 45 years.
American Airlines Logo Design Evolution
Constantly changing your brand design does not give customers a feeling of permanence or long-term association. That is the reason most brands stick to one specific logo design for a long time. It helps them be identifiable to their clientele. A brand’s logo is the company’s trademark that is to be printed on everything- from boarding passes to stationery. It is crucial to a brand’s graphic identity. And if it works well, there is no need for regular logo changes.
American Airlines too used the same popular logo for more than 45 years, building trust and loyalty amongst flyers.
Since the airline started, the American Airlines logo has been changed five times, the most recent re-branding being in 2013.
Logo Changes Over the Years
Present Logo
Colors
Conclusion

Photo by Manfred Irmer from Pexels
The FutureBrand Group believes that the new symbol truly portrays the essence and spirit of American Airlines, while honoring the airline’s heritage at the same time. But a large number of people are of the opinion that redesigning the brand logo was not really necessary and that Massimo Vignelli’s 1967 emblem was the best and most instantly recognizable. It takes time for people to accept a change as big as this after having seen a brand close to their heart stick to the same emblem for more than 45 years.
Nevertheless, the American Airlines logo has received widespread acclaim for its elegance, subtlety and the feel of movement or progress it gives because of its eagle in motion.
Featured Image: Image via Flickr
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