Air India‘s new logo symbol ‘The Vista’ is inspired by the peak of the gold window frame, signifying limitless possibilities, progressiveness, and the airline’s bold, confident outlook for the future.
New Delhi: Tata Sons on Thursday revealed a fresh brand identity and airplane appearance of Air India, replacing the airline’s famous mascot the Maharaja. The Air India rebranding is part of Tata Group’s ongoing transformation efforts following its acquisition over a year and a half ago. According to the company’s statement, the updated appearance takes the classic Indian window shape that Air India has traditionally used and transforms it into a gold window frame, which now plays a central role in the airline’s new brand design. This innovative design signifies a “Window of Possibilities,” said Air India Chief Executive Campbell Wilson on Thursday.
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Air India’s new logo symbol ‘The Vista’ is inspired by the peak of the gold window frame, signifying limitless possibilities, progressiveness, and the airline’s bold, confident outlook for the future, it said. “The new Air India is bold, confident, and vibrant, but also warm and deeply rooted to its rich history and traditions that make Indian hospitality a global benchmark for standards in service,” Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said. Further, Air India’s new aircraft livery and design features a palette of deep red, aubergine, and gold highlights, as well as a chakra-inspired pattern. It also houses a custom-made ‘Air India Sans’ font.
The airline also clarified that the iconic “Maharaja” mascot will live on and be part of airline’s journey in future. Wilson said that the Maharaja is a very important part of Air India’s legacy and they are proud with the legacy that they have. “It has been with us for more than 75 years. It is very well known and beloved in India and amongst the Indian community overseas. We very much wanted to continue it especially in local markets and with the Indian diaspora. As we move into international markets and beyond the Indian diaspora, the understanding of the Maharaja is not quite so clear. And it is not quite understood to stand for service and humility and Indian warmth and hospitality in the same way,” he said.
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“We wanted to take the essence of the Maharaja the warmth for hospitality, the service ethic and distil it down not just into the way that we behave, which is going to be obviously part of our DNA, but also in the way that we use it to carry forward some of Air India’s legacy in a classy and elevated way,” he added.
It has been informed that Maharaja will not be retiring despite a shift in its role. Instead of serving as a mascot, the Maharaja’s presence will be reduced to the airline’s premium classes and airport lounges.
Speaking about the new logo for Air India, Tasneem Ali, Chief Creative Officer of Future Brand India, said, “So when we were re-imagining the brand, we actually looked at elements within the Air India brand world and had a new interpretation of it. So the window which has always been on the plane, on the outside, inside menu card, the iconic Air India window which has been an enduring design symbol with the thing, we took that and re-imagined it.”
“And the whole point of the exercise was to create something that’s authentically and identifiably Indian, but presented in a very contemporary world-class manner…” he added.
The Maharaja mascot of the airline was created in 1946 by Bobby Kooka, the commercial director of the airline, who is responsible for the mascot’s personality and building the airline’s brand around the mascot.
Travellers will begin to see the new logo throughout their journey starting December 2023, when the airline’s first A350 enters the fleet in the new livery, according to the airline. Along with this, the airline will also be launching the new Air India website, mobile app, loyalty program etc phase-wise. It will also be launching an entirely new long-haul fleet by end of 2026.
Tata Takes control of Air India in 2022
Tata Group took control of loss-making Air India in January 2022. Earlier this year, Air India placed orders for 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing at USD 70 billion (based on published list prices). The deliveries of the new planes will start from November this year. As part of its transformation plan, the airline is leasing and buying 20 wide-body aircraft this year. Besides, a USD 400 million programme to completely refurbish the interiors of its legacy fleet of 43 widebody aircraft will commence in the middle of next year.
By March 2024, the carrier expects that 33 per cent of its wide-body fleet will be upgraded. ‘Taxi’, the first phase of the transformation plan Vihaan.AI, which focussed on “addressing legacy issues of the airline at scale and laying the foundation for future growth” has concluded. The second phase ‘Take Off’, — that will focus on developing the platforms, processes and systems needed to build toward excellence — is progressing now.
