Air India has called in an award-winning brand consultancy firm to help the airline reinvigorate its decades-old branding. The Tata-owned airline will work with London-based FutureBrand as part of a major makeover of Air India, which is hoped will reposition the airline as a world-class global carrier.
FutureBrand has previously worked with American Airlines on its latest logo and livery, as well as a visual style that is referenced throughout the customer journey. The consultancy firm said the rebrand helped to inspire a “mindset shift” throughout the company.
Air India has used the same Maharajah logo since 1946, which could be retired as part of the rebranding exercise. Air India’s ‘Flying Palace’ livery remains iconic, but much of the airline’s marketing is in desperate need of a refresh.
Founded in 1932 by India’s massive Tata & Son conglomerate, Air India then became a government-owned airline before Tata took back control of the airline after 69 years in January 2022.
In recent years, Air India has faced significant hurdles, and Tata hopes to completely transform the carrier as part of an ambitious five-year plan that will see the company pump vast sums of money into the carrier to improve the customer experience, renew its worn-out fleet and widen its route network.
Last month, Tata announced that it planned to fold the Vistara airline brand into Air India, which it owns 51 per cent of in a joint venture with Singapore Airways. The Air India Express brand will also be merged with the mainline brand, creating the ideal opportunity for a rebrand.
In recent years, FutureBrand has worked with Air Malta, Atlantis Dubai, and Fiji Airways.
