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Runway To Runway: How Airline Uniform Design Helps Nation Branding

Jan 29, 2024 | Marketing

It is surprising how quickly society took flying for granted. So much so that nowadays aviation rarely makes positive headlines. The mainstream news cycle is dominated by air traffic controller strikes, crash landings, and volcanic flight path disruptions. Before the more recent advent of low-cost gamechangers like Ryanair, JetBlue, or AirAsia, the open skies were the domain of elite national carriers, often founded and backed by governments. By default, they represented their countries while connecting peoples and cultures on the global stage.

Airlines were typically branded with references to folklore (Lufthansa’s crane logo), national costume (Air India sarees) and hospitality values (Qantas’ first-ever Business Class). Over the years, crew uniforms became a visual calling card for the airlines and the nations. Famous designers tried to make their mark with this element of fashion diplomacy.

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