Hawaiian Airlines Unveils New Logo

Hawaiian Airlines revealed an updated brand identity and the freshly-painted livery of a Boeing 717 (N488HA) today.

Hawaiian Airlines unveils new aircraft logo.
Photo Courtesy

Pualani, meaning flower of the sky, the icon of Hawaiian’s brand for more than four decades, will continue to gaze forward on the tail of the aircraft; beneath her, a silver maile lei with woven pakalana flowers wraps around the fuselage in a larger-than-life expression of the aloha spirit.

“Our new livery embodies a stronger, more contemporary representation of Hawaiian Airlines’ culture of service and hospitality, which is the bedrock of our guest experience,” said president and CEO Mark Dunkerley, who unveiled the new brand design at Honolulu International Airport during a special employee event on Lei Day, a statewide annual celebration of Hawaiian culture. “It acknowledges our place as Hawai‘i’s airline and underscores the commitment our employees make every day to provide our guests with a gracious and genuine island welcome.”

Travelers will also notice the new logo on web and digital assets, airport lobby signage and kiosks, and at boarding gates.

More than 50 aircraft will feature the new design. Painting of all aircraft and ground service equipment is scheduled to be complete by 2020.

The airline worked with Lippincott, a global creative consultancy, on the new identity.

“So much of our visual identity, which is 15 years old, still resonated deeply with our guests and employees,” said Avi Mannis, senior vice president of marketing for Hawaiian. “Our aim was to retain the essence of our brand and arrive at a bolder, truer expression of our unique Hawaiian hospitality.”

The new identity keeps the airline’s distinctive color palette of purple, fuchsia and coral. Pualani, the singular icon of the brand, remains at its core. The new logo emphasizes Pualani by featuring her more prominently and liberating her from the floral “holding shape” of the former logo. The airline says she gazes proudly with the wind in her hair, adorned with a hibiscus flower and framed by a Hawaiian sunrise. The expressive, organic graphics reflect the natural forms of Hawai‘i.

The addition of the lei elements accentuate the three-dimensional contours of the aircraft fuselage while also incorporating a rich, meaningful cultural narrative that reflects the carrier’s sense of place and identity.

“The Hawaiian Airlines’ brand has been and always will be iconic,” said Su Mathews Hale, senior partner at Lippincott. “The refreshed look honors their rich history and culture, while continuing to celebrate the unique, authentic spirit that has led the airline industry for years.”

Pualani debuted in October 1973, she was one of the first female icons painted on the tail of a commercial airline and marked Hawaiian’s transformation to an all-jet airline with the entry of McDonnell Douglas DC-9s. Slight variations were made to the red hibiscus in her hair over 28 years, her evolution was in 2001 when Hawaiian’s new interisland Boeing 717s and transpacific Boeing 767s entered the fleet, ushering in a more competitive and sophisticated airline at the time expressed through brand adaptations representing the look of a 21st century Island woman.