Aigle Azur was a French airline founded in 1946, operating from Paris-Orly Airport with a focus on routes connecting France to North Africa and other Mediterranean destinations. The airline ceased operations in September 2019 after filing for bankruptcy. Its visual identity evolved through several distinct phases over more than seven decades, with the most significant redesign arriving in 2013.
Design and History
The airline’s earliest identity, used from 1946 into the 1950s, featured the name “Aigle Azur Indochine” in light blue italic lettering on a dark blue backdrop with white stars, accompanied by a ring emblem showing a flying bird with spread wings. The tagline “Transports Aeriens Passangers Fret” appeared at the bottom. Later versions simplified the palette to dark blue on white and shortened the tagline to “Transports Aeriens.”[1]
Following a period under the name Lucas Air Transport in the 1970s, the company returned to the Aigle Azur name in the 1980s, restoring the round bird emblem. By the 2000s, the logo had been redrawn with a custom typeface featuring a distinctive slit in the letter “A,” accompanied by wavy lines suggesting sky or sea.[1]
The most substantial rebrand came in 2013. The airline replaced its long-standing logo of an eagle spreading its wings across an azure sky with a more conventional aircraft wing symbol, a change the company’s general manager said was intended to position Aigle Azur as an “international air transport company.”[2] The new identity was launched in April 2013 and progressively applied to the airline’s aircraft livery.[3]
The 2013 identity was created by the agency Respublika.[4] The company name was set in the Soho Gothic typeface in navy blue, while the graphic representation of the eagle in flight was rendered in azure blue and placed on the aircraft’s tail fin, joined by three bands of the same blue.[4] The new livery was described as a “Eurowhite” style, with white paint along the front of the fuselage and the company’s name in navy blue.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The company name “Aigle Azur” translates to “Azure Eagle,” combining the eagle with azure, the clear blue of the sky. The 2013 redesign marked a deliberate shift away from the literal eagle imagery that had defined the brand for decades. According to the airline’s general manager, the goal was to move from the legendary eagle to a more conventional aircraft wing symbol, a change described as more conventional but better suited to identifying Aigle Azur as an international carrier.[2]
Typography and Design
The 2013 wordmark used the Soho Gothic typeface in navy blue with increased letter spacing.[4] The eagle graphic was retained in azure blue and integrated into the tail fin design, accompanied by three horizontal bands in the same shade.[4] The new visual identity was described as based on a rejuvenated logo and more intense colors, giving a more modern and deeply aerial image.[3]
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