Hawaiian Airlines has revealed an updated brand identity and the freshly-painted livery of a Boeing 717 (N488HA), the first of its fleet of more than 50 aircraft that will feature the new design.

Pualani, which means “flower of the sky”, the key icon of Hawaiian’s brand for more than four decades, continues to feature on the tail of the aircraft; beneath her, a silver maile lei with woven pakalana flowers wraps around the fuselage.

“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,” says 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.

In addition to the refreshed livery, travellers across Hawaiian’s U.S. and international networks will begin to see the new logo throughout their journey – on web and digital assets, airport lobby signage and kiosks, and at boarding gates. Painting of all aircraft and ground service equipment is scheduled to be complete by 2020.

Hawaiian worked with design agency Lippincott on the new identity. The two are said to have spent a year studying the airline’s history, working with a committee of front-line employees.

“So much of our visual identity, which is 15 years old, still resonated deeply with our guests and employees,” comments 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 retains Hawaiian’s colour palette of purple, fuchsia and coral. Pualani—the singular motif of the brand—remains at its core. The new logo and livery emphasise Pualani by featuring her more prominently and freeing her from the floral “holding shape” of the former logo.

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

Serving as a brand constant, Pualani has evolved over the past 40 years. Originally debuting 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.

While slight variations were made to the red hibiscus in her hair over the next 28 years, Pualani’s last evolution was in 2001 when Hawaiian’s new inter-island Boeing 717s and trans-pacific Boeing 767s entered the fleet.

The new visual identity preludes the next chapter in Hawaiian’s 88-year history with the arrival of the medium-haul, single-aisle A321neo fleet later this year. To complement its new phase of growth, the airline also plans to roll out new uniforms for its frontline employees, themed Kū Mākou or “Together We Stand”, by the end of 2017.

Source: Hawaiian Airlines