Airbus Logo PNG
The visual style of the Dutch airplane manufacturer embodies airiness and lightness. The Airbus logo features a widely spaced inscription with large gaps between the letters. At the same time, the bold glyphs indicate high strength and structural integrity.
Airbus: Brand overview
In the late 1960s, Europe formed Airbus to compete with American aviation giants like Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. Airbus quickly became known for innovation and resilience.
On May 29, 1969, officials from France, Germany, and the UK agreed to create the A300, a state-of-the-art airliner designed for short to medium distances. Airbus was officially established on December 18, 1970, by France’s Aérospatiale and Germany’s Deutsche Airbus. Companies from Britain and the Netherlands joined soon, marking the start of a collaborative European project.
Airbus launched its first aircraft, the A300B, in 1972. It flew for the first time on February 28, 1974. This aircraft was the first twin-engine widebody in the world, meeting new high standards for aviation technology and safety. By May 1974, it was certified to fly.
Air France became the first airline to use the A300, receiving its first plane on May 30, 1974. This demonstrated the airline industry’s trust in Airbus. By 1976, Pan Am had started using the A300, which helped Airbus increase its presence in the market.
During the 1980s, Airbus experienced significant growth. The introduction of the A320 in 1981, a new aircraft featuring advanced fly-by-wire technology, enhanced pilot control and safety. This model allowed Airbus to reach new markets. In 1988, the company launched the A330/A340 family to update the older A300 models, enhancing its role in long-haul aviation through their efficiency and performance.
The 1990s saw Airbus expanding its operations globally by setting up production facilities in the United States and China. This helped the company better respond to market needs worldwide.
In the early 2000s, Airbus introduced the A380, which at the time was the largest passenger airliner, demonstrating Airbus’s commitment to leading in aviation. The company prioritized sustainability, developing technologies like the A350 XWB. This aircraft represents a new generation of efficient, long-range airplanes. Airbus initiated the ZEROe project to develop a hydrogen-powered aircraft with zero emissions.
Airbus is a major player in the aerospace industry, with more than 130,000 employees globally and headquarters in Leiden, Netherlands.
Meaning and History
The current aerospace company is the result of the merger of several industrial enterprises under the Airbus Industrie GIE consortium, which was established in 1970. Under its leadership, firms worked until 2000, when the new structure EADS NV (European Aeronautic Defense and Space) emerged. A year later, the consortium was reorganized into the Airbus SAS joint-stock company, and in 2006, EADS finally bought its shares and took over its management.
To be recognizable, the European company Aeronautic Defense and Space adopted the name Airbus Group, dividing it into two specialized divisions: NV and SE. They then followed the merger of the executive bodies of Airbus Group SE and Airbus SAS. Although the committees of the subsidiary and parent companies merged in 2017, they legally remained separate organizations. At the same time, the holding company received its current name and contemporary design.
Naturally, all these changes are reflected in their visual identity. The emblems of Airbus Industrie GIE and Airbus SAS received a common style – the symbol of a turbine, reminiscent of a jet engine in operation. They also use a uniform font, identical to Helvetica Black. From 2000 to 2010, the logos of two other firms involved in the initial merger dominated. For example, the four-pointed star was a legacy of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG, and the curved arrow was from Aérospatiale-Matra. Then, these elements were removed, and a more concise design was chosen.
What is Airbus?
It is an aircraft manufacturing company that produces airplanes under its own brand. It is part of the European corporation Airbus Group but is officially registered in France and has the status of “S.A.S.”
2001 – 2010
The dominant design features a circle divided into two halves. Each half has an abstract, dynamic pattern of curved lines, swirls, and flashes. Symbolically, the emblem can be interpreted as Earth (circle), with the airline as the fastest way to get from one place to another (dynamic curved lines).
The company’s name is in bold, classic, plain font. The letters’ italicization adds dynamism.
2010 – 2017
The curves now have a 3D effect due to adding a gradient to the background. The word “Airbus” is written in a new font. The inscription is no longer italicized and has several distinctive details, such as gaps in the letters “A” and “R.” Additionally, the letters have acquired a three-dimensional appearance due to the added gradient.
2017 – today
The updated Airbus logo is flat and doesn’t contain the twisted logo, only the word mark. The rich, dark blue tone has remained virtually unchanged.
Airbus: Interesting Facts
Airbus is a big company that makes airplanes and space equipment. It was founded in 1970 to help European countries collaborate to make better planes.
- It started in Europe: Airbus was created to help European countries make planes together. Now, it’s known for making great planes and spacecraft.
- First Plane: The first Airbus plane flew in 1972. It was special because it had two engines and was big enough for lots of people to travel not too far away.
- Airbus Makes Different Things: Airbus doesn’t just make planes for people to travel in. They also make military planes, helicopters, space-like satellites, and Mars projects.
- Biggest Plane: The Airbus A380 is the biggest plane many people can travel together. It started flying in 2007, but it will soon stop being made because people want smaller planes that use less gas.
- Saving Fuel: Airbus works hard to make planes that don’t need as much gas, like the A350, which is made with special materials to make it lighter and use less fuel.
- Fancy Controls: In 1988, Airbus was the first to use a special system in its A320 plane that lets pilots fly with computers instead of just by hand. This helps save fuel and makes flying safer.
- All Over the World: Airbus has factories in many countries where it makes and assembles planes, which allows it to help people worldwide.
- Beluga Plane: They have a funny-looking plane called the Beluga that carries parts for other planes. The newer one, called the BelugaXL, even has a cute whale face painted.
- Caring for the Planet: Airbus wants to make flying better for the planet. They’re working on planes that don’t pollute, using things like hydrogen fuel.
- Into Space: Airbus also makes rockets and helps with space missions, like sending things to Mars and building space station parts.
Airbus is into making flying and space travel better and helping the planet simultaneously.
Font and Colors
The inscription was set in italics in the earliest version of the logo. The straight font has been used since 2010. Initially, it was a grotesque from the Helvetica Neue family—modern, high-tech, with facets so that the carrier’s name conveyed the sensation of an airy structure. After the redesign, the corporate font B612 appeared. It resulted from creative work by specialists, including Nicolas Chauveau, Jonathan Favre-Lamarine, and Thomas Paillot. Jean-Luc Vinot from ENAC also assisted.
As for the color, blue has been and remains a priority for the company. According to the Ral gradation grid, it has the number 5013, and by other systems, it is the number 00205b or Pantone 281C. Previously, its light analog was used. The background is neutral white.
FAQ
What font is the Airbus logo?
The Airbus logo uses the font Helvetica Neue LT. This font belongs to the larger Helvetica family, known for its clear and readable style. Helvetica Neue LT updates the classic Helvetica design, making it more uniform in height and width, which gives it a neat and functional look.
Airbus uses Helvetica Neue LT for most of its corporate communications and branding to keep its appearance consistent and professional. However, Airbus uses Arial for online and desktop use. This is because Arial is widely available and looks similar to Helvetica, which helps keep the appearance consistent across different formats while ensuring it is easy to read and compatible with various systems.
Is Airbus an airline company?
Airbus is not an airline company. It is a leading commercial aircraft manufacturer with a strong presence in the aerospace industry. In addition to making airplanes, Airbus has divisions focused on space, defense, and helicopters. It is Europe’s largest aeronautics and space company and plays a significant role in the global market.
The company designs and sells aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems and services. Its most visible unit, the commercial aircraft division, produces a variety of planes that airlines worldwide use—these range from smaller jets like the A320 to larger, long-range models like the A350. Airbus Helicopters manufactures versatile helicopters for civilian and military use, and its Space and Defence division works on projects like satellites and space exploration missions.
What does the Airbus logo mean?
The current Airbus logo is simple, featuring only the company’s name in a unique typeface. Before 2017, the logo included a circle with abstract curved lines next to the company name. This circle represents the Earth, highlighting Airbus’s worldwide operations and its role in the aerospace industry. The curved lines suggest the routes airplanes take globally, showing how Airbus helps connect different parts of the world. These elements showed the company’s global reach and its importance in air travel. The move to a simpler logo follows a broader trend in business towards more minimalist and straightforward branding.
Who designed the Airbus logo?
A team of designers created the Airbus logo. This team approach is typical for corporate branding, which involves effectively blending different elements to represent a company’s identity and values.
The current logo, mainly a wordmark, developed from an earlier design that featured a circular emblem next to the text. During the redesign, the team decided to keep the bold sans-serif font that has always been part of the logo. This choice preserves the link to Airbus’s history while updating the logo to look more modern.
The logo was simplified to just the wordmark with the familiar font to make the brand more recognizable and clear, no matter where or how it’s seen. This change shows Airbus’s focus on being modern and adaptable, which is crucial in the constantly advancing aerospace industry. The designers worked to refresh the logo while honoring its past, showing a strategic approach to evolving Airbus’s brand identity.
Is Airbus a brand?
Yes, Airbus is a brand. It’s a well-known name in the aerospace industry, known for its distinctive style, trademark, and other unique identity elements that set it apart from competitors.
Airbus offers a variety of products, including commercial aircraft, military planes, space technology, and helicopters. All these products meet the high standards and innovation of the Airbus name. This variety helps Airbus maintain a strong presence and influential role in the aerospace sector, solidifying its status as a globally recognized brand.
Where is the Airbus hub located?
Airbus is a major aerospace manufacturer, not an airline, so it doesn’t have an airport hub. Instead, its headquarters are located in Blagnac, a French commune. This site serves as the center for Airbus’s administrative and corporate functions.
Airbus has major production facilities in Toulouse, southern France, and Hamburg, northern Germany. Toulouse is crucial for Airbus as it hosts the company’s largest production facility and is where many Airbus aircraft, including the A320 family, A330, A350, and A380, are developed and assembled. Hamburg is important, too, as it focuses on the final assembly and furnishing of different Airbus aircraft models and parts. These sites are vital for Airbus’s manufacturing activities and are significant in its global operations.
