Asiana Airlines Logo PNG
The Asiana Airlines logo reflects the brand’s direction of growth. Reaching for the sky, the company guarantees passengers’ safety and reliability, adhering to the highest service standards for long-haul and regional flights.
Asiana Airlines: Brand overview
Asiana Airlines was founded in February 1988 as a competitor to Korean Air, aiming for higher-quality service. Its first flight took off from Seoul to Busan in December of the same year, operating two Boeing 737s. By 1990, international routes opened to Tokyo and Hong Kong, followed by Los Angeles in 1993 and Sydney in 1994. Asiana joined IATA in 1991 and became the first South Korean airline listed on the Korea Stock Exchange in 1999. It joined Star Alliance in 2003, offering passengers global connections. In the mid-2000s, the airline renewed its fleet with modern Airbus planes, including the Airbus A380 introduced in 2007. Expansion continued into the 2010s with the addition of new routes to Istanbul, Cairo, and Rome. Despite its growth, financial pressures arose in 2019, leading to an acquisition by Korean Air, completed in 2024.
Meaning and History
What is Asiana Airlines?
It is a major South Korean airline headquartered in Seoul. It operates an extensive network of international and domestic flights, serving destinations in Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Known for its service, it offers a variety of service classes, including economy, business, and first class, focusing on passenger comfort and in-flight amenities. The airline is known for its modern fleet and is a member of Star Alliance.
1988 – 2006
From 1988 to 2006, Asiana Airlines used a logo that was eye-catching and deeply rooted in Korean culture and philosophy. The company’s logo, with blue letters, conveyed a sense of calm and confidence, reflecting the airline’s reliability and professionalism.
The most noticeable element of the logo is the depiction of a person in a bowing pose with arms raised towards the sky. This symbol carries deep cultural significance. The person is dressed in clothing adorned with yellow, red, blue, and white stripes, each color having a special meaning in the Korean Obangsaek tradition, representing the five directions and elements of the world.
Blue symbolizes the east, and the wood element is associated with growth and development. Red represents the south and fire, signifying strength and energy. Yellow corresponds to the center and earth, embodying stability and fertility. White is associated with the West and metal, symbolizing purity and strength. These colors indicate the geographical coverage of the company’s flights across the country and the world, reflecting the philosophy of harmony and balance that is crucial for the well-being and longevity of any enterprise.
The Asiana Airlines logo served as a visual representation of the brand and a talisman, blessing and protecting the company and its passengers. This logo vividly reflects Korean cultural identity and philosophy, making it significant in commercial and cultural contexts.
2006 – 2013
The updated Asiana Airlines logo represents a significant visual transformation, symbolizing a new phase in the company’s development. The logo design reflects modernity, dynamism, and the airline’s commitment to innovation.
The main text of the logo is rendered in thin uppercase letters of light gray. This color choice is deliberate: gray symbolizes the strength and reliability of metal, suggesting the durability and longevity of Asiana Airlines’ technologies and their focus on using advanced technological solutions in aviation construction and service.
At the top right of the logo, there is a noticeable red element that resembles a checkmark or a stylized bird soaring upward. This symbol embodies dynamism and speed, key attributes associated with the aviation industry. Red is traditionally used to attract attention and express passion and energy, highlighting Asiana Airlines’ ambition to expand its presence in the global aviation industry.
The letters in the company name stretch upward, creating a visual sense of ascent and growth. This design technique conveys the company’s aspiration for continuous development and progress, as well as reaching new heights in service quality and customer satisfaction.
2013 – 2017
The logo is visually almost identical to its previous version, though several details have changed. The primary modifications affect the size of the red symbol and the placement of the inscription. The symbol itself, resembling a checkmark or a stylized arrow, has become more compact, slightly shorter in length. As a result, the proportions of the entire emblem have shifted, prompting the inscription, rendered in the same formal, calm typeface, to move higher and become larger.
The typeface remains unchanged. Letters retain their straightforward and restrained style, without noticeable curves or decorative elements.
These proportional adjustments were implemented to balance the arrangement of the text and symbol. Previously, the visual weight of the logo leaned heavily to the right; now, it is more evenly distributed and balanced.
2017 – 2024
The company’s redesigned logo features darker and larger letters, enhancing its visual impact and making the logo more substantial and noticeable. These changes strengthen the brand’s visual presence, underscoring its stability and authority in the market.
The red bird in the logo is now smaller, contributing to a more balanced and harmonious image. This small but bright image is a focal point that draws attention without dominating the overall design. This feature adds elegance and lightness to the logo, emphasizing the company’s dynamism and pursuit of progress.
The minimalist design incorporates metallic shades, making the logo modern and stylish. The metallic effect mirrors the company’s focus on innovation and technology while lending a sense of luxury and high quality to the overall look.
2024 – today
The updated airline emblem features a refined, text-based logo, reflecting the changes following Korean Air’s acquisition of shares. After parting ways with Kumho Asiana Group, the company said goodbye to the red arrow, leaving behind a minimalist wordmark. The font retains its previous proportions, keeping the airline recognizable to its customers. The letters, solid, straight, and confident, symbolize the brand’s stability during its transition to competitor control.
The merger, initially intended to completely absorb the Asiana brand, faced resistance from American antitrust authorities. Ultimately, Korean Air became a major shareholder but allowed the airline to retain its name. The restrained gray color of the new emblem emphasizes the company’s key qualities—calmness, reliability, and experience.