Fiji Airways Logo PNG
Fiji Airways’s logo is a powerful symbol of the airline’s deep cultural ties and pride in its heritage. It showcases Fiji’s beauty and uniqueness, incorporating natural wonders and traditional art elements. This emblem invites travelers to explore this picturesque part of the world, offering an experience that immerses them in Fiji’s culture and hospitality.
Fiji Airways: Brand overview
Founded in 1947 by renowned agricultural company Katafaga Estates Ltd, the airline realized the potential of air travel and ventured into the aviation industry, creating Fiji Airways.
The airline began in the 1930s when a de Havilland Dragon Rapide single-engine airplane made a flight connecting Fiji’s capital, Suva, with the outlying islands. As air travel grew popular, Fiji Airways expanded its fleet and routes beyond the Pacific Ocean to countries worldwide.
In the 1970s, Fiji Airways entered a new era of growth and modernization, acquiring larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737.
In 1995, the airline was renamed Air Pacific to reflect its expanding international presence and the growing demand for travel to and from Fiji.
A major milestone came in 2012 when the airline underwent a major change, returning to its original name, Fiji Airways.
Fiji Airways continues to conquer new heights by expanding its route network and enhancing its services. From its hub in Nadi, Fiji, the airline connects passengers to 13 countries and 26 cities, including popular destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States.
Meaning and History
What is Fiji Airways?
Fiji Airways, originally known as Air Pacific, began operations in the 1950s, initially providing local transportation in the South Pacific region. During its existence, the airline has grown into a major player in the aviation industry, offering a wide range of destinations from its hubs in Fiji to 13 countries, including Australia, Japan, and the United States. The company faced and overcame many challenges; in the 1960s, it became fully owned by the Fijian government, and in the 1970s, it began international operations. Air Pacific became Fiji Airways in 2013.
1951 – 1961
Fiji Airways, a well-known airline, was founded in 1951 by pilot Harold Gatty. At that time, the company’s logo was a simple black inscription in uppercase letters. This succinct design was deliberately chosen. It emphasized a businesslike style and reliability appropriate for an airline operating small commercial flights between islands. Such a logo reflected the company’s straightforward and practical approach to air transportation, undoubtedly meeting the needs and expectations of customers at the time. Harold Gatty, drawing on his experience and knowledge in aviation, aimed to create a reliable and efficient service for passengers traveling short distances between various islands.
1961 – 1966
The company’s new owners, airline Qantas, took decisive steps to develop further and expand Fiji Airways. They made a strategic move by inviting the small island nations of Oceania and Polynesia to participate in the company’s management, strengthening its regional presence and involvement in the aviation business.
These changes in ownership structure played a key role in the company’s development, making it more extensive and influential in the market. A visual reflection of these changes is the updated logo. The letters in the name changed to bright red, signaling new energy and the company’s ambition for growth. The increasing spacing between characters in the logo emphasized the idea of expansion and openness, symbolizing the company’s readiness to embrace new challenges and opportunities.
1966 – 1971
In 1966, Fiji Airways strengthened its position as a regional airline, actively operating routes between the islands of Oceania. During this period, the company’s leadership updated the logo to reflect its identity and close connection with the oceanic states. The logo design was inspired by the image of the mahi-mahi fish—a popular target for sport fishing among tourists visiting Fiji. This choice was deliberate: mahi-mahi translates to “very strong,” symbolizing the airline’s leadership ambitions and stability.
The stylization of the logo as a mahi-mahi fish emphasized the region’s uniqueness and cultural attachment and reflected the company’s key characteristics. The mahi-mahi is known for its bright coloring, which makes it stand out among others. This element was transformed into the corporate style, where the use of bright red and black colors in the logo symbolized beauty, strength, and speed. The detail of water droplets on the dots above the letters “i” in the name added a special touch, highlighting the airline’s connection with the element of water and its ability to navigate the skies as confidently as a fish swims in water.
1970 – 1980s
After the Fijian government acquired shares in the local airline, significant changes were made to expand the carrier’s international operations. The company began developing routes connecting Fiji with various parts of the world. As part of a global rebranding, the airline was renamed Air Pacific, a change reflected in the design of a new logo.
The logo features a predominance of blue shades, symbolically indicating the scope of international flights over oceans and seas. The visual design includes large capital letters that emphasize the global scale and ambition of the company and inspire respect and trust. An interesting detail is the dots on the ends of the glyphs, representing the cities now connected by Air Pacific.
One of the most memorable elements of the logo is the dynamic depiction of the mahi-mahi fish as if it is leaping through a rainbow. This logo element is particularly meaningful as it highlights Fiji’s liberation from its colonial past under British rule and symbolizes a new era of prosperity for the country and the airline. The rainbow in the logo is rendered in specially chosen colors, each with its significance and connection to Fijian culture:
- The raspberry color symbolizes Fiji’s tropical fruits and flowers, conveying a sense of passion and energy. This color choice reflects the company’s drive for dynamic development and expansion.
- The orange color is associated with the sun and warmth of the tropics, emphasizing the friendliness and hospitality that are important parts of the airline’s image.
- The yellow adds bright joy and optimism, describing the company’s overall perception as vibrant and positive.
The Air Pacific logo is bright and appealing, reflecting the spirit of the tropical zone and the company’s aspiration to new heights in the aviation industry.
1980s – 2003
The airline’s emblem, symbolizing technical excellence, underwent a significant redesign. In the new design, images were replaced with geometric figures made up of multicolored stripes resembling the keel of an airplane. This change highlights the brand’s active development and commitment to modernizing its fleet. The new emblem looks progressive while maintaining brightness and colorfulness, reflecting the island’s life-affirming atmosphere and the region’s cultural heritage.
The tilt and color change of the geometric figure capture the dynamics of flight, adding visual movement and emphasizing the company’s speed and agility. This image symbolizes the ease and efficiency of modern aviation and the airline’s ability to adapt quickly to changes in the industry.
The company’s airplanes, as flagship transportation, play a key role in supporting the tourist flow to Fiji. The image in the emblem creates associations with relaxation and entertainment, strengthening Fiji’s image as an attractive destination for international tourism.
2003 – 2013
In 2003, the company’s designers decided to refine the emblem’s symbolism further to reflect key aspects of its identity accurately. The multicolored stripes were meticulously reworked and arranged to form a perfect likeness of an airplane’s keel, emphasizing the brand’s technical sophistication and aviation focus.
In the new logo, the text was organized on two levels and elevated so that, together with the design, it creates a unified whole, enhancing the perception of the logo as a complete composition. Using blue for the company name’s letters was intentional, as blue is traditionally associated with reliability, professionalism, and harmony. The letters became taller and larger, visually emphasizing the company’s confidence and dominant position in air and sea transport.
This change symbolizes the company’s power and stability, highlighting its ability to confidently dominate the air and sea, a key message for potential clients and partners.
2012 – today
The logo of Fiji Airways features an exotic design that includes intricate patterns, even on the text, showcasing the airline’s unique cultural heritage. On the left side, there’s a pattern called Teteva Masi, a circle made of stripes and triangles. The cross-shaped elements in the design symbolize the connections Fiji Airways establishes between the islands of Fiji and the airline’s international destinations. At the center, 16 petals surround a diamond, representing teamwork. The empty ring, formed by the negative space, signifies people’s care for one another. The emblem was created by Makereta Matemosi, reflecting deep cultural values and the community spirit of Fiji.
The emblem of Fiji Airways blends cultural significance and corporate identity, integrating traditional Fijian design elements with universal symbols of connection and cooperation. The use of specific colors reflects the natural beauty of Fiji, while the geometric shapes, like triangles and stripes, draw from traditional Fijian art.
