United Airlines Logo

United Airlines LogoUnited Airlines Logo PNG

The United Airlines emblem represents stability, reliability, and scale. The emblem promises regular flights around the world. The sky blue color is hidden behind the slender symbols, evoking a sense of flight and freedom.

United Airlines: Brand overview

United Airlines is an American airline company, the third largest in the world and the largest in the United States. It emerged as a result of the merger of several airlines, the largest of which was Varney Air Lines, founded in 1926. The official time of its appearance on the professional market is considered to be the early 30s of the last century. Currently, it is a powerful aviation corporation headquartered in Willis Tower in Chicago (Illinois).

Meaning and History

United Airlines Logo History

Throughout its long history, the company’s identifying mark has changed several times. In total, there are fifteen logo variants during its career. This diversity is due to the carrier’s constant mergers and expansions.

What is United Airlines?

It is the largest airline in the world, having achieved this status in 2010 after merging with Continental Airlines. It is known as one of the five founders of Star Alliance. It was its planes that were hijacked during the September 11 terrorist attack.

1930 – 1933

United Airlines Logo 1930-1933

It all starts with a dark blue rectangle showing a map of the United States with two airlines labeled on it. The center element is enclosed in a light circle surrounded by a thin dark band. To the right and left is the then-current company name, United Air Lines, in italics.

1933 – 1935

United Airlines Logo 1933-1935

As a result of the redesign, the elements of the emblem were radically reconfigured. The developers enlarged the name and placed it in two rows on a wide dark blue rectangle. The map of the United States was removed, and the typography of the inscriptions was changed: now the letters are classic, without a slope.

1935 – 1939

United Airlines Logo 1935-1939

Until the end of this period, the logo was still dominated by a rectangular shape, giving it a standardized look. The designers replaced the dark blue with a lighter color, increased the size of the first word in the name (“United”), and reduced the second part (“Air Lines”).

1939 – 1940

United Airlines Logo 1939-1940

In 1939, the era of the shield-shaped emblem began. It is divided into three parts, both in color and configuration. The top one is the monarchical crown, the sign of authority, with the basic elements of the name. The middle is the traditional rectangle, in which one-third is the map and the other half is the name. At the bottom is the remaining portion of the administrative map of the United States, with the inscription “Coast-to-Coast” framed by two stars. And this is also where the colors of the American flag first appeared.

1940 – 1954

United Airlines Logo 1940-1954

The company’s management felt that the logo was overloaded with various details and approved a new version. It contains only the most important elements – the informative ones. These are the full name of the air carrier and the star (a symbol of belonging to the sky). The shape of the shield remained the same, as well as the color ratio, but the blue color became much darker.

1954 – 1960

United Airlines Logo 1954-1960

The logo is slanted to the right and has a light color scheme.

1960 – 1961

United Airlines Logo 1960-1961

After the merger with Capital Airlines, the company redesigned its logo. It removed the second part of the name, shortening it to “United.” It remained in the middle part of the shield but was enlarged.

1961 – 1971

United Airlines Logo 1961-1971

The new logo looks like a two-color spike: blue at the bottom and red at the top. It is positioned vertically with a minimal slope and intersected in the middle by the word “United” on a white background.

1971 – 1974

United Airlines Logo 1971-1974

Minor changes were made during this period: the name is now spelled differently.

1974 – 1993

United Airlines Logo 1974-1993

In 1974, the era of the so-called “tulips” began. This nickname was given for the shape that the emblem received. It resembles an elongated bowl of a flower at an inclination of 68 degrees. Its author was the artist Sol Bass. He embodied the new image of the brand in the first letter of the word “United.” The lines symbolize movement and flight. The full name of the aviation company appeared at the bottom of the pictogram.

1993 – 1998

United Airlines Logo 1993-1998

The graphic icon has been reduced and moved to the left of the word United Airlines. The author of this version is CKS Partners Studio.

1998 – 2010

United Airlines Logo 1998-2010

Designers at British studio Pentagram removed the second part of the airline’s name and returned the 1933 font to the first, making a wide inter-character break.

2010 – 2019

United Airlines Logo 2010-2019

In 2010, after the merger with Continental Airlines, the era of the sky-blue logo with a fragment of the globe began. Because the companies agreed that the visual identity mark would remain with Continental while the name would remain with United.

2019 – today

United Airlines Logo 2019-present

In the current version of the logo, the number of windows on the globe has been reduced, and the intensity of the palette has been increased.

Font and Colors

United Airlines Emblem

The United Airlines logo consists of four periods: with a rectangle, a shield, a spike, a tulip-shaped monogram, and a fragment of a globe.

The airline company’s logo uses several types of fonts. From 1971 to 1974, it was Bookman Jf Pro Italic. Since 2010, the font used is sans-serif, as close as possible to Gill Sans Bold. Its author is Eric Gill.

The corporate palette consists of the colors of the American flag – red, white, and blue in several shades. But now, a monochrome variant called United Blue is in use.

United Airlines color codes

Dark Powder BlueHex color:#0033a0
RGB:0 51 160
CMYK:100 68 0 37
Pantone:PMS Dark Blue C

FAQ

What is the logo for United Airlines?

The United Airlines logo looks like a blue square with white stripes. The lines represent the parallels and meridians on the globe, which should be understood as the airline’s globality, its ability to deliver cargo and passengers anywhere in the world.

What is the United brand?

The United brand includes all the corporate identity elements that make an airline recognizable. These include official colors, fonts, logos, names, slogans, service standards, etc.

Are American and United Airlines the same?

American Airlines and United Airlines are two competing airlines. They have different owners, services, airplanes, hubs, and route networks. The main difference is that AA is part of the Oneworld airline alliance, and UA is part of the Star Alliance.

Who founded United Airlines?

The founder of this airline is William Boeing, the progenitor of American aviation and creator of the Boeing Company, which produces airplanes of the same name.