Airline changes logo to avoid confusion with Russian invasion symbol

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches the four-month mark, an airline has announced plans to change its livery amid passenger concern that the aircraft’s current appearance could suggest support for the invasion.

Tokyo-based Zipair – a low-cost subsidiary of JAL, Japan Airlines – has announced that it will remove the “Z” from its tails starting June 18, replacing them with a geometric stripe pattern.

The redesign was originally planned as a pre-invasion redesign to mark Japan’s loosening of its pandemic travel restrictions, and was featured at a press conference announcing the airline’s new route from Tokyo to San Jose, California.

However, Shingo Nishida, president of Zipair, revealed at the press conference that customers had already contacted the airline, expressing concern about the existing logo, which had been in use since 2018.

Russia used “Z” to symbolize a supposed victory in its invasion. The letter was painted on tanks and uniforms on the ground, and those who support the Kremlin used it to make their support public.

Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak was banned from competing for a year for putting a “Z” on his chest at the Gymnastics World Cup in March.

“I think some people might feel that way when they see it without any explanation,” Nishida said.

A spokesperson for Zippair told CNN: “We can confirm that we have received numerous comments from customers regarding their feelings regarding the current paint design. As a public transport company, we are aware that the letter in question has been featured in various media channels on a global scale and how the design can be negatively conceived.

“While customers recognized and understood that our logo was created in 2018, prior to the current situation, they shared their concerns as a way of showing support for the airline.

“Our president is interested in customer sentiments and directly reads general customer feedback as part of his routine.”

The airline is taking swift action to switch to its new livery. Rather than gradually repainting the fleet, Zipair planes will see their tails covered in decals starting June 18. The aircraft will be repainted gradually, starting in December 2022 for a completion date in spring 2023.

The spokesperson continued: “As several countries begin to reopen travel borders, including Japan, Zipair has made the decision to revamp our livery as a way of showing our commitment that a low-cost option for international flights from long hauling is possible and through the introduction of the refreshed livery, the carrier is committed to seeking services that meet the needs of diverse customer groups across the globe.

“For an airline to remain viable in a highly competitive industry, we believe we must continue to adapt to change, which is why we made the decision to introduce a new livery.”

Zipair’s new nonstop route from Tokyo to San Jose, Calif., is due to begin in December.