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Flight attendants’ union hopes new American Airlines color scheme signals US Air merger
The union that represents flight attendants for American Airlines is hoping that a new design of the company’s airplanes is the first step toward a merger with U.S. Airways.
American, which has been in bankruptcy since late 2011, on Wednesday unveiled a “fresh new look” for the exterior of its airplanes that the company said “reflects the progress we've made to modernize our airline on the inside.”
The statement from American did not mention U.S. Airways’ multiple attempts to merge with the company during its bankruptcy proceedings, but the American Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) union said it was optimistic the new paint jobs would be followed by a merger.
“APFA is excited about the change this means for our employer — we hope this re-branding is the first of many steps toward making American Airlines a company that we can be proud to work for and one that can grow and compete in today's marketplace,” APFA spokeswoman Leslie Mayo said in a statement.
American CEO Tom Horton said the company was focusing, for the time being, on its own brand.
"Since placing our landmark aircraft order in July of 2011, we've been building anticipation toward a moment in time when the outside of our aircraft reflects the progress we've made to modernize our airline on the inside," Horton said in a statement released by American.
"While we complete the evaluation of whether a merger can build on American's strengths, we remain steadfast in each step we take to renew our airline, a step we take with great respect for our name, American,” he continued. “Today marks important progress in that journey as we unveil a new and updated look for the first time in more than 40 years."
American Chief Commercial Virash Vahidi said the airline’s new color scheme is “designed to reflect the passion for progress and the soaring spirit, which is uniquely American.
"Our core colors — red, white and blue — have been updated to reflect a more vibrant and welcoming spirit,” Vahidi said. “The new tail, with stripes flying proudly, is a bold reflection of American's origin and name. And our new flight symbol, an updated eagle, incorporates the many icons that people have come to associate with American, including the 'A' and the star."
Mayo said it was “the end of an era as the brushed-aluminum fuselage of yesteryear makes way for today's cutting-edge composite technology,” even as she pushed for a merger between American and U.S. Airways.
Photo courtesy of American Airlines
