Former legacy carrier, Eastern Airlines is back in the air, with its inaugural flight scheduled for January 12.
After shuttering its doors in 1991 for a variety of reasons, Eastern Airlines is ready to jump back into the ring alongside the remaining "Big Four" airlines, namely American and United.
But things have changed since Eastern originally ceased operations, with consumers now more focused on the destination rather than the journey.
Flying is no longer a novelty and now seen as more of a necessary evil than anything else, something that Eastern is keenly aware of in its relaunch and rebrand.
While the airline will retain its iconic moniker, most everything else has been updated for the new decade, including a new brand identity, CEO letter, regional icons, visual identity, website layout and logo. The refresh was all done in conjunction with creative agency Mechanica and brand strategy boutique Playbook Studio.
The brand logo is modeled after topographic maps, with its regional logos representing aspects of that area, with the Guyanese logo featuring the colors of the Guyanese flag for example.
The main logo, however, is not tied to any specific location, while the colors represent the sky, sea and sun.
"Mechanica and Playbook Studio did an exceptional job creating a brave new brand identity that breaks out of the conventional branding of most airlines today," said Steve Harfst, CEO, Eastern Airlines.
It’s safe to say this ain’t your grandpa’s Eastern Airlines.
The airline’s goal is to open up non-stop routes to underserved markets, part of the reasoning behind its inaugural flight shuttling passengers one-way from Guayaquil, Ecuador to New York City for $229, and from NYC to Guayaquil for $139.