SkiftDesign: Air Pacific rebrands to Fiji Airways in turnaround try

Fiji national carrier Air Pacific, in the midst of a restructuring, will be relaunched as Fiji Airways in 2013, and its new brandmark emphasizes Fiji culture, hospitality and connectivity from the South Pacific archipelago nation.

The current logo, which accentuates Air Pacific as "Fiji's international airline," will give way in earthy hues to the new Fiji Airways brandmark, crafted by Masi artist Makereta Matemosi.

The rebranding occurs next year as the airline receives three new A330s.

The 60-year-old airline was called Fiji Airways for its first 20 years until 1971, and will be returning to that heritage. Notice the new logo is dominated by the word "FIJI," emphasizing its status as the largest carrier to and from Fiji, and downplaying its ongoing status as an international airline.

"... We decided that we wanted a new and distinctly Fijian symbol and brand mark that would help us best represent the country while also ensuring our planes stand out at some of the world's busiest international airports," says CEO David Pflieger.

"In short we wanted a flying billboard for Fiji and its stunning 333 islands in the South Pacific," Pflieger adds.