When the Sardinian airline Meridiana rebranded as Air Italy earlier this year it was a reminder that a brand that appeals to national pride is still tempting in aviation.
Air Italy and its minority shareholder Qatar Airways sensed an opportunity to fill the ‘flag carrier’ brand gap expected to open up upon Alitalia’s demise. Alitalia has continued to operate in administration for longer than originally expected, but that does not change the point that a national brand is still perceived to have value in Italy.
Elsewhere in Europe, others are also looking to benefit from the adoption of a name that sounds like a good old fashioned ‘flag carrier’. Air Belgium is a new long haul operator planning to launch from Brussels Charleroi, while other nationally branded start-ups include Air Albania, Blue Slovakia, FlyBosnia, Air Andorra and Italian Airways (founded by a former Meridiana/Air Italy CEO).
However, these look like throwbacks to a bygone era. For many years now, most of the growth in European aviation has come from airlines with non-national names (e.g. Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air) and when even the big legacy groups have chosen non-national names for new airlines (think of Hop, Level and Joon). Norwegian may be the exception that proves the rule…
