Delta Air Lines, a renowned American airline headquartered in Atlanta, is widely recognized for its excellence in the aviation industry. As a global industry leader, Delta maintains an extensive network of destinations, offering passengers a wide range of flight options for a hassle-free and comfortable travel experience. With a diverse fleet of modern aircraft, Delta has solidified its position as a prominent player in the aviation industry.
Meaning and history
Delta Air Lines takes its name from the Mississippi Delta region, symbolizing its deep connection to the American South. Founded in 1924 as a crop pollination company, Delta has grown into a global aviation powerhouse, constantly adapting to changing industry conditions.
Throughout its history, Delta Air Lines has been at the forefront of technological advances, introducing innovations such as computerized booking systems and in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity. Strategic expansions and mergers have enabled Delta to expand its footprint, offering unrivaled connectivity to passengers around the world.
Over the years, the Delta Air Lines brand has evolved significantly and its logo has evolved to reflect the changing vision of the company. Exploring the history of the Delta logo provides valuable insights into the brand’s transformation and commitment to meeting customer needs and expectations.
What is Delta Air Lines?
Delta Air Lines is an American company that provides cargo and passenger air services.
1925 – 1928
The logo for crop pollination company Huff Daland Dusters features the Norse deity Thor in a triangular shape. The logo showed the name of the company “HUFF DALAND DUSTERS INC. MONROE, LA” in three-line black serif.
1928 – 1930
When Delta Air Services entered the passenger transportation industry, its logo changed. Retaining a triangular shape reminiscent of the delta symbol, the logo has been tinted bright red. There was a white lettering “SPEED SAFETY COMFORT” in a black frame. The profile of the Roman deity Mercury and the name of the company were placed on a rectangular tablet against a bright red background.
1930 – 1934
Returning to its roots in field sprayers, Delta Air Corporation has revived its innovative logo. The triangular badge featured the company’s name around the edges and elegantly displayed the location of “MONROE, LA” at the bottom.
1934
This logo features two abstract red wings on either side of a triangle with a red outline. The company used a wing earlier in the 1928 logo. Behind it, there is a ring that holds the name of the company printed above and below the triangle to keep it visible. In addition, the logo has the following inscription “The Trans-Southern Route Fort Worth – Atlanta – Charleston”. A rounded diamond of white color with a blue border line indented inwards serves as the base. The whole logo is done in an interesting style that resembles broken tile pieces put together or a mosaic.
1934 – 1951
Delta Air Lines got a fresh look with a blue ring with the company’s name inside. The design included a white triangle with a crimson border and wings in the center.
1935
A triangle now serves as the central element of the logo. It is red with a wide blue followed by a thin red border. A similar logo was already used by the company from 1928 until 1930. The blue border line carries the values of the company “Speed, Comfort, and Convenience”, which are printed in all uppercase letters using bold, sans-serif letters. The company name was printed in all uppercase characters also of a white color with a thin blue outline. A smaller blue triangle with white wings that looked more realistic than in previous versions. This logo is full of energy and reflects the speed of the services offered by the airline, while the blue stands for trustworthiness which closely relates to customers’ belief that the company will provide convenient and comfortable flights from start to end.
1945 – 1953
The logo featured the “Flying D” symbol in a dark blue oval. The word “Delta” was written prominently, and “AIR LINES” was written at the bottom. The wing was extended from the upper left corner of the letter “D”.
1953 – 1955
Delta Air Lines reverted to a modified version of their 1945 logo. The oval became dark red and was surrounded by a dark blue oval ring with the slogan “MAKE NOISE FASTER – ATTENTION, THINK THROUGH”. The word “Delta” had a 3D effect with shadows, and “AIR LINES” appeared on a white plate.
1955 – 1959
This logo is similar to the previous two versions. This time, though, the center is done in red, while the border features a sky-blue color. The company name is still printed using the same font, but only this time it has a blue and black shadow that gives it volume and allows it to truly pop against the red color. There are no banners with slogans sticking beyond the oval shape. Instead, a new slogan that says “Nothing Faster – Nothing Finer” across the top and “To and Through the South” at the bottom. The “C&S” portion of the name was replaced by a line that said “Air Lines”. The oval shape was no longer broken by any elements going beyond its border (with an exception of a tiny end of the wing). This created a more perfect and cohesive brand image.
1959
Although the company already had quite unique logos, this logo has little in common with what the company had earlier. First of all, the company name is printed in two lines using a different font. It features rather wide characters and smooth, fluent lines of a blue color. “Royal Service” is printed in bold red using a cursive font. The logo, though, does have a little more than just blue and red colors in common with earlier brand images. One can also see triangles, which took a prominent part in earlier logos.
1959 – 1962
Representing the DELTA Royal JET Service, the logo was colored mauve with red text encased in a golden framed emblem. The widget icon consisted of two triangular arrows and was used for the Douglas DC-8 airliner.
1962 – 1966
The logo was once again a dark blue oval, reminiscent of the Flying D structure. It featured white letters arranged on a bright blue oval with red and white outlines.
1963 – 1993
A combination of a red and blue triangle, which was used by the company in previous logos in one way or another, now became the key element of the new emblem. Right under the triangles, it says “Delta” in large, sans-serif letters with straight lines and cuts. The second line says “Air Lines” using the same font only smaller characters. To complete the image, the designers added a beige ring for the frame.
1966 – 1976
The logo consisted of an icon on the left and the text “DELTA AIR LINES” on the right, colored blue.
1976 – 1985
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of US independence, the logo resembled the American flag enclosed in a white circle with a dark blue border. The phrase “DELTA AIR LINES” arched out at the top and “WE THE PEOPLE 1776 1976” appeared at the bottom.
1985 – 1987
In 1985, the company surprised with a new emblem. It featured a perfect, sky-blue color for the base, which is a good color choice for a company that takes its customers up into the blue sky every day. The white, handwritten cursive inscription added to the lightness of the emblem. There was even more hidden meaning in this emblem. The “Delta Air Line” was printed on a diagonal and made an association with a plane going up into the blue sky. The two triangles were also featured in this emblem, although they were not as prominent and were simply placed on a small, white circle in the lower right corner of the emblem.
1987 – 1995
The logo reverted to the 1959 version with an upward pointing triangle and the word “DELTA” in a new italic serif typeface.
1993 – 1995
Not a lot changed in 1993, as the company simply added a second line to the existing emblem. It said “Airlines” using the same font and color as the first line.
1995 – 2000
The font became thicker, and the title appeared one line opposite the widget. All but the first letter was lowercase, and “Air Lines” was pale blue.
2000 – 2004
The second half of the company name has been removed and the bottom of the widget is curved.
2004 – 2007
For a relatively short period of time, the company used a logo that had a red triangle rounded at the top and blue above it matching its shape. The company brought back its triangular shape along with sharp, pointed corners that added style and made the company look confident and determined.
2007 – present
The widget became three-dimensional and crimson, accompanied by the blue word “DELTA”.
Color
Delta Air Lines uses a distinctive color scheme that embodies its brand identity. The base hue, often referred to as “Delta Blue”, conveys trust, reliability and professionalism. The color scheme, complemented by white and red accents, enhances the airline’s visual presence, symbolizing its commitment to providing an exceptional passenger experience.
Font
For a significant period, the company used a sans-serif capital font. The characters have sharp edges and angular shapes. The word “Delta” is in bold type, while “Airlines” is in thinner type.
