Based in Washington, D.C., the Air Transport Association was the first and remains the only trade organization of the principal U.S. airlines. Founded by a group of 14 airlines in 1936, the organization has played a fundamental role in all the major government decisions regarding modern aviation, including the creation of the Civil Aeronautics Board, the creation of the air traffic control system, and airline deregulation.
With the arrival of a dynamic new CEO, Nicholas Calio, the organization was determined to respond to the global issues that the aviation industry faces in the 21st century. Pentagram was retained to assess the organization’s name and tagline, assist in the crafting of a new mission statement and create a new visual identity.
The new name, Airlines for America, makes crystal clear the organization’s fundamental purpose: to foster a business environment that advances the nation’s economy and global competitiveness. The global arena in which that competition takes place is reflected by the new tagline, "We Connect the World." The new symbol, five planes coming together to form a star, serves as a visual metaphor for a group of airlines working in concert in service of their country.
The new website, airlines.org, was redesigned to communicate not only with its members in the technical, legal and political arenas, but with the general public, with a clean new design. Also, 'A4A' was developed as memorable acronym for use in communications and social media.
