Unified brand for Air France-KLM

The holding company branding for Air France and KLM national airlines will be unified following the recent merger of the two businesses to create the world’s largest airline by turnover.

An Air France spokeswoman says the newly formed Franco-Dutch parent company, Air France-KLM, will be brought under a ‘common brand’ at the corporate level, while the airlines will continue to operate as distinct brands.

It is not yet known how any corporate branding work will be commissioned, though one observer notes that French companies often prefer to use French consultancies, while Dutch groups may be more likely to look internationally.

Air France’s incumbent design and branding consultancy is the French group Desgrippe-Gobé. KLM’s creative work has previously been handled by an in-house team and Y&R Netherlands, though it has no incumbent branding consultancy at present, according to a KLM spokesman.

As a result of the merger, KLM and US carriers Northwest and Continental will be added to Skyteam, the business traveller loyalty scheme run by Air France and Delta Airlines. The Skyteam signage and branding will be incorporated with the existing branding of the affected airlines.

The â„¢790m (£530m) merger represents the first time that a national ‘flag carrier’ has been taken over by another company and follows years of uncertainty for KLM. Air France-KLM will report combined financial and traffic figures, with shares listed in New York, Paris and Amsterdam.