As of last month, American Airlines’ 70,000 employees began wearing new uniforms for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The world’s largest commercial airline has also introduced a unified look across its workforce. Following the merger with US Airways, pilots, flight attendants, ticket agents and gate agents were wearing a mix of garments from both legacy carriers. Now they all wear a single, consistent uniform.
The new wardrobe uses a color palette of gray, cobalt and white, blending colors from both brands to create a cohesive appearance.
“It really shows us as one brand. And that was really the only thing that was still kind of lagging behind for customers — being able to see that come together. It’s a huge milestone for us,” said Brady Byrnes, director of global marketing for American Airlines, in USA Today.
US Airways had not updated its uniforms in more than ten years, and American’s uniforms dated back to the 1980s. “There have been some new ties and scarves, but we’ve pretty much been in the same clothing on the legacy AA side for greater than 25 years,” Byrnes added.
The airline involved employees in the design process and worked with corporate apparel company Twin Hill to oversee development. American also collaborated with Cole Haan to produce a line of accessories, including custom-designed handbags meant to complement the tablets service crews use in flight.