Before its merger with US Airways, American Airlines (AAL) was involved in a wholesale repainting of its fleet to signify the new company that was emerging from bankruptcy. A lot of its new carbon composite airplanes simply could no longer handle the unpainted, shiny silver design that American has used since the 1960s.
Post-merger, however, the question of how to repaint some 620 jets with US Airways logos looms even larger, and American has decided to let its workforce make the decision about how to decorate he tail sections of its aircraft. The choice: Keep the old AA silver logo or adopt the new red, white, and blue-painted livery American selected in January.
“While I enjoy debating the merits of certain aircraft liveries as much as anyone, I have always believed they are not particularly important to the success of an airline,” American CEO Doug Parker wrote Monday in a memo to American’s 100,000 employees. “For our team members who work in, around and on these aircraft day in and day out, it matters a great deal, but I have yet to find a customer who based their purchase decision on the exterior design of the airplane.”
American’s planes will re-tail the new livery the old airline debuted in January for its entire fleet, a month before the merger deal was announced. But the new management team decided to leave the tail section paint job for employees to decide. Part of this is probably an effort to signal an inclusive management style as executives commence the onerous and difficult work of merging two airlines and all the friction that will involve.
“We have heard from many employees that they miss the old AA with the eagle,” Parker said. The voting ends on Jan. 2.
