China Airlines last week revealed the new logo for its cargo planes, using a map of Taiwan proper contained within an outsized “C” of the first letter of the word “cargo.” It has been a controversial choice, with some people saying that the design fails to adequately express the desired image of Taiwan.
When it designs the new livery for passenger aircraft, China Airlines must listen to opinion from all quarters of society, Minster of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said, adding that the airline’s International Civil Aviation Organization designator is CAL, so the design must reflect that.
He also said that other airlines use acronyms as identifiers.
I have been an international tour guide for several decades, and have flown on dozens of international carriers. I offer the following three suggestions for Taiwan’s logo, as a reference for the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the China Aviation Development Foundation and China Airlines.
First, the name China Airlines should be changed to CAL. This would allow it to avoid being confused with Air China, the national carrier of China, which makes people overseas mistakenly believe that China Airlines is China’s national carrier, not Taiwan’s.
In addition, CAL is the airline’s code, so using those letters as an abbreviation would be consistent with the airline’s name. China Airlines’ International Air Transport Association designator is CI, so the company could also use CI or CI Taiwan in its logo.
Japanese airline All Nippon Airways uses the abbreviation ANA on its aircraft, sometimes accompanied with the words “Japan” or “Inspiration of Japan.”
The Netherlands’ flag carrier is Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, and it uses the initials KLM, whereas German airline Deutsche Lufthansa simply uses Lufthansa.
Second, the word Taiwan could be included in the name, such as by using the Tourism Bureau’s phrase “Taiwan Touch Your Heart,” or even “Taiwan Can Help.” Another option would be to incorporate the word in the airline’s name, such as “Taiwan CAL,”“CAL, Wings of Taiwan” or “Ilha Formosa CAL.”
Third, the company could use an auspicious animal of Taiwan to replace the plum blossom on the aircraft tail fin.
Australian flag carrier Qantas Airways incorporates a stylized kangaroo — an instantly recognizable image associated with Australia, in its tail fin design, conjuring up associations of reliability, safety, advanced technology and quality service — coupled with the airline’s name in capital letters and the phrase “Spirit of Australia.”
Taiwan can lay claim to a whole menagerie of auspicious animals — the leopard cat, Formosan black bear and Taiwan blue magpie would be candidates to represent the nation.
The leopard cat is a rare, protected species. The animal’s name in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) sounds like the Mandarin word for “blessing,” or “wishing somebody well.”
The Tourism Bureau last year invited designer Chiang Meng-chih (江孟芝) to decorate a leopard cat-themed train, and the result is extremely creative and unique.
The Formosan black bear is an endangered species found in Taiwan’s mountainous areas, and is often used by the bureau to promote tourism.
The Taiwan blue magpie was selected in an online competition for an unofficial national animal, and in 2016 China Airlines had it painted on a new Airbus A350, to symbolize the bird’s characteristics of protecting its home and of fidelity.
Any one of these auspicious animals would look very appealing emblazoned on an aircraft.
Lawrence Chien is an English and Japanese-speaking tour guide.
Translated by Paul Cooper
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