The logo of the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation has been modified several times. All the versions, except one, featured the legendary “Winged Hammer and Sickle” symbol.
The Russian airline, later named Aeroflot, was founded in 1923 by decree of the Council of Labor and Defense of the RSFSR. On February 25, 1932, the Main Directorate of Civil Air Fleet was established and the country’s civil aviation was given the abbreviated name of AEROFLOT. In 1947 Aeroflot was recognized as one of the world’s largest airlines and remained so until the 1990s.
After the war, air service was actively resumed and expanded. New, more advanced IL-12 and IL-14 appeared. In 1956 on domestic and international lines of Aeroflot appeared the world’s first passenger jet TU-104, which is still considered to be an outstanding event of global significance.
At the end of the 1950s Tu-114 aircraft featuring more economic turboprop engines was tested and began its regular flights on Aeroflot routes. Later it was replaced by a new domestic plane Il-62.
In August 1959, Sheremetyevo airport was opened in Moscow, and became the main hub of the air carrier.
In 1989 Aeroflot joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In the 1990s, Aeroflot began to actively use equipment from leading foreign manufacturers.
On April 14, 2006, Aeroflot officially became the tenth member of the SkyTeam global aviation alliance. On May 6 of the same year, Aeroflot received an IOSA operator certificate from the World Air Transport Association (IATA), becoming the first Russian airline to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
What is Aeroflot?
Aeroflot is the name of the main air carrier of Russia. The airline is headquartered in Moscow. Aeroflot is a member of the International Air Transport Association, firmly established in the country’s economy since the prewar thirties.
Today is known as Aeroflot, a Russian air carrier that was established in the 1920s under the name “Dobrolet” (formed from the Russian words “Dobry”, which means “kind”, and “letat”, standing for “fly”). The badge for the brand was drawn in 1923 and featured an ornate circular badge in a red color palette, with the iconic Hammer and Sickle symbol in the center of the logo. The symbol was enclosed into a wreath made of two wheat ears and had a circular frame with the wordmark wrapped around it. The lettering was written in the uppercase of a modern for its times sans-serif typeface, adding some stability and professionalism to the whole composition.
The blue symbol that is the highlight of the Aeroflot logo was designed by the artist Alexander Rodchenko. It could be used either on its own or in combination with the lettering “Aeroflot” in a simple sans serif type. The version in Russian showcased a slightly more elaborate type.
The type grew somewhat heavier. A version with the tagline “Russian International Airlines” in blue appeared.
The tagline was simplified to “Russian Airlines.”
The flag of Russia appeared to the left of the wordmark, while the winged hammer disappeared.
The winged hammer returned to the Aeroflot logo, while a yellow curve was added.
The wordmark in the Aeroflot logo is written in all capitals of a bold yet elegant sans-serif typeface, where each of the letters has both thick and thin lines. The typeface of the logo is very similar to such font as Greyhound Bold Extended and Indecise Expanded Semi Bold with the letter “R” modified.
As for the “Russian Airlines” tagline, placed under the main inscription, it is executed in a more lightweight italicized typeface, which has its letter lines a bit curved, as in the Jeunesse Pro Medium font, but with the contours slightly refined.
The blue and white color palette of the Aeroflot logo, complemented by red accents, is a tribute to the Russian national flag, and a celebration of the company’s legacy and traditions. The bright tricolor represents the company at its best, showing its trustworthiness and reliability along with progressiveness and energy.