The Story Of Air France's Iconic Winged Seahorse Logo

But is the winged seahorse really the logo of air france. I thought maybe its the red strip, thats what is shown prominently on the fuselage. As an economy passenger, you dont see the winged sea horse often

I love that logo! Especially because it’s on the plane that Ilsa and Victor board at the end of Casablanca.

I love this post! Your appreciation of the romance of this industry just keeps me coming back.

There is an entire story about that scene alone. A Lockheed Electra 12A out of plywood and balsa wood at Burbank Airport At one time, that half of the plane was also used as a prop in the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland.

Here is a link to the Air France style guide which details which style of hippocampe can be used in which situation. The more modern style is only to be used for LP branding as an example.

While I hadn't given the origin of the logo much thought, I would have considered it was a type of Pegasus signifying the leap from ocean liner travel to air travel. Thank you for the history because it is a lovely logo.

Yes, the main AF logo is the blue Air France text and the red stripe, that's what used in 95% of cases. The seahorse is more of a marketing symbol. I think that's what allows AF to keep its use so traditional since unlike the main logo, they don't really need to modernise it, ever.

Ben, have you been hired by AFs PR department?
I mean, I get it, you’re digging them and are lucky enough to be one of a handful that are able to fly their first class on award miles … it’s just lot of positive Air France press is all I’m saying. 😉

I always thought that is a Pegasus, a horse with wings. OMG, it is actually a seahorse. Thanks for this very interesting article. I am enjoying it!

As someone who has never flown AF, I wouldn't immediately think of AF from the seahorse logo. So the line "you don’t even need to see the “Air France” name anymore, as so many customers touchpoints have the logo, and it’s an instant reminder of the airline" may reflect the view of someone who a loyal AF customer.

Thats different from the UA tulip, the LH crane and JAL crane, which are all recognizable to even non-customers of those airlines.

Air France is cool even outside La Première 🙂 I understand Ben's sentiment, I'm charmed by the airline every time I fly them. If only they got rid of tray service in longhaul business, I'd even name them my favourite airline 🙂

It's hard to complain about Air France though... it's like VS without the gamble of getting the 787 coffin.

The Air France “bar code” tail design is exactly that. It was originally designed for just the Concorde fleet. The measurements of a Concorde tail were put through a computer & that is the modernist design that was created. Bat code style.
It became so quickly popular that AF then put it on all the fleet. Long story short.
The sea horse logo is legendary.

The Air France “bar code” tail design is exactly that. It was originally designed for just the Concorde fleet. The measurements of a Concorde tail were put through a computer & that is the modernist design that was created. Bar code style.
It became so quickly popular that AF then put it on all the fleet. Long story short.
The sea horse logo is legendary.

I have always thought it interesting and beautiful. I am so glad to see that it is being continued and even more prominent than it was a few decades ago.

Nothing will ever beat Alitalia's Freccia Alata (winged arrow).

The truth is, they want to get rid of it because it's a reminder of Flight 447 plummeting into the Atlantic.

Fun article. Love the history. Thanks.

When I see a hippocampus logo, my immediate thought is of Omega watches rather than Air France, but AF have had theirs longer. The inspiration for Omega was the decorative but also functional hippocampi on Venetian gondolas, which made for a relatable logo for the Seamaster range.

I would go as far as saying that it's not very charming of them to take hot food away from narrowbodies, nor was I charmed by being served food that basically hadn't completed defrosting and was given to me at around 0C on a flight from BCN.

Having said that, AF lounges certainly beat the rodent-infested AMS alternatives, and the experience of flying the airline tends to be less miserable than the Lufthansa equivalent.

Looking for fans of Air France’s logo?
Count me in. Why? It projects the romance of early flying, it presents a little mystery, it carries a touch of intrigue, and a Constellation full of class.
(It even makes a brief appearance in one of the best movies ever, Casablanca).
Well done! Vive la France!

While I agree that someone who has never flown AF or is a non customer might not associate the seahorse logo with AF, why can't the same be said about UA, LH, or JAL? Would a non customer in Malawi or Kazakhstan recognize the tulip or crane for any of these airlines? Sure, UA, LH, and JAL have a larger footprint across the world, but it doesn't mean that their logo is recognizable to all non customers.

This symbol has occupied space in my mind all my life because it is shown on the plane in the last scene in the 1942 movie “Casablanca”: the last plane out on a fateful night leaving to freedom from the encroaching NAZI tyranny. It was, in the movie, the last chance to freedom, coveted by hundreds of hopeful travelers, and I’ve never forgotten it.