Airline Symbols Trivia Quiz

Answer: Aeroflot

With its beginnings in 1921, Soviet civilian aviation was by 1928 represented by Dobrolyot. A couple of name changes later and Aeroflot emerged in 1932 as the flag carrier. The winged hammer and sickle logo was developed during the Dobrolyot years. The logo survived the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and a rebranding exercise in the early 2000s.

Answer: Air Canada

Flag carrier and largest airline in Canada, it was as Trans-Canada Air Lines that the maple leaf logo was first used in 1964. The airline was renamed as Air Canada in 1965 and kept the logo. The maple leaf symbol is strongly associated with things Canadian; for example, appearing on the national flag.

Answer: Drukair

Flag carrier for Bhutan, Drukair was founded in 1981. 'Druk' means 'dragon' so it is appropriate that the dragon features in the airline's livery. The dragon features strongly in the country; for example, the King of Bhutan is officially known as Druk Gyalpo (or 'Dragon King') and Bhutan itself means 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' in the Dzongkha language.

Answer: Iran Air

Iranian Flag carrier of Iran, Iran Air (officially, The Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran) uses a stylised homa as its logo. The huma or homa is a mythical Iranian bird sometimes likened to a griffin or phoenix. It is also the Persian acronym for the Iran National Airlines Corporation, the nationalised service created in 1961 from two earlier airlines.

Answer: Aeroméxico

The Aztec Empire was based around three city-states in what is now Mexico. It is therefore not surprising that the country's flag carrier reflects this in its livery. The eagle warrior logo, in use since the 1980s, represents one of the elite infantry warrior groups in the Aztec army, the other being jaguar warriors or knights.

Answer: Olympic Airlines

Olympic Airlines was the flag carrier airline of Greece until 2009. It used interlocking rings to symbolise the airline. As five interlocking rings is associated with the Olympic Games, the airline chose six interlocking rings instead, although only using four colours. The rings represented the five continents and Greece. The name lives on in a sunglass brand, a single from the album "Antidotes" (2008) by Foal, and in the Bond movies "For Your Eyes Only" (1981) and "Octopussy" (1983).

Answer: Hawaiian Airlines

A flight attendant with Hawaiian Airlines since the age of 18, Leina'ala Drummond's face was chosen to form part of the airline's logo in 1973. She was also a model, becoming Miss Hawaii in 1964. The airline named their image Pualani, meaning 'heavenly flower' and have revised their logo several times over the years.

Answer: Vietnam Airlines

Unofficial national flower of Vietnam, a golden version of the lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a symbol used by Vietnam Airlines, the flag carrier of Vietnam. Founded in 1956, the airline became state-owned in 1989. The current golden lotus symbol was introduced in 2002. The lotus symbolises purity, resilience and the ability to rise above adversity.

Answer: Cyprus Airways

The olive branch is a symbol of peace and appears in the coat of arms of the Republic of Cyprus, being carried by a dove. As a symbol, it has a history going back to ancient Roman and ancient Greek times. It also appears as part of the emblem of Cyprus Airways, the flag carrier for the island country.

The original Cyprus Airways, operating between 1947 and 2015, used a different symbol. The new version of the flag carrier started operations in 2017.

Answer: Air New Zealand

The silver fern (Alsophila tricolor or Cyathea dealbata) or ponga is a tree fern endemic to New Zealand with a silvery-white colouring to the under-surface of mature fronds. It is one of the unofficial emblems for the country and is used by the flag carrier Air New Zealand. The version used from 2013 comes from Tourism New Zealand.