HK Express, the Hong Kong-based low-cost carrier, recently launched its full rebranding that it is starting to roll out across its company. The new branding includes a new logo, livery, font and typeface, website, and crew uniforms.

HK Express: New Branding

The new livery will feature a stylized “e” logo on the tail, winglets, and bottom of the aircraft.

According to the airline, the “e” symbolizes the start of a journey and is intended to be simple and prominent, providing a clear and defining brand image for all travelers. It says with its “forward-looking brand identity, the new brand positioning, “Gotta Go”, aims to encourage spontaneity and invoke a new, free-spirited travel attitude, appealing to our target customer who is bold, dynamic and lives in the moment.”

“Three years have passed since the start of the pandemic. Just as travellers have gained new perspectives on travel, so has HK Express. Our refreshed brand concept reflects our zest for adventure and readiness to help like-minded travellers to explore the world on their own terms. I’m equally proud to see HK Express leading the way in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive workplace through the launch of our new uniforms. I can’t wait to see how these bold new uniforms empower our team to delight our customers on the ground and in the skies.”

Mandy Ng, CEO of HK Express

The airline is the only low-cost carrier based in Hong Kong and is fully owned by Cathay Pacific.

The new logo, composed of a journey symbol and updated wordmark, is intended to be simple and direct, using simple icons and graphics. The journey symbol, which looks like a small letter “e” in bespoke shades of purple, symbolizes the start of a journey. It ends with a new Cyan, representing the freshness and novelty of the personalized journeys and experiences that HK Express brings to each customer.

The airline released a promotional video with the new branding.

HK Express: New Crew Uniforms

HK Express is also introducing a new set of cabin crew uniforms.

The airline says the new uniforms embody the brand’s dynamism, spontaneity, and diversity. They were designed by Mountain Yam, described as Hong Kong’s leading sustainable fashion designer.

Notably, the new uniforms include an option with pants for female cabin crew. It features a mix and match concept allowing cabin crew to pick from a selection different apparel based on their personality.

Dress shoes have also been replaced with sneakers, a symbolic shift from conventional rigidity to self-expression and creativity.

Other design highlights include incorporating upcycled materials from previous uniforms. Leftover fabrics will be used to create upcycled teddy bears, bringing new life to old uniforms and underlining the carrier’s focus on sustainability.

HK Express: New Livery

The new branding also includes a completely new livery for HK Express. It replaces the previous livery with an iconic silhouette of Hong Kong’s skyline on the tail. The new HK Express livery removes this element, replacing it with a stylized “e” on the tail.

Where old livery put HK Express’ identity as a carrier based in Hong Kong front and center, the new livery is a bit more simple and generic. It definitely won’t matter to most people booking a low-cost carrier but it doesn’t embody Hong Kong in the same way. It looks like the livery of a carrier that could be based anywhere. That could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it.

The Upshot

HK Express, Hong Kong’s low-cost carrier, recently launched a full rebranding that’s starting to roll out across its company. The new branding includes a new logo, livery, font and typeface, website, and crew uniforms.

The airline says the new branding is intended to encourage spontaneity and invoke a new, free-spirited travel attitude, appealing to the target customer who is bold, dynamic, and lives in the moment. It’s certainly a change from the old branding and doesn’t embody Hong Kong in the same way as the old branding and particularly livery did. Whether it’s your cup of tea or not will depend on your personal preference.