All the hidden details in the New Orleans Airport’s new logo

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) just got a new logo, and there’s more to it than meets the eye.

The updated logo dropped just in time for the upcoming Super Bowl, when an influx of out-of-state fans will bustle through MSY on their way to the Caesars Superdome arena. MSY is taking advantage of the increased publicity, using it as an opportunity to scrap its old logo—a blobby, clunky take on the fleur-de-lis that’s more of an eyesore than an homage—for a sleeker, more intriguing graphic.

From left: The new logo outshines its predecessor [Image: courtesy Louis Armstrong International Airport]

Called the “Plane de Lis,” the new mark is packed full of winks to the city of New Orleans and the airport itself. As the name suggests, it’s meant to evoke both an airplane and a fleur-de-lis—a stark contrast to the former logo, which simply shoehorned a plane into a scene dominated by the iris design. 

“The ‘Plane de Lis’ is celebratory, almost musical,” MSY wrote on its Facebook page. It’s “a plane taking flight, upward and optimistic, modern and memorable.”

[Image: courtesy Louis Armstrong International Airport]

The new logo’s “wings” resemble two sprays of water shooting upward, a reference to the “fluidity and influence of the Mississippi River,” according to MSY’s new brand guidelines. The teardrop-shaped tip of the fleur-de-lis is inspired by the body of a plane taking flight. And, the guidelines note, the logo’s negative space “[mimics] the interior architectural details of MSY”—likely referring to the crisscrossing white beams that decorate the airport’s ceiling.

[Image: courtesy Louis Armstrong International Airport]

To complete the brand transformation, MSY ditched its previous tech-adjacent blue color scheme for a more upbeat palette, anchored in Pantone “Julep,” similar to kelly green. Accent colors include “Fresh Fern,” “Beignet,” “French Quarter Rouge,” and “Fleury Pink.” 

[Image: courtesy Louis Armstrong International Airport]

These new details really shine in a series of speciality patterns made for the brand. Designers used only the logo and its accompanying colors to create a textile-esque “wrought iron pattern,” which lends the whole project a luxe, high-end feel. 

MSY’s fresh look is a decided improvement, tapping into New Orleans’s cultural history without any forced overdesigning.

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