UK carrier BMI has quietly adopted a modified branding, giving the airline's full name as British Midland International.

When the brand was first unveiled in February 2001, the airline formally became known as 'BMI British Midland' and notably insisted that the final 'I' did not stand for anything.

But the airline - which has become a Lufthansa subsidiary - appears to have climbed down from that position on recent publicity material. It has also started referring to itself as 'British Midland International' in formal statements.

"Our marketing branding people were looking for something to reinforce the brand in overseas markets," says a spokesman for the UK carrier. "They were finding that BMI didn't mean an awful lot, particularly in the former BMed markets."

Bmi

BMed was the former British Mediterranean Airways, the franchise which served Middle Eastern and Central Asian destinations for British Airways before being acquired by BMI in 2007.

 

Link: Airline Business' Victoria Moores on the BMI branding mystery

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news