After Two Disasters, Malaysia Airlines Considers Its "Re-Branding" Options

Malaysia Airlines has experienced two unbelievable tragedies in less than four months.  First, Flight MH370 completely vanished without a trace en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers on board.  All passengers and crew are still missing and are now presumed dead.  The disappearance remains unsolved, and is widely considered one of the most bizarre modern aviation mysteries.

Then, unbelievably, two weeks ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile over the Ukraine, with many blaming pro-Russian separatist rebels for the carnage.

Malaysia Airlines was apparently considering a brand overhaul after the first tragedy.  Now, some are asking whether consumers would see through a superficial name and brand change, and wondering whether the airline can even continue to exist as an ongoing concern.

The airline has reportedly lost $1.3B in the last three years.

Such a situation facing a major airline is not unprecedented.  In 1983, after Korean Airlines suffered a similar tragedy when a plane was shot down, it was rebranded as "Korean Air."  Perhaps more significantly, its planes were repainted from white to light blue, and the logo was replaced.