Japanese budget airline Zipair is scrapping its signature “Z” letter logo to avoid mistakenly giving the impression that it supports the Ukraine war, according to reports.
The low-cost airline, which is a subsidiary of Japan Airlines, announced Wednesday that it was ditching the massive “Z” logo, which bears similarity to the pro-war symbol often seen on Russian military vehicles, the Japan Times reported.
Zipair’s president, Shingo Nishida, said it took swift action to avoid people mistakenly believing the company backs Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
“I think some people might feel that way when they see it without any explanation,” Nishida said, according to the outlet.
The low-budget airline ZIpair announced its logo change on Wednesday. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty ImagThe airline’s B-787 planes currently sport a large black letter “Z” on their tails. As part of the rebrand, they will get a paint job to replace logos with a green, black and white design.
Zipair did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for further comment.
The letter “Z” has crept up countless times since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24.
From Russian athletes to military vehicles and tanks, much of the nation’s representation sported the lettered logo.
Zipair’s president Shingo Nishida said the company wants to avoid being mistaken for Russian support. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty ImagLast month, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, who defended wearing the letter “Z” on his singlet on the podium at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha, Qatar, in support of the war in Ukraine, was banned from competition for one year and will return his medal, the International Gymnastics Federation said.
Gymnastics’ international sports governing body released a statement stating that Kuliak violated several ethics codes when in early March, just weeks after Russia launched its military attack on Ukraine, the 20-year-old wore the letter “Z” on his chest – a symbol that has been said to identify the vehicles as friendlies for Russian forces.
Countless Russian tanks and other military vehicles entering Ukraine sport the mysterious white “Z” marking painted on their sides.
The company’s planes currently have a large black “Z” logo on the tail. EPAThe markings are not limited to tanks but have also been seen on trucks and amphibious rigs.
More gruesomely, an image that circulated online last month showed the bodies of four apparent Russian soldiers arranged in a “Z.”






