United Airways Ordered to Change its Brand

11 September 2012

Dhaka-based airline United Airways has been ordered to change its brand and repaint its fleet after a court case brought by US-based airline United Airlines.

Lawyers for United Airlines said the Dhaka-based airline had “illegally violated” the trademark and “wrongly associated its services with” those of the US airline, according to media reports.

London-based intellectual property barristers’ chambers Three New Square said that the small airline had been ordered by a UK court to repaint its seven aircraft within 35 days and change its name in the UK, where it has an office, in 30 days.

United Airways had “wrongly passed off their airline, airline services, and airline ticketing services as being those of – or associated or connected with, or authorized or approved by – United Airlines,” said Three New Square.

The problem arose due to the Bangladeshi carrier’s flights to London which, it was argued, could have confused passengers expecting to fly with United Airlines, which also flies to London. United Airways’ fleet includes an Airbus 310, which has the ability to fly from Dhaka to London. The word “United” is in English on one side of the airline’s aircraft.