Objectives

The primary objective of this document is to improve and standardize the communication normally conveyed via on-board placarding and lighted signage within the passenger cabin. Communication through use of the symbology defined herein will create such benefits as general elimination of bilingual requirements (increasing comprehension of messages by a greater number of airline passengers) and significant reductions in manufacturing costs.

Presently, on-board signage consists mostly of words. An increasing interest has been experienced in the use of pictorial matter to convey the message. As a consequence, numerous symbols have been generated from a variety of sources for these message requirements. The result has been a conglomeration of artwork varying widely in style and content. For the most part, their individual use and application has continued without any assurance of understandability or effectiveness.

The standards presented in this document offer a uniform system of symbols and graphic signage which afford improved message recognition. The symbols used have all received verification testing to ensure their value.

Adherence to this standard provides a solution to the problem of proliferation of symbols and artwork variety. Symbology is given for most messages, however, those messages whose readability is not clarified by symbolic presentation are not included. A procedure for additions to the symbols shown is outlined.

The adoption of this standard provides a uniform offering to airline customers. The approval and use of the standard by AIA and ATA members will lend the necessary industry wide support to bring about near term adoption of this symbols standard.