EZ Air, an airline with operational bases in Curaçao and Bonaire, has decided to change its name to Z Air, pronouncing the «Z» in English, after a dispute with Easy Group over the use of the EZ Air name.
The decision to change the name to Z Air was made after careful discussions with internal and external partners. The director of EZ Air, René Winkel, pointed out that this change involves only minor adjustments to the logo, fleet, and brand. In addition, the existing IATA code for the airline, 7Z, makes this the simplest solution.
Despite not agreeing with Easy Group’s claim of trademark infringement, the airline has chosen to change its name rather than pursue prolonged legal procedures. Winkel emphasized that they prefer to focus on the airline’s continuous growth rather than incur significant costs and lose time and energy in legal procedures. He clarified that there have been no legal actions or ongoing litigation related to this conflict and that the interaction with Easy Group has been respectful and professional.
According to the medium Curacao.nu, the implementation of the new brand will be carried out gradually over the next few weeks, and it is expected to have no impact on operations, passengers, or employees.
EZ Air, now Z Air, in growth
Z Air has been undergoing a fleet modernization. The airline acquired three Saab 340B aircraft with a capacity for 34 passengers in 2021 and signed a lease agreement with Jetstream for two Saab 2000 turboprop aircraft for 50 passengers at the end of 2022. These aircraft are used in regular and charter operations in the Caribbean, South America, and Central America. It also operates two Learjets for air ambulance operations.
Currently, it operates in Aruba (AUA), Bonaire (BON), Curaçao (CUR), and Barranquilla (BAQ), Colombia; with the following frequencies:
- From Curaçao:
- Aruba; 8-12 weekly flights.
- Barranquilla; 2 weekly flights.
- Bonaire; 18 weekly flights.
- From Aruba:
- Bonaire; 3 weekly flights.
Easy Group, hunting companies with similar names
The latest case related to the ‘Easy’ brand affected the British indie pop band Easy Life, which had to change its name after a lawsuit filed by Stelios Haji-Ioannou and its parent company EasyGroup. According to AeroTelegraph, the musical group also caused economic damage to the EasyJet group, in addition to name rights, since band members were allegedly drunk with EasyJet accessories.
In July of this year, the Colombian airline EasyFly had to change its name to Clic, as part of the legal process initiated by EasyGroup for brand name similarity in 2019 and which concluded in 2020.
