Air Tahiti Nui’s brand new image
We fell in love with Air Tahiti Nui’s new brand image by FutureBrand and Alexander Lee, which brought the island nation to life in the skies of the Pacific. Careful attention to detail, bright bold colours and stunning iconographic patterns caught our eye this year and certainly brought a smile to our face. Little wonder why it won an award from us this year.
Read more…
Gulf Air launches new 787 cabins
Once the dominant player in the Gulf, this carrier was quickly surpassed by its richer, blinker nearby rivals. However this year, Tangerine and Priestmangoode managed to completely change our perceptions, even more so when we sampled their 787 product on a flight from London to Bahrain.
Find out what impressed us by reading more here…
Air France’s new CDG lounge
While Air France’s inflight products were exceptional, the lounges in their Paris hub weren’t the most inspirational places, with a sea of red white a blue amongst a sea of light wood veneer. But the airline’s renovation of its lounge in 2E Hall L showed us the airline is moving in the right direction, with a new space akin to a designer cocktail bar in the heart of the Champs Élysées.
Read more about the lounge.
Sichuan Airlines’ red-hot new uniforms
Sichuan Airlines have injected a fiery new uniform with more than just a splash of red. These designer threads are bound to turn heads. Launched prior to the arrival of the airline’s A350s, we love the timeless elegance, great silhouettes and bold pleated blouse that create an iconic look.
Take a look at the threads here…
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LATAM new 777 cabins
TheDesignAir’s Design Airline of 2018 in South America has been given a fresh makeover with the carrier’s 777 fleet receiving brand new business class seats that offer more space, more privacy and a greater injection of Latin American spirit. These new suites are certainly a reason to fly with the carrier in 2019, as the airline continues to roll out the retrofit.
See what these new business class suites mean for passengers…
Bangkok’s Jenga-style terminal concept
We love a beautiful terminal, but Bangkok’s new terminal extension concept is quite striking. Not without controversy, but the designs, similar to the new Istanbul Airport, create a theatrical, cathedral like atmosphere, while bringing the sense of flora and fauna inside a usually-sterile space.
Find out why this intricate new design caused controversy…
Turkish Airlines’ new threads
Winning the award for best uniform this year, these new designs for Turkish Airlines are light-years ahead of the previous uniforms that were fairly dated. The designs might look familiar and that is because they are very similar to the short-lived threads of Alitalia before the airline quickly replaced them after declaring bankruptcy.
Explore the designs here…
Fiji Airways new 737-MAX interiors
Fiji Airways have always caught our eye, and when they released their new brand a few years ago we were bowled over, with many airlines (including Air Tahiti Nui) following suit with a locally-inspired brand image. So when Fiji Airways received their brand new 737 MAX this year with an updated cabin, we could only hope they would give the same attention they gave their A330s. We were in luck, with the cream leather seats making another appearance in the business class cabin.
Take a look at the Fijian influence here…
The world’s largest flying turtle, Honu
The long awaited ANA A380 rolled out of the printshop late 2018, with what was one of Airbus’ most complicated liveries yet. A giant flying turtle, Honu, along with baby, adorn the entire fuselage of the world’s largest commercial aircraft. The first of three different coloured turtles, this aircraft is specifically designed for one route, Japan to Honolulu, with a new lounge to match.
Find out why we were shellshocked…
Going dotty over Qantas’ special 787 livery.
Another special livery started the year off. This one featured no less than 5,000 individually applied dots across the aircraft to create one of the world’s largest aboriginal designs. The design was to celebrate Qantas’ first 787-9 aircraft, and the launch of the airline’s long-anticipated Perth-London Heathrow route, with some of the longest flight times in the skies today.
Take a look here…
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TheDesignAir 
“The Design Air” have made a Great Selection, as you always do.
I love the new “Air Tahiti” aircraft´s livery, uncommon, refreshing and soothing.
Nowadays most Airline´s Aircrafts Liveries, look similar, with a few exceptions.
Personally, when I am in an airport, I always feel joy when I see a KLM aircraft with their timeless blue livery or an elegant Singapore Airlines plane, or the beautiful Thai Airways livery…