We are delighted to announce the winners of TheDesignAir’s 13th annual awards, celebrating the pinnacle of aviation design, branding, and passenger experience in 2025. This year, airlines worldwide have once again raised the bar, enhancing the journey both in the skies and on the ground. Our Judges’ Choice Awards feature an exciting new wave of entrants, reflecting the industry’s relentless investment in passenger experience and brand innovation. Congratulations to all the 2025 award winners for their outstanding achievements!
Like every year, TheDesignAir uses both an esteemed judging panel and for our design airline votes, with a blend of public voting too. This year we had more than 30,000 votes cast.
| Judges’ Choice Awards 2025 | Design Airline Awards 2025 |
| Design Innovation Award 2025 ANA The Room FX – Acumen and ANA | Design Airline of the Year North America, 2025 JetBlue |
| Best New Uniform 2025 Air New Zealand | Design Airline of the Year South America, 2025 LATAM |
| Best New Airport Lounge 2025 Virgin Atlantic, LAX | Design Airline of the Year Europe, 2025 Turkish Airlines |
| Best New Livery 2025 Alaska Airlines | Design Airline of the Year Middle East, 2025 Etihad Airways |
| Best New Business Class 2025 ANA The Room FX | Design Airline of the Year Africa, 2025 Air Mauritius |
| Best New Premium Economy Class 2025 EVA Air | Design Airline of the Year Oceania, 2025 Air New Zealand |
| Best New Premium Business/First Class 2025 Air France – La Prèmiere | Design Airline of the Year Asia, 2025 Cathay |
| Most Improved / Best New Airline Brand 2025 LATAM | Design Airline of the year 2025 Cathay |
Judge’s Choice Awards
Design Innovation Award, 2025
ANA – THE Room FX
ANA and Acumen take home this year’s Innovation Award for THE Room FX, a next-generation business class seat that successfully reimagines one of the industry’s most acclaimed products for a narrower aircraft platform without sacrifice. The team delivered a solution that is lighter, more spacious and more intuitive, retaining the DNA of the original THE Room while pushing forward a new standard in efficiency and comfort.
Central to THE Room FX is a simplified, single-motion mechanism and unified seat structure that unlocks widebody-level comfort on the Boeing 787. The design increases usable personal space, reduces part count and maintenance, and achieves a significant 25 percent weight reduction. Sofa-style seating accommodates natural posture changes throughout flight, while newly engineered in-line doors enhance privacy without bulk.
This project demonstrates a rare balance of passenger-first design, manufacturing innovation and sustainability gains. ANA and Acumen show that true innovation is not simply about redefining the cabin, but about solving complex spatial, mechanical and experiential challenges in a way that benefits the airline, the environment and, most importantly, the passenger.
Best New Uniform, 2025
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s new uniforms, created with celebrated designer Emilia Wickstead, present a confident and contemporary expression of national identity. With silhouettes shaped by couture-level tailoring, refined detailing that nods subtly to Māori culture and a palette drawn from Aotearoa’s natural landscapes, the collection feels both elevated and deeply rooted. It is elegant without being showy and designed with crew input, sustainability and functionality in mind. This is modern airline style with a clear sense of place and a quiet sophistication that stands out for all the right reasons and secured it’s place as the winner of Best New Uniform 2025.
www.airnewzealand.co.nz
Best New Livery, 2025
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines earns this year’s nod for its bold new Dreamliner livery, a design refresh that aims to balance heritage and modernity. The updated paint-scheme brings cleaner lines, bold Northern Light designs and a fresh colour palette. These changes reaffirm the airline’s identity on an international stage while giving its fleet a refreshed presence in the skies. In 2025, Alaska Airlines shows that style can evolve without losing roots, a livery that turns heads and stands out on runways and horizon alike.
www.alaskaair.com
Best New Airport Lounge, 2025
Virgin Atlantic, LAX
Virgin Atlantic’s new Clubhouse in LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal takes home this year’s award for redefining what a lounge experience can feel like. It balances the relaxed confidence of West Coast living with the airline’s unmistakable sense of personality, creating a destination that feels uplifting the moment you step inside. Sweeping architectural forms, warm textured materials and expansive runway views come together to deliver a social yet refined environment that celebrates travel rather than simply processing it. This is Virgin Atlantic at its best, translating brand, culture and comfort into a standout experience that leaves a lasting impression long before boarding begins.
www.virginatlantic.com
Best New Premium Economy Class, 2025
EVA Air
EVA Air’s latest Premium Economy cabin takes the category to a new level by delivering comfort, calm and considered design in equal measure. The seating feels genuinely spacious, the finishes are refined and the cabin atmosphere benefits from thoughtful lighting and materials that create a sense of quiet escape. EVA Air has long been a benchmark in this class, but this latest iteration reinforces its position with a product that feels elevated, modern and tailored to long haul comfort. It is premium travel that respects the journey as much as the destination.
www.evaair.com
Best New Business Class, 2025
ANA THE Room FX
ANA’s “THE Room FX” for its 787 fleet earns this year’s award for bringing business class design into a space of subtle sophistication and clever restraint. The suite doesn’t shout, it whispers with soft finishes, clean lines, muted lighting and an atmosphere that feels more like a private, minimalist retreat than an aircraft cabin. It’s a refined evolution rather than a radical overhaul, showing how careful design can elevate the travel experience without over-engineering it. So much so that the seat steers firmly away from the traditional mechanical recline. With The Room FX, ANA proves that great comfort and modern style can come through understatement and thoughtfulness.
www.ana.co.jp
Best New Premium Business / First Class, 2025
Air France – La Première
Air France’s new La Première suite takes the top honour this year for demonstrating that true luxury in the sky often lies in refined evolution rather than revolution. The cabin feels closer to a private residence than an aircraft interior, shaped through soft lighting, generous spatial planning and couture-level material choices that create calm, confidence and discretion. Every detail has purpose and poise, presenting French elegance not as opulence but as restraint. With La Première, Air France proves that first class still matters when it is delivered with this level of craft, comfort and identity.
www.airfrance.com
Most Improved / Best New Airline Brand, 2025
LATAM
LATAM has skyrocketed its brand proposition in 2025, with the introduction of a new signature lounge in Lima, the new hospitality-inspired check-in areas for Signature Black guests and a wave of improvements to the international Business Class experience including new blankets, amenity kits, service rituals including new coffee and chocolate signature services. The airline has a bold ambition to be a world-leading airline in the coming years, and this award of Most Improved Brand in 2025 recognising the large strides the airline is taking to get there. We’re thrilled to see the carrier continue to invest heavily in the passenger experience, and the improvements are already paying dividends.
www.latam.com
Design Airline of the Year
Design Airline of the Year North America, 2025
JetBlue
JetBlue strikes again this year, continuing its long-standing winning streak, upholding its position as the leading Design Airline for North America. The airline has now matured into a well-established and much-loved brand. The airline’s strong design aesthetic across the entire passenger experience certainly inspired our voting this year. With digital, personal and physical experiences, there’s an intuitive design language that flows throughout the entire passenger journey. Hopefully 2026 will bring the highly anticipated first foray into which will continue to propel the carrier above its legacy counterparts.
www.jetblue.com
Design Airline of the Year South America, 2025
LATAM
LATAM hasn’t faltered from its position in eight years, dominating one of the most exciting continents for commercial aviation. Since 2017, LATAM has proven time after time that it’s investing not just in the passenger experience, but design language throughout the passenger journey. With new lounges being rolled out over the next few years, new aircraft interiors and a wave of improvements to the soft product, LATAM impressed both our judges and the public who also voted for the airline. LATAM continues to bring the very best of the South American continent to the global stage. 2026 will be an exciting era for the carrier as it continues to expand on its enhancements to the passenger experience.
www.latam.com
Design Airline of the Year Europe, 2025
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has once again reclaimed its crown in Europe, being awarded the best design airline in the region. With a myriad of design details, the airline’s solid, robust approach to the passenger experience has won our judges and voting public alike. With yet more of the carrier’s latest interiors taking flight, the passenger experience is becoming more consistent, with the backbone A350 and 787 long haul fleet winning over hearts and minds. With more enhancements on the horizon, there are even more reasons for Turkish Airlines to celebrate next year.
www.turkishairlines.com
Design Airline of the Year Africa, 2025
Air Mauritius
Once again, Air Mauritius has been recognised as the Design Airline of the Year, Africa. Both judges and public applauding its international-standard passenger experience. The airline’s collaboration with Airbus’ Design Studio, adoption of premium Opera Business Class seats from Stelia Aerospace and its contemporary lounge designs, has elevated its service standards above many carriers on the continent. This award highlights Air Mauritius’ dedication to blending luxury, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology, further establishing its position as a leader in African aviation.
www.airmauritius.com
Design Airline of the Year Oceania, 2025
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has had a great year, with the launch of the airline’s new uniforms and its latest business class cabins now finally flying. Air New Zealand has always been much loved by TheDesignAir for its constant strides in airline innovation, and for the first time in a few years, the airline is finally able to put those innovations in front of its customers. With new lounge designs also underway, the future is looking bright for this small, yet perfectly formed carrier in Oceania.
www.airnz.com
Design Airline of the Year Middle East, 2025
Etihad Airways
For the third year running, Etihad has once again secured Design Airline of the Year Middle East, 2025. The airline continues to invest in the passenger experience, with new lounges, amenities and its latest A321 cabins enhancing the already impressive passenger experience. The team at Etihad have shown to TheDesignAir’s judges an unwavering dedication to enhancing the design, comfort and aesthetics of the carrier. The judges appreciated the carrier’s quieter, understated luxury with Etihad delivering the right balance between luxury and opulence with an unwavering laser focus on design details.
www.etihad.com
Design Airline of the Year Asia, 2025
Design Airline of the Year, 2024
Cathay
Cathay has consistently strived to provide the highest standards in passenger experience and brand. The cohesive nature of the airline’s entire passenger experience is truly world-class. With the roll out of the airline’s latest cabins, and renovations already under way to improve the airline’s home-hub lounge complex, the airline hasn’t rested in delivering the very best the skies have to offer. Cathay’s continued efforts in championing the customer and delivering a residentially-inspired passenger experience has once again helped the airline secure not only Design Airline of the Year, Asia, but also our most prestigious global award, Design Airline of the Year in 2025.
www.cathaypacific.com
The Top 20 Design Airlines 2025
This year we’re also thrilled to announce the ranking for our Top 20 Design Airlines 2025 as voted for by yourselves and our esteemed judging panel.
| Airline | 2025 TDA Score | Rank | 2024 Rank |
| Cathay | 90.4 | 1 | 6 (+5) |
| Etihad (Silver Award) | 89.7 | 2 | 1 (-1) |
| LATAM (Bronze Award) | 86.1 | 3 | 5 (+2) |
| Turkish Airlines | 84.2 | 4 | 8 (+4) |
| Air New Zealand | 84.0 | 5 | 7 (+2) |
| Qatar Airways | 83.9 | 6 | 3 (-3) |
| Qantas | 83.5 | 7 | 2 (-5) |
| Condor | 82.6 | 8 | 4 (-4) |
| Air France | 82.5 | 9 | – |
| Singapore Airlines | 81.6 | 10 | 10 (-) |
| Fiji Airways | 81.3 | 11 | 9 (-2) |
| Air Mauritius | 78.8 | 12 | 12 (-) |
| Finnair | 77.7 | 13 | – |
| Aeromexico | 76.8 | 14 | 11 (-3) |
| China Airlines | 75.6 | 15 | 14 (-1) |
| JetBlue | 75.4 | 16 | 15 (-1) |
| BeOnd | 74.7 | 17 | 16 (-1) |
| Emirates | 74.1 | 18 | 18 (-) |
| Virgin Atlantic | 74.0 | 19 | 17 (-2) |
| Oman Air | 74.0 | 20 | 13 (-7) |
As I do every year, I ask on your kind support to keep things going. If you are able to donate – whatever amount – it all gets funnelled back in to the site, to keep the site full of content. And I thank you personally for your kind support.
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