This may not be the most well-known airline internationally, but PNG Air certainly will be turning heads thanks to a new livery and brand developed by Principals Group, a brand strategy and identity company with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. Launched this month in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea (one of the most challenging…
Read MoreBelieve it or not, Air New Zealand opened Pandora’s box approximately ten years ago, when it started creating safety videos that were a little extraordinary. From Richard Simmons and Betty White giving a star studded cast, or Lord of the Rings epic safety videos celebrating New Zealand’s roots to the film franchise. Many carriers followed…
Read MoreThroughout 2020, we’ve seen the great efforts airlines have made to quickly adapt the passenger experience from check-in all the way through to onboard. However, airports across the world have also had to play a part in enhancing social distancing and help space out the flow of passengers throughout terminals and gate areas. Luckily, both…
Read MoreAir New Zealand is no stranger to alternative, promotional safety videos. Yet today they’ve launched their most restrained and geographically respectful video yet in partnership with Tourism New Zealand. Dubbed ‘Aotearoa, the 8th Wonder of the World’ the safety video is reflective of the current climate, helping support the domestic tourism industry. The video features the…
Read More2020 has been perhaps one of the most challenging years for commercial aviation since the industry started. While the industry has survived terrorism, volcanic ash, wars and epidemics, this pandemic has shaken the industry to its core. The rulebooks have been thrown out and airlines have had to fight for their survival. While some governments…
Read MoreUganda Airlines might not be on everyones radar. But that’s because until last week, the carrier just operated a modest fleet of four Bombardier CRJ900’s. Resurrected from its predecessor that last flew in 2001, the latest incarnation spread its wings a little over a year ago, but seemingly has big plans. With aircraft bought by…
Read MoreYesterday saw Malaysia Airlines, in partnership with Heathrow Airport, host a tour for a select few –including TheDesignAir – to see first-hand and experience the health and safety procedures that have been introduced to ensure that passengers have a safer and comfortable journey from their arrival at the airport through to reaching their destination. We…
Read More“It’s hard to believe I created this site over eight years ago. In such a short time the passenger experience has developed so much. It is testament to the airlines, design agencies and passengers who collectively morphed the airline experience in to the best the skies have seen since aircraft first flew. I created this site…
Read MoreIn the height of Covid-19, airlines are having to rapidly innovate and the fastest route to market is adapting products that airlines already have in their arsenal. While potentially the next few months could see the rebirth of the All-Business Class era once again – with nimble boutique style carriers appealing to those wanting to…
Read MoreTheDesignAir is pleased to share a free-to-download White paper on the ‘Future of Travel’, reflecting on the changes to the passenger experience post-Covid19. Founder of the site, Jonny Clark, explores gradual shifts and changes we can expect to see across the airline industry, both on the ground and in the skies. The major changes we…
Read MoreWhile the team are doing their bit to help fight this pandemic and staying indoors, it’s also making us a little stir crazy as our wings have been clipped, at least for the coming weeks or months. Like many others out there, we’ve been finding ourselves going through our archives, going online and longing for…
Read MoreWhile our previous article asked airlines to think differently, the global landscape continues to evolve at a speed that few can keep up with. You might have noticed we’ve not been updating recently, but considering the current landscape, you can’t blame us. At TheDesignAir, we focus on positivity in the airline industry, and we’re a…
Read MoreAir New Zealand has a fairly unique proposition, offering daily ultra long-haul flights across the globe while catering to a home country with just half the population of London. As such, its had to innovate to remain at the top of it’s game, and has already rolled out products like the (short-lived) Premium Economy Spaceseat,…
Read MoreThis week saw British Airways launch new products for those in the front and the back of the plane. For those in then pointy end, flying from San Francisco and Newark can now enjoy made-to-order cocktails, in just 45 seconds thanks to an automated cocktail maker. Now, while BA doesn’t offer Bartenders in the same…
Read More[Updated] Last week we mentioned in a story that we hoped that in 2020 airlines would start to break the mould and start thinking differently about liveries and brand image and it seems that resurrected Eastern Airlines has done exactly that. Announced yesterday, the new conceptual design for the decades-old carrier – designed by Mechanica…
Read MoreZIPAIR Tokyo, JAL’s low-cost subsidiary has just announced its new cabins that will feature on the carrier’s 787-8s. While the airline will start flying two Seoul and Bangkok as of May next year, little was known about the product it was going to offer. In comparison in the other fledgling carrier in the region –…
Read MoreTheDesignAir is pleased to announce the shortlist for the DesignAir Awards 2019 and just like last couple of years, we’ve opened some of the categories to the public. The voting is now closed! Now is your chance to pick from our shortlisted categories for Best Design Airline, by region, across the globe. All it takes…
Read MoreFlight: TK67 Aircraft Type: 787-9 Class: Business Class Route: DPS-IST Date: September 2019 http://www.turkishairlines.com It’s not a secret that Turkish Airlines has one of the best soft products in the sky. From our previous reports, we’ve always been impressed with the food & drink, amenities and IFE system onboard their aircraft, but the B777 and A330 hard products in business…
Read MoreThe latest renderings of Fiji Airways‘ A350 have showcased what their cabin and livery will look like – and quite frankly both are stunning. The airline, while opting for an incredibly minimalist design inside their latest airframe, has managed to encapsulate the feeling of a private jet with crisp lines and clean white and grey…
Read MoreIt’s that time again, and while Air New Zealand had recently advertised for a job position of ‘Head of Safety Videos’ (perhaps one of the most sought-after jobs in the industry), the carrier has also just rolled out a new safety video, this time featuring the country’s most famous export, the All Blacks. All Blacks…
Read MoreSingapore Airlines has announced it will be investing more than SGD50 million in a somewhat overdue, revamp of its SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold Lounges at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3. The current lounges will close in phases, starting August 2019 when the renovations commence, and are expected to be completed by mid-2021. While the final look…
Read MoreJetBlue, like many other airlines, gets itself behind Pride each year, but yesterday it announced announced a series of special events, highlighting the airline’s continued support for various LGBTQ organisations throughout Pride Month. At the heart of these events, ‘The Official Airline of Fierce’ and RuPaul’s Drag Race named one of the fleet “Shantay Blue Stay”…
Read MoreIn a world where everyone can now easily become a critic, navigating our way through the vast swathes of reviews can be daunting. After all, human nature dictates we will only ever comment on something exceptional. This is why ‘average’ reviews are rarely seen, with either excellent or scathing comments usually posted. Airlines are subject…
Read MoreLaGuardia is in the midst of a renovation project, and this Sunday United customers using New York-LaGuardia Airport will get to experience the brand new gates on the Terminal B Eastern Concourse. The new concourse area features ceilings up to 55-feet high and as a drastic contrast to the previous experience, feature plenty of natural light.…
Read MoreTurkish Airlines’ latest safety video might have been released a few months ago, but it has already amassed over 9million views on YouTube. The safety video, which features the Lego Movie characters in a sequel to the airline’s initial safety video last year. While the video is still as captivating as the initial incarnation, featuring…
Read MoreFlight: WY103 Aircraft Type: 787-9 Class: Business Class Route: MCT-LHR Date: March 2019 http://www.omanair.com After our outbound trip in Oman Air’s outstanding First Class product, it was time to return home and give the equally impressive Business Class a run for its money. While the Apex Suite is a seasoned favourite for many travellers, it is interesting to see how this…
Read MoreAir France has just revealed a new business class menu by a French chef with no less than 3 Michelin stars. From April to June 2019, the famous French chef Arnaud Lallement will be offering new gourmet dishes exclusively designed for Air France’s Business class cabins. For just three months starting today, the company has…
Read MoreFlight: WY102 Aircraft Type: 787-9 Class: First Class Route: LHR-MCT Date: March 2019 http://www.omanair.com Oman Air has long been on our radar to offer a trip report. Its careful positioning as a boutique carrier based in the Middle East doesn’t mean it is one of the big and bold ME3, but it is certainly pushing the envelope when it comes…
Read MoreTheDesignAir is pleased to announce the 2018 Award winners as voted for by our esteemed judging panel and our readers. This year has seen a wave of improvements around the world in the field of passenger experience. From impressive new business class cabins to swathes of new airline lounges, no stone has been left unturned…
Read MoreFlight: GF2 Aircraft Type: 787-9 Class: Business Class (Flacon Gold) Route: LHR-BAH Date: October 2018 http://www.gulfair.com Gulf Air used to be one of the leading carriers in the Gulf region, however, bold upstarts like Emirates quickly stole the crown, with heavy investment in new aircraft and a fairly courageous growth plan, leaving Gulf Air with a lacklustre, dated product that…
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