Turkish Airlines has once again renewed its collaboration with one of the country’s most distinguished painters, Devrim Erbil. The artist’s work will be found on the carrier’s short-haul Business Class amenity kits for short-haul flights produced by Galileo Watermark. Erbil, one of the most important living representatives of Turkish contemporary art, is deeply influenced by…
Read MoreAnyone who has visited South America will appreciate how strong the design culture is there. So it’s no surprise that the de-facto airline of the region LATAM has celebrated its cultural roots with two new amenity kits, which have sustainability at their heart. This new release reflects one of the emerging trends TheDesignAir predicted for…
Read MoreFinnair has just released a limited edition range of amenity kits for passengers travelling in the airline’s long-haul business class cabin. Released just in time to celebrate Chinese New Year, the airline has taken its existing Marimekko kits which are currently in the airline’s navy colour and re-imagined them. With a new red and gold…
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 MoreMEA doesn’t often feature on TheDesignAir, as it has slipped under the radar for a while with its older fleet and less-than-design approach to aviation. However it seems the airline has turned a corner and is featuring firmly on our radar now. While not as ‘bells and whistles’ as many other Middle Eastern carriers, it…
Read MoreAll Nippon Airways is set to open its renovated lounge at Okinawa (Naha) Airport on September 3rd 2019. The newly revamped lounge, situated in Naha – one of Japan’s most southerly and tropical islands – is approximately 2.5 times larger and includes yet more seating space. The changes, which follow the new design palette recently…
Read MoreAmerican Express has just opened its new lounge in JFK, and with more than 15,000 square feet behind its doors, the new space is the largest Centurion Lounge yet and the first with two floors to explore. Naturally, because of the current travel climate, it hasn’t opened quite as the designers had originally envisaged it,…
Read MoreHong Kong Airlines, the more progressive of the two major carriers in Hong Kong, has just announced the second wave of its colourful, artistic amenity kits that highlights the city’s vibrant culture through a collaborative partnership with four local artists. The first of four Business Class amenity kits feature the distinctive designs of Lock Lai, founder…
Read MoreAfter three years of the current incarnation, ANA is just about to release a brand new inflight safety video. Following the trend of departing from the standard dry information piece, the airline has injected an element of humour and locale by utilising the historic Japanese cultural form of Kabuki theatre. The video will be shown…
Read MorePlaza Premium has just opened a new locale-sympathetic arrivals lounge in the Philippines supporting its existing International Departures lounge in Terminal 2. Located in Terminal 1 of Cebu’s international airport, the new pay-for lounge is brimming with character that bring the archipelago to life. Located in the restricted area, the 3,000-square-foot lounge is open 24…
Read MoreIcelandair is incredibly proud of its cultural and geographical roots. So much so it actually names its aircraft after famous landmarks and natural phenomena found in Iceland. So it’s little surprise the latest range of eco-friendly amenity kits from the carrier will now celebrate Icelandic wildlife too. The new “Dýralíf” (Wildlife) amenity kit collection designed…
Read MoreLast week saw Zaha Hadid Architects and Cox Architecture win the international design competition for the new Western Sydney Airport (WSA) and have been appointed as Master Architect for the project. The ZHA/COX team was selected from a broad field of forty national and international applicants that was narrowed to five selected design competitors. The…
Read MoreAfter a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, TheDesignAir is pleased to announce the return of its annual Airline Design awards. Celebrating the very best in airline passenger experience, brand and design across the globe, the awards – now in its 9th year – have once again bestowed its leading design airlines, new products and…
Read MoreChina Airlines has a fairly phenomenal lounge in Terminal 1 of Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. Designed by Ray Chen back in 2014, the larger of the three lounges is a beautiful designer heaven, featuring both a business class and VIP section that was inspired by the Song Dynasty with a conceptual use of a “southern china…
Read MoreThe opening of Muscat’s new airport terminal has given Oman Air the chance to completely reimagine its ground product. The new passenger terminal building has already won awards, and by the look of the lounge, it might be winning some awards of its own. The interiors of the lounges are just simply stunning. The design has…
Read MoreFor those who have an interest in Mexican archaeology and anthropology, you may get a little excited to see one of Mexico’s most famous deities adorning Aeromexico’s brand new 787-9. Named Quetzalcoatl, meaning “Feathered Serpent,” the new livery was the winning design from the carrier’s ‘Design in the Air’ competition. Taking an eye-watering nine days to…
Read MoreFor anyone that travels in premium cabins a lot, there seem to be a few moving goalposts when it comes to an internationally standardised product. Where some carriers believe business class comes with all bells and whistles, such as chauffeur drive, the same carrier might not believe in pyjamas. While some offer dine on demand,…
Read MoreThis is perfectly timed good news for football fans who are headed to the World Cup. Two new business lounges have just opened at Moscow’s largest International airport, Sheremetyevo in time to welcome travellers for the FIFA World Cup, kicking off on June 14th. Both lounges were designed by international transport and hospitality specialists, JPA…
Read MoreIt’s true that when most livery redesigns are revealed, public reaction is usually mixed, with a hint of disappointment due to what can only be described as a world shortage of coloured paint. However, thankfully, this shortage hasn’t reached the Pacific yet where colour still seems to be in abundance. The latest carrier to rebrand…
Read MoreYesterday saw the opening of Brussels Airlines’ The Loft extension in Brussels International Airport. Brussels Airlines expanded the lounge to cater for it’s 1,500 daily passengers who use the existing facilities, providing an increased amount of space for up to 500 passengers at any time. The airline has taken a true ‘product placement’ approach to the…
Read MoreTurkish Airlines has introduced another program for its business class passengers, inviting transiting travellers to get to experience the very best of Istanbul. The Istanbul Bosphorus Experience is a new purchasable program, specially for its Business Class passengers who have a transfer time of seven or more hours in Istanbul. “We always strive to offer…
Read MoreBelgium seems to be the spawning ground of creativity, that is if Brussels Airlines has anything to do with it. The airline has announced the selection of their fifth special livery aircraft, this time from members of the public who were invited to design their latest aircraft livery. The winning design by Italian student Marta Mascellani…
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: 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 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 MoreQantas has unveiled its first Boeing Dreamliner, the much anticipated aircraft that will “open up new routes and new levels of comfort for travellers.” The latest addition to the Qantas fleet, the 787-9 Dreamliner features next generation seating in Economy, a new Premium Economy and Business Class, with added space and a lower passenger count than…
Read MoreMetro carrier flydubai has just rolled out a new uniform after nine years of its initial navy and sand coloured uniform design. The new design will be worn by more than 2,500 staff including pilots, cabin crew, ground crew, training, engineering and maintenance staff. The roll out coincides with the introduction of the airline’s first…
Read MoreStarting December 1st Emirates will introduce a refreshed interior across its 777 fleet with the carriers updated “light and modern” colour scheme featuring refined textured panels, as well as new lighting and design accents. At the heart of the refresh is the long-awaited First Class product. As an industry first, the airline has adopted floor to ceiling…
Read MoreOur recent experience with Turkish Airlines shows it has the fundamental ingredients for a leading passenger experience, however with just a few small tweaks, the airline could have the perfect recipe. Sat in their existing ‘Lounge Istanbul‘ we conduct an exclusive interview with Arif Ali Gezmisoglu, Turkish Airlines’ Customer Experience Manager, finding out that the…
Read MoreAmankila, one of the Aman Group’s first hotels may now be in its 25th year, but its still as hot today as it was when it first opened. Designed by Ed Tuttle and Danilo Capellini back in 1992, the property embodies Balinese culture and architecture. Unlike the other five Aman properties in Indonesia, Amankila is situated…
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