The aviation landscape in Australia may have shifted quite dramatically over the past few months, with new regional entrant Rex looking to take on Qantas on the main Melbourne – Sydney shuttle route and Virgin Australia re-emerging as a mid market carrier, and there’s even talk that Qantas isn’t taking project Sunrise off the table…
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Airbus is soon to bring its first A320 family Airspace cabin to the market thanks to JetBlue’s new A321 which will be flying in just a few months’ time. Airbus has just recently started flight testing of the first Airspace Single-Aisle aircraft. A second phase of in-flight testing will take place in February to validate…
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Aviation is awash with blue. Approximately a decade ago, the skies were filled with blue liveries, interiors lined wall-to-wall with blue seats, carpets, and uniforms in every shade of navy. While design studios have gradually peeled airline brands away from such a strong design vertical, what caused such visual dominance in the industry?
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Acumen, the London based design studio, has been working with JetBlue for several years, reimagining the passenger experience. Back in 2016 they commenced work on the new A321neo cabin, but they have also worked on the new A321LR project which graced the news this week, thanks to its innovative business class cabin featuring the new…
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Japan Airlines has just released its latest range of amenities and soft products for its domestic and international travellers. The latest designs have been brought to life by Japanese design studio Nendo with a nod to the Tsurumaru crane logo that is synonymous with the carrier. As part of the process, the studio deconstructed the…
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JetBlue has been long touting its desire to compete on the Transatlantic market. With the recent exit of Norwegian’s long haul operations, there’s certainly a slot to be filled in competitively priced disrupters, and JetBlue has jumped at the opportunity. However, it certainly means business, trying to take a slice of the highly lucrative Transatlantic…
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Gulf Air today moved its operations to the brand new terminal in Bahrain’s International Airport in Manama. The new terminal couldn’t be more different than its predecessor, as it is awash with light thanks to its huge picture windows and high ceilings. With the new terminal, comes new ground experiences for passengers, including brand new…
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JetBlue has just revealed the all-new onboard experience which will soon greet customers aboard the airline’s Airbus A220-300. It is the first of no less than 70 A220’s that JetBlue has on order, that was delivered to the airline’s home at John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 5 in New York on New Year’s Eve.…
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You may have headed to the Maldives recently, in a bid to escape the confines of constant lockdowns and an approaching Northern Hemisphere winter. With Maldives being one of the only destinations that has been open to tourism for many, its quickly shifted from the honeymoon destination of dreams to a must-visit for those just…
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Emirates is one of the last bastions of the A380. Thanks to its critical mass of the product, once vaccines take hold and confidence in travel returns, the airline will be well poised to offer luxury travel to the masses once again. The carrier already has an arsenal at its ready to help position itself…
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Air 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…
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For the foreseeable future, we’re going to be seeing fewer special liveries while airlines try to save cash and focus on a service return, so those rare few that do roll out will certainly garner some attention now. Qatar Airways is one of the first in this period to reveal a special livery, and naturally,…
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JetBlue – in a bid to fully refresh its competitively priced fully-flat bed Mint product – has announced its first major refresh of its JetBlue Mint service. While we know that the airline will be launching London flights in Q3 2021 with an all-new (and very exciting) new hard product, it was about time the…
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Back in late 2017, London City Airport went through a new branding exercise that introduced a softer, lifestyle approach stripping away its hard-faced business image that reflected the city worker demographic looking to hop to and from Europe, New York and the rest of the UK. Brought to life by The Allotment, the new brand…
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WestJet might not be the first brand that comes to mind when announcing a new Flagship lounge considering its half-dozen fleet of long-haul aircraft. But the airline is certainly looking to craft a niche for itself as the airline of choice for Canadian travellers. Dubbed ‘Elevation’, WestJet’s new lounge in Calgary spans more than 9,300…
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2020 has seen the rule book thrown out of the window. Carriers that have adapted quickly will see the largest market share in 2021. While many airlines continue to struggle just to survive day-to-day, some have taken this as an opportunity to level the playing field. While clear regional battles are at play across Asia,…
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In the second of our Flygge series, we turn our eyes to Qantas. ‘Flygge’, a wordplay on Hygge – the Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment – is TheDesignAir’s name for this new emerging airline trend where brands are now becoming a part…
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COVID-19 has certainly kept airlines on their toes, and while many airlines are frantically trying to get their operations off the ground once again, there’s been an unusual, yet somewhat expected side effect. For years airlines have strived to become lifestyle brands, as relevant in the home as they are in the skies. The problem…
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American 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,…
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With Salt Lake City International Airport recently opening its latest terminal, Delta – the largest of airlines operating from SLC – has also opened its largest Delta Sky Club with guests able to enjoy the new space from today. Covering just over 28,000 square feet, the new Club celebrates the area’s famous mountainous landscape while…
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MEA 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…
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Nolinor the well known charter outfit from Canada has created a scheduled offshoot low cost carrier called ‘Off We Go’ or OWG as the livery would have us know. Apparently launching end of August it’s determined to brush off the Coronavirus stigma facing the travel sector and start affordable flights from its home in Quebec…
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British Airways is having a tough time at the moment, like many airlines around the world, however the narrative of late has been surrounding job cuts, legal cases and because it has lagged behind other carriers in some of its communications, some rather frustrated customers who feel the airline has been utilising the pandemic as…
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Yesterday saw the opening of the brand-new Terminal B Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport, the biggest milestone to date in the airport’s ongoing $8 billion transformation into a 21st century airport. The project – one of the largest public private partnerships in aviation history – includes the demolition and replacement of every terminal…
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The addition of ‘Wellbeing Kits’ to flights might not be a brand new idea, but over the past few weeks, launches of these new amenities have certainly been a welcome addition in the airline’s arsenal to help empower passengers over their own hygiene and sanitisation. Roll over Naomi Campbell, who last year – with her…
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We’re starting to see some positive stories across the industry now, focussing on a return to service and a return to growth. From Wizz’s latest route announcements, to design agencies and airlines setting up their near-future solutions to Covid-19. However, American Airlines’ latest 787 deliveries re-energise a positive conversation about cabin releases on the horizon.…
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While airlines are trying to get to grips with what their new landscape will look like, the suppliers to the industry are working frantically to help the industry prepare for the new normal. While perhaps the most logical requirement, especially after the recent wave of PPE requirements from airlines would be an updated amenity offering,…
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The end of the month will see ANA welcome the addition of a range of new services at Haneda Airport Terminal 2’s international area. The airline has invested in passenger enhancements across the terminal including three new lounges, self-service baggage drops and enhanced security check procedures. While we won’t be seeing these bursting at the…
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Sydney’s International Terminal has just welcomed a brand new pay-for lounge for departing passengers. The new Plaza Premium Lounge, situated opposite Gate 25 of Pier B is the brand’s third addition in Australia joining locations in Melbourne and Brisbane. It’s the latest of a wave of lounges being opened by the brand, which now boasts over…
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This month saw Qantas and Air New Zealand both launch new safety videos. While both have taken different approaches, the premise of celebrating their national heritage and importance in their market is what ties them together. Qantas Qantas, who is celebrating its centenary – no mean feat in the current aviation climate – takes a…
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