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…
Read More
Last week saw the announcement of Virgin Atlantic’s return to service, with first flights taking wing on the 20th July to Orlando and Hong Kong, with New York (JFK) Los Angeles and Shanghai following suit the very next day. Following destinations will be announced in the following week for flights commencing at the start of…
Read More
Factorydesign certainly hasn’t let Covid-19 stifle its creative streak. In yet another innovative concept, this time aimed more at the LCC model, the London based design studio has created yet another confidence-inducing personal shield which has application beyond the cover-19 pandemic. Based on the mental and physical comfort considerations that cautious travellers are considering, the…
Read More
Etihad Airways is the latest airline to announce its wellness strategy to rebuild confidence and increase reassurance. Dubbed ‘Etihad Wellness’, the carrier has outlined its expanded and more comprehensive health and hygiene programme in an accessible customer guide. In a direct response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the programme will be championed by the introduction of specially…
Read More
This time, the latest Design Thinking result from Covid-19 has come from United Airlines. The carrier delivered 7,500 face coverings over the past week to front line employees at San Francisco International Airport and maintenance base, but instead of shipping them from abroad, United were pleased to announce that the masks were made from 12,284…
Read More
Emirates has taken a very pragmatic approach to hygiene in – perhaps – the most advanced myriad of sanitisation products to ensure a safer journey without impacting the passenger experience in a way so far removed from what we were once used to. The airline’s model shows potential blueprints for a mid-term approach to travelling…
Read More
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…
Read More
In 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 More
TheDesignAir 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 More
There’s quite a lot of commentary on Covid-19 right now, and the research is constantly evolving. There’s already some innovative designs on the drawing board for helping with the perception of social distancing, including Factorydesign’s Isolation Kit and Aviointeriors’ Janus seat concept. While Factorydesign’s concept actually is quite smart and has a post Covid-19 application,…
Read More
While WHO’s recommendation to reduce the spread of a virus is through the alteration of passenger behaviour and that actually aircraft – with their HEPA filtration and regular cleaning – are relatively clean already; there’s still passenger perception to overcome which is sometimes deeply rooted in emotional based reasoning rather than scientifically proven facts. It’s…
Read More
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,…
Read More
A recent National Institute of Health report highlighted the length of time that different viral strains could possibly live on surfaces. Most of us have heard how a trace of Covid-19 can live on plastic and metal for up to three days (albeit ever reducing in strength), whereas copper and cardboard/paper are found to be…
Read More
While 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 More
While 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 More
Coronavirus is having a deep, profound effect on the industry stretching and pushing airlines across the globe who have to react quickly to an ever-changing landscape. The playing field is not just moving on a daily basis but changing shape and morphing to something that the airline industry has never had to face before. The…
Read More
In the hunt to be instagram-friendly, airports are increasingly installing large-scale artworks to delight passengers and become memorable parts of the passenger experience. After all, Sacramento has its rabbit. Denver has its mustang and further afield, Doha has it’s well documented teddy bear/desk lamp combo. Perhaps in a less likely location, Tampa has announced it…
Read More
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…
Read More
EVA Air, unlike it’s competitor China Airlines, offers sleepwear for it’s Business Class passengers on the carrier’s long-haul flights. Extending on a successful partnership, EVA Air is updating its collaboration with internationally renowned fashion designer Jason Wu to create its second-generation inflight sleepwear. The exclusive partnership brought to life by global design company Buzz, sees…
Read More
Whether it’s for sadness, or for joy, we’re pretty sure there were a few tears this month in Delta’s finance department as they agreed to part with $2.6billion dollars across two initiatives in as many weeks. The first, starting in March sees Delta Air Lines commit a grand sum of $1 billion over the next…
Read More
This month sees Air France launch a new amenity kit with a brand new design for passengers travelling in its long-haul Premium Economy cabin. The airline regularly updates their kits, and this time they’ve decided to reflect the colder months across the Northern hemisphere right now, wrapping them up in a “padded” texture. This latest…
Read More
This 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
Iberia just released its latest uniform in front of a fashion-focussed audience of hundreds at the 71st annual edition of Madrid FashionWeek. Designed by Teresa Helbig, this is the latest designer to grace Iberia’s crews following fashion greats including Manuel Pertegaz, Elio Berhanyer and Adolfo Domínguez. The expansive line of clothing and accessories will adorn…
Read More
Finnair 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 More
Today saw Aer Lingus reveal its new look uniform which will be graced by its 4,000 cabin and ground crew around the world from 10th February. Created by the same Irish fashion designer who brought its previous threads to life – Louise Kennedy – the new look reflects Aer Lingus’ recent brand refresh. The airline hasn’t…
Read More
“2020 sees our 9th year in operation. Those nine years have seen us report on a myriad of new product releases, seats and lounges across the globe, and it’s been a pleasure running it for so many years. It’s seen the site grow to run an annual awards and traverse the globe in search of…
Read More
Shock horror, Norwegian’s iconic threads – with the male’s plaid jackets – will be replaced next year. While we mourn one of the most iconic cabin crew jacket’s demise, the airline has made the loss bitter-sweet. The airline has announced it will combat textile waste by launching a new pilot project “Still Travelling with Norwegian.” Used…
Read More
There is good reason why Air New Zealand has recently won the Sustainable Business Leadership award at the Deloitte Top 200 awards in Auckland. It is constantly innovating in their small, but powerful community on the global stage. One of the best examples is how the airline is addressing the fact is serves more than…
Read More
LATAM’s 25th Boeing 787 took off for the first time from Santiago International Airport yesterday as flight LA750 to São Paulo, Brazil. The group received the new aircraft last week at Boeing’s Delivery Center in Charleston, South Carolina. Not only is this the 25th 787-9, but this is the first Boeing 787 to feature LATAM’s…
Read More
A few weeks ago we brought the news that Virgin Atlantic was launching sustainable amenity kits, made from Kraft paper, which married cool design aesthetic with a clear sustainability drive. Now, SAS is launching a new packaging design for the award-winning New Nordic by SAS food concept. The new design of the pre-existing cube from…
Read More