We sense a disturbance in the air… and we love it! We all remember how cool it was when we learned R2-D2 could fly, and well, it’s happening again. All Nippon Airways announced today it will introduce a very special Star Wars livery, with the iconic (and only true link to all Star Wars movies) R2-D2, on its newest…
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Written for TheDesignAir by Adam Ralston | Reported last year and finally seen in the wild, Boeing showcased their new Space Bins, boasting storage space for up to six roll-aboard bags, two more than the current bins in the Boeing Sky Interior afford. All in, Boeing claim the new Space Bins will provide room for an…
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SilkAir, the regional carrier for Singapore Airlines has just revealed its latest uniforms, set to take to the skies tomorrow. The ‘Pseudo-Trekkie’ ensemble comes in two colours, Aqua blue for junior crew, and in a twist, red for the senior members of the 500 strong cabin crew. All puns aside, these effortless and simple uniform…
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We’re sat in the busy ‘Bridge’ lounge in Hong Kong airport, surrounded by the hustle & bustle of the café area and the sound of Illy espressos being perfectly ground and poured by barista staff. The Bridge is one of six lounges in Hong Kong International Airport, and is one of the latest in the…
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The latest carrier to embrace a residential concept for their lounge offering, Singapore Airlines has unveiled its brand new SilverKris Lounge at Heathrow, following the airline’s recent move into Heathrow’s Terminal 2. Designed by renowned architectural and interior design firm ONG&ONG, the new Heathrow SilverKris Lounge for First and Business Class customers is the third lounge to…
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Our favourite Nordic Airline, Finnair has announced their A350 is ready for booking. The new aircraft, which will set a new benchmark in travel for the carrier, will be the first airline to operate the new aircraft to China, where Shanghai will be served with daily A350 service from 25th October 2015. Beijing follows with daily A350…
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Austrian Airlines has quietly announced its new brand in respect for the recent incident with sister airline Germanwings. However, the new brand signals a big change in the Austrian carrier. Marking the fusion of both Austrian Airlines and Tyrolean on April 1, 2015, the new livery, which will be rolled out across the fleet. Dubbed the ‘Red White…
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We are pleased to announce our Top 10 economy classes for 2015. The last 18 months have changed the landscape for economy class travel, with passengers around the world benefiting from new aircraft, new products and increased inflight entertainment options. While there are some new entrants into our list this year, the competition was tougher than ever, due to an increasingly…
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Cathay today announced that it has partnered with Italian coffee brand illy to serve premium coffee to First and Business Class passengers. Freshly brewed coffee from the renowned coffee roasting company is already being served on flights, while illy’s espresso, café latte and cappuccino will be gradually introduced onboard beginning from March 2015. This was no…
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Here at TheDesignAir, we love a good app. Qantas recently announced their introduction of their new Apple Watch App, weeks before the must-have travel accessory goes on sale worldwide. Using the app, customers will receive notifications telling them of gate changes, what carousel from which to collect their baggage and up-to-the-minute information of their journey. Qantas Executive Manager…
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Bombardier announced today, their latest purchaser of the new CS100 aircraft was a start-up airline flymojo, based out of Johor Bahru, Johor and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Just across the straits from Singapore, the airline has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the sale and purchase of 20 CS100 aircraft with options for an additional 20 CS100 aircraft. “Born of…
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We are becoming great fans of Air France’s new design direction, with the introduction of their new advertising campaign, both in print and on the screen. One of our eagle-eyed followers (thank you!) managed to spot this new, beautiful and unofficially released video though. A tongue-in-cheek safety video which has to be one of the…
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Today Brussels Airlines and Moulinsart unveiled something that we absolutely adore. An Airbus A320 with a livery inspired by the world famous Belgian cartoon character Tintin. Both Belgian companies have worked several months on this unique project, based on the original drawings by the hand of Hergé. Infront of plane enthusiasts and VIP guests, Brussels Airlines and…
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Etihad have just revealed their latest advertising campaign, featuring the new First Class and Residence products. The new global advertising campaign offers glimpses of Etihad’s reimagined cabins, uniforms and aircraft. “It is an opportunity for us to share what drives us to reach higher, go further and simply transform the expectations of air travel.” states Etihad. Heading…
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Just recently, Skytrax rated Singapore Changi as the World’s Best Airport, for the third year running. Changi Airport celebrated further success at the Awards, unsurprisingly receiving the award as ‘Best Airport for Leisure Amenities’. These leisure amenities include music bar lounges, cinemas, a music deck, swimming pool, napping and rest areas and the in-terminal Transit…
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Many people may have heard about LATAM‘s merger over the past few years, and we are just on the cusp of a new combined brand being rolled out throughout South America. Being one of the largest airline groups in the world, chances are, if you are headed to a South American country anytime soon, the new merger will…
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By out latest TheDesignAir contributor Zoe Belhomme | The first plane to have flown the world’s longest commercial flight from London to Sydney bid its final farewell to the skies last week before heading to its retirement home at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) in New South Wales. The Qantas Boeing 747-400 made the 15-minute…
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Air France have just launched their latest advertising campaign titled “France Is In The Air.” Headlined by a worldwide commercial created by BETC and directed by We Are From LA, the three week campaign will launch this Sunday and will be broadcast in France, USA, Brazil, Japan, China and Italy.It also will be supported by campaigns in the…
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Our good friends at Hawaiian Airlines have just announced completion of a comprehensive retrofit on the first of its 18 Boeing 717 aircraft, featuring an island-inspired interior cabin designed by US based design studio paulwylde including trim and finish for a new lightweight Main Cabin seating from Acro Aircraft Seating Ltd. While we love the carrier for still…
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In a new wave of patent submissions, British Airways are perhaps going back on their original herringbone concept that they submitted last year. The patent, filed last year but only recently published, shows off a wave of innovative seating arrangements. Whilst most of the patent references the seating configuration rather than the seats themselves, there are…
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TheDesignAir Give Away! We have a First Class Cathay Pacific Amenity kit to give away, featuring our favourite skincare brand Aesop. We will ship this kit to one lucky reader who shares this story on Facebook through our Facebook page. If you haven’t already, subscribe to our Facebook page and get sharing all of our stories! We…
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Flight: EY11 Aircraft Type: A380 Class: First Class “Apartments” Route: AUH-LHR Flight time: 7:25 Seat: 1H Date: Februrary 2015 http://www.etihad.com Best for: Anyone who can afford it. Suitable for those who have to travel a long way and value space, service and comfort above all else. The crowd: An almost-full cabin. With ultimate privacy, it was hard to say, but mainly top level executive travellers.…
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We’re pleased to announce that we have brought a brand new podcast to TheDesignAir.net. None other than legendary presenter Ted Kravitz and TheDesignAir.net founder Jonny Clark present The Aviator Podcast, covering everything in the air from departure gate to arrival hall. This month, We ask if Asia’s aviation sector needs to work on its safety culture,…
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This month TheDesignAir takes a look at everything that airlines should be. Airlines we want to travel with, and are going above and beyond to create something truly unique in the sky. Our judges have voted and, interestingly, our top 10 all fit within just a 6 percent margin, and, yet again, we haven’t been able to just fit in 10…
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London based JPA Design has had a long working history with Singapore Airlines, starting back in 1998 when they first launched the 747 first class suite. Since then the creative studio has tackled a variety of cabin designs for one of the world’s leading airlines, including the 777 and first ever production business class seat for SIA’s A380.…
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Perhaps one of the longest lasting unchanged liveries is owned by the Royal Air Force’s world famous Red Arrows. Well, until now. After over 50 years, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, has revealed a new Union flag-inspired design on its world-famous jets. The brand new tailfins on the team’s Hawk aircraft have received…
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To celebrate Hawaiian Airlines’ second anniversary of service to Auckland, the acclaimed New Zealand artist duo “BMD” traveled to Honolulu to create a piece of artwork on the carrier’s ground service equipment, illustrating the cultural similarities and differences of both regions. In the spirit of transitory street art, the catering vehicle that was selected was…
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Flight: EY12 Aircraft Type: A380 Class: Business “Studios” Route: LHR-AUH Flight time: 6:40 Seat: 12E Date: Februrary 2015 http://www.etihad.com Best for: Savvy one-stop travellers who want one of the very best products in the skies The crowd: Mainly international travellers, less UAE based passengers than its rivals. Business or pleasure: Definitely both, however the creature comforts far outweigh the excellent connectivity found onboard. Routes: Etihad fly to…
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The first SAS aircraft “Erik Viking” with their new long haul cabin took off today. Lucky passengers on flight SK909 from Copenhagen bound for Newark are currently experiencing a new design, new seats, new infotainment system and onboard WiFi. We announced the development back in May last year, with artists impressions, however due to their recent launch…
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You may have seen Air Astana stealing a few column inches in the news recently, due to its introduction of the ‘Air Astana Economy Sleeper’ service on their 757s. The new seat allows passengers to stretch out and enjoy three seats to themselves on selected international flights. The new product started on flights between Astana and London Heathrow, Frankfurt…
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