Lufthansa Group’s latest brand refresh fails to deliver any hope of much-needed change

Lufthansa Group’s rebranding signals a shift towards cohesion and modernization amid competitive pressures. While aiming for a unified identity, concerns arise that this may compromise brand individuality and emotional loyalty. Current product inconsistencies and utilitarian lounges reflect a cautious approach. The success of this initiative hinges on enhancing passenger experience rather than mere visual change.

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TheDesignAir Award Winners, 2025

TheDesignAir has announced the winners of its 13th annual awards, recognizing excellence in aviation design and passenger experience for 2025. Notable winners include ANA for Innovation, Air New Zealand for Best New Uniform, and JetBlue as Design Airline of the Year in North America, exemplifying industry advancements and commitment to passenger satisfaction.

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Delta launches new Sky Club in the airline’s global Atlanta hub

Delta Air Lines has launched a new lounge in its Sky Club network at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Spanning over 24,000 square feet, it accommodates over 500 guests with a design reflecting Atlanta’s culture. The lounge prioritizes comfort and functionality, incorporating local art and enhanced facilities, and is part of Delta’s broader investment in the airport’s infrastructure.

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SAS launches new fresh gender-inclusive uniform

SAS is introducing a new uniform for its 9,000 staff, blending Scandinavian traditions with modern design. The update aims to reflect a contemporary airline identity while emphasizing professionalism, safety, and inclusivity. Designed primarily in-house, the uniforms feature gender-neutral options and welcome personal expression, marking a significant cultural shift for SAS.

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TheDesignAir Award Winners, 2024

TheDesignAir announced the winners of its 12th annual awards, highlighting achievements in aviation design and passenger experience for 2024. Notable winners include Oman Air for Design Innovation, Cathay as Design Airline of the Year Asia, and Etihad Airways securing the top honour globally. The competition showcased rising startups and innovative designs.

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Riyadh Air’s approach to uniforms is anything but ordinary

Over the decades, airlines across the globe have approached fashion designers to add a bit of creative flair into their brand. So it’s no surprise that start-up Riyadh Air –which plans on setting the bar high – has searched for a couturier to help create the carrier’s very first uniform. And in reality it didn’t…

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Could Caon Design Office and Woolmark have created the future of First Class Suites with Modulo?

Sometimes we see concepts that are so far fetched come across our desks here at TheDesignAir that we know they just simply won’t take flight, but the latest concept that has landed here has certainly piqued our interest. Brought to life by David Caon’s design studio (the very same designer who has his fingerprint all…

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Studio Spotlight: PaulWylde

In the second of our studio spotlights, I take an afternoon to sit down with Paul Wylde, one of the industry’s leading design veterans who has worked across a range of exciting and varied projects. So Paul, firstly, can you tell us a little bit about your background? I love telling stories on behalf of…

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Oneworld opens new lounge in Amsterdam… It’s time to play

Tomorrow marks the launch of oneworld’s second branded lounge, and the first in Europe, following quickly after the premier lounge launch in Seoul. The lounge is situated in the footprint of the older British Airways lounge, situated next to a brand new Aspire lounge which will open shortly too. In an emerging trend of managed…

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Hot Hotel: Unico 2087, Riviera Maya

On a recent visit to Mexico, I spent a few days in Riviera Maya to recharge and relax. Considering this wasn’t my first visit to Cancun, and there was a relatively new hotel on the block, I took the opportunity to try out Hotel Unico 20 87 Riviera Maya to see what this design-led all-inclusive…

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Air India furthers brand evolution with new uniforms

Air India has continued to evolve its new brand proposition which features new cabins and liveries, with a brand new uniform for the crew, which sits in line with the new brand palette. Created by Indian celebrity couturier, Manish Malhotra, the new uniforms set out to blendrich Indian heritage, contemporary style, elegance, and comfort. We…

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Congratulations to TheDesignAir Award Winners, 2023

Today we are pleased to announce TheDesignAir’s 11th annual award winners, as we celebrate the very best in aviation design, brand, and passenger experience around the world. Every year we see airlines across the globe continue to advance the passenger experience in the air and on the ground. There has been a new wave of…

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Aegean delivers striking new uniform to (finally) match new brand ethos.

Aegean just completed its Neo-era rebranding by presenting the new uniforms, in collaboration with the renowned Greek brand Zeus+Dione. The new uniforms, which were designed by the creative direction of Marios Schwab, are in perfect harmony with Aegean’s “Neo-era vision” and image, incorporating core design touches that seamlessly connect with the larger passenger experience. As…

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Hawaiian Airlines reveals outstanding new 787 interiors featuring Leihōkū Adient seats

Hawaiian Airlines has finally introduced an elevated standard of leisure travel, inspired by early Polynesian voyages, with the unveiling of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner interior and much anticipated new class of premium service – the Leihōkū Suites. Guests onboard Hawaiian’s 787 – entering service beginning early next year on select routes – will be immersed…

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AirJapan reveals more of its brand proposition including interiors and uniforms

AirJapan revealed its Landor livery and brand last year, but not much was known about the brand beyond the exterior. Last week, however the airline revealed the carrier’s interior image and uniforms that will go some way in building the inflight passenger experience. AirJapan will be the new medium-haul international brand, as part of ANA,…

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SWISS is latest airline to launch new cabins similar to Lufthansa’s product – but the Swiss touch changes the cabin entirely.

It may not be first to the punch, but following on Lufthansa’s coattails, Swiss has revealed its own personalised ‘SWISS Senses’ air travel experience from 2025 onwards utilising exactly the same hardware as sister carrier Lufthansa. The centrepiece of the new customer product is a redesigned cabin for the airline’s long-haul aircraft fleet, which was…

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British Airways unveils new Ozwald Boateng Uniform

For the first time in two decades, British Airways has refreshed its uniform, and in following tradition, had selected British designer of Saville Row fame – Ozwald Boateng to shape the new look for the 30,000 front line crew who are customer facing. The collection was shaped by Boateng shadowing various crew members from engineering…

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Hot Hotel: Le Meridien Maldives Resort and Spa

Stepping foot on Lhivayani’s latest island resort you couldn’t feel further from the stresses of today’s world. Situated on the most southernly point of this pristine Atoll, there’s a real sense of the less developed, less touristic side of the Maldives. With just 4 of the 50+ islands inhabited, you’re encouraged to lose yourself, albeit…

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The world of narrow-bodied cabin design is getting… Elevated

As the world of wide-bodied cabin & seat design has reached a critical plateau, all eyes are turning to the new narrow-bodied long-haul market which will become an increasingly important part of point-to-point long-haul strategy in the months and years ahead. While the ‘Jet Set Era’ offered transcontinental flights on narrow-body aircraft decades ago, it…

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Opinion: Could Etihad become the Queen of Boutique Carriers post-pandemic?

We’ve been drowning in a sea of short-term hygiene messages across the last year as airlines have rapidly ‘masked up’ in order to win over what little passenger volume there has been. Today’s passengers have been assaulted by marketing imagery of planes being scrubbed within an inch of their life, crew in body suits and…

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Singapore Airlines updates Batik Motif with immaculate attention to detail

Launched a little over a week ago, Singapore Airlines has refreshed its iconic Batik Motif that is used throughout the passenger journey and brand. Celebrated in a two-minute film, the airline has kept part of its design language current with the most subtle of shifts.  Simplifying what was an elaborate and intricate design, most commonly…

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Japan Airlines’ Tsurumaru inspires new range of origami crane amenities by Nendo

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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Could VR be a powerful tool both for design and communication post Covid-19? PriestmanGoode think so

Virtual reality has been around for a while, its use however within the aviation sector is increasing. Many design studios now have adopted this way of modelling cabin interiors and seat designs to expedite the creative process and visualise the end product with a high quality interactive render. There is clear benefit on both sides…

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Tampa International Airport becomes home to a series of art installations including a rather large, hungry flamingo

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…

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Hot Hotel: Pullman Maldives Maamutaa

The Maldives has just opened its doors to a new resort, taking the all-inclusive concept to an entirely new level. Part of the Accor Group of hotels, Pullman Maldives Maamutaa – situated in the south of the Maldives – is the epitome of hedonist luxury without the exorbitant price tag. We were lucky enough to…

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Jason Wu launches new sleepwear range on EVA Air, brought to life by Buzz

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…

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Saudia launches new uniforms, trialling on London and Paris routes

Saudia has just announced the rollout of its new cabin crew uniforms, featuring a “refined, new take on the attire” designed for all members of the hospitality team onboard. Saudia began the preview of the new uniform on the airline’s Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow routes, with plans to add the rest of…

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Finnair opens its remaining flagship non-Schengen lounge

June might have seen the opening of the Platinum Wing, but Finnair (just in time for Christmas) has unveiled the final phase of its non-Schengen lounge expansion with the opening of its new, larger, Business Class Lounge. The lounge – just like the Platinum Win – showcases contemporary Nordic design throughout and set on a range…

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Hawaiian launches new culturally sensitive amenities and soft products

Hawaiian Airlines has teamed up with Moloka‘i-based brand Kealopiko to launch and upgrade a new line of in-flight amenities built upon the idea of sustainability. Starting just after Thanksgiving on November 26th, guests travelling between Hawai‘i and the carrier’s International and East-coast US destinations can relax with amenities and soft goods decorated with coral and…

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