A Brand New Journey.

CHALLENGE

Cultural context.

Oman is exceptional in the gulf region. While other countries in the Middle East have made their mark conveying a sense of opulence through ornament, Omani design and architecture is characterized by a high degree of sophistication and restraint. In an industry that thrives on differentiation, this stark contrast proved an opportunity for Oman Air. In partnership with Teague and Collins Aerospace, the airline set out to design a holistic end-to-end passenger experience as beautiful, unique and varied as the cultural fabric of the Sultanate of Oman itself.

The design team was challenged to create an experience that purposefully reflected Omani culture and honored the country’s rich history, while at the same time offering modern conveniences to the airline’s guests.

APPROACH

Patterns & place.

To begin, the Teague team scrutinized every aspect of long-haul flight, with a specific focus on the details of a temporary life in the sky. The designers enacted passengers’ patterns of movement, anticipated pain points, inevitable questions, and lived out every possible passenger scenario with a careful eye on ergonomics and human factors. Through this human-centered and holistic approach to design, the team considered every touch-point as an opportunity to surprise, delight, and deliver benefits to passengers.

From prototype to finished product.

In most commercial aircraft, seats are the centerpieces and a key differentiator that drives passenger preference. To ensure Oman Air had a world-class experience all its own, the airline invested in the design of an all-new First Class and Business Class seating. To bring the designs to life, the team prototyped each product in virtual reality before moving to full-scale physical prototypes that would allow Oman Air to experience the look and feel firsthand. To ensure the perfect outcome, the design team worked hand-in-hand with the airline and Collins Aerospace from concept through delivery to ensure the trim and finish, as well as the final execution, was seamless, high quality, and tuned for engineering and manufacturing to avoid losing any features along the way.

The elite suite.

While luxe materials, finishes, and custom touches elevate the Business Class cabin, the new Elite Suite is the crown jewel of the Oman Air passenger experience. Elite was designed and built from the ground up by Teague and Collin’s Aerospace specifically for Oman Air. The design process began with a series of journey mapping activities to understand different stages of a typical flight from the perspective of passenger activities, service, and crew-passenger interactions. This influenced a packaging study that led to the new placement of features and amenities like a pull-out garment hook and closet, companion seat, device connectivity, and chilled mini-bar features.

For Oman Air, there was a special cultural sensitivity around balancing a sense of openness and hospitality, with the need for privacy. This influenced the design of the distinctive doors on the Suite and overhead canopy. It also affected features like the privacy divider: normally, the divider is certified for flight in the stowed position, leading to awkward social interactions when a passenger raises it. Instead, the divider was qualified in the up position, so that the first action for passengers is to take down a barrier, rather than raise one up.

Aside from the unique physical touchpoints that make Elite one-of-a-kind for passengers, the team equipped Elite with a new digital interface for the seating controls, which control seat comfort and lighting features.

RESULT

An elevated experience.

Taking inspiration from Oman’s rich heritage and modern hospitality, Teague elevated the Oman Air passenger experience by paying close attention to the details and bringing a residential feel to the cabin environment. As intended, new features, finishes, and luxury products perfectly blend contemporary style with traditional elements of the Omani landscape and culture.

Oman Air was awarded “Best New First Class” by TheDesignAir, "Best First Class Experience" by the World Travel Awards, and "Best Aviation Experience" by Skift. The Elite Suite won an I.D.E.A design award and was awarded the 2020 iF Product Design Award.