Cathay Pacific named Asia’s Design Airline of the Year

Cathay Pacific has been named Design Airline of the Year, Asia, at TheDesignAir Awards 2024, the Hong Kong-based airline announced on Thursday. The airline also won awards for Best New Business Class and Best New Premium Economy for its recently introduced Aria Suite and redesigned premium economy cabins, respectively.

TheDesignAir Awards, which combines public voting with assessments from an expert judging panel, recognized Cathay Pacific with an overall Design Score of 81.9. This score places the airline among the top six Design Airlines globally. The awards consider various aspects of airline design, including ground services, cabin products, staff uniforms, and overall branding.

“We at Cathay Pacific are honoured to be recognised with these awards from TheDesignAir,” said Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager of Customer Experience and Design. “Receiving these three awards is a testament to our unwavering dedication to meticulous design and exceptional customer experience across everything that we do.”

Cathay Pacific unveiled the Aria Suite and the new premium economy cabin in October 2024. Both are currently being rolled out on the airline’s retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The Aria Suite, designed with a “human-centric” approach, aims to provide a more residential feel for business class passengers. The redesigned premium economy cabin also focuses on enhanced passenger comfort.

“Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suite launch impressed our judges with a residential, passenger-centric approach to design,” said Jonny Clark, Founder and Director of TheDesignAir. Clark highlighted the “airborne art galleries” and “intuitive seat design” as key features of the new cabins. He added that these improvements, along with Cathay Pacific’s overall design strategy, contributed to the airline’s win as Design Airline of the Year, Asia.

TheDesignAir Awards add to a string of accolades Cathay Pacific has received in 2024. Skytrax previously ranked Cathay Pacific as one of the top five airlines globally and the world’s best economy class, while AirlineRatings placed it among the top three premium airlines worldwide.