Storytelling

Seattle-Tacoma Airport showcases the city’s music culture in an innovative way

6 March 2012 | Seattle, the unofficial capital of the US Pacific Northwest, is a city well-known for its coffee, rainy climate and vibrant and influential music scene. The city is home to several culturally significant bands, labels and venues, and world-renowned artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters have all called Seattle home.

To showcase the region’s music culture, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport at the end of January 2012 launched the SeaTac Airport Music Initiative (video here). In the airport’s own words, the initiative will “enhance the traveler’s experience by utilizing speakers and screens airport-wide to feature a diverse variety of Northwest music” and will allow travelers to “hear artist-read public announcements, enjoy curated videos on terminal and baggage claim monitors, and listen to a multi-channel web radio player available through the free airport Wi-Fi network.”

Commenting on the program, Seattle’s Mayor Mike McGinn said “Seattle is known around the world for its music culture, so it’s great to see this identity embraced and showcased to all the travelers going through the airport.”  The program is a cooperative effort between the Port of Seattle (the authority of SeaTac Airport), Seattle Music Commission and ‘in-store entertainment provider’ PlayNetwork, created with the aim of “celebrating and further enhancing [Seattle's] renowned culture of music.”

Artist-read announcements
Among the highlights of the Experience the City of Music program are Seattle-based artists such as Sir Mix-a-Lot reading off safety and international announcements, Pearl Jam’s Eddier Vedder telling travelers to “keep carry-on and checked baggage in their possession at all times,” Heart’s Wilson Sisters welcoming military and military families as well as Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell reminding travelers that “smoking is allowed on the lower drive outside the building and only in designated areas.” Examples of announcements here. In addition to overhead announcements from local artists, video screens throughout the airport feature items on the various  artists and play their music.
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New lounge at Helsinki Airport wants travellers to feel at home

25 January 2012 | In Helsinki Airport’s newest lounge, visitors can wear woollen socks and read books on a vintage sofa. Counterbalancing the often sterile and pompous airport lounges, it is a cosy place whose furniture and atmosphere aim to bring to mind a Finnish home. The idea behind the lounge is to provide a homey rest stop for hurried passengers, tapping into the so-called “being space” trend, as coined by trendwatching.com.

Kitchen, book corner, woollen socks
Operated by airport restaurateur SSP Finland, The Almost@home lounge has been decorated with original artwork, handicraft, furniture and household items by renowned Finnish designers such as Wirkkala vases, Artek ‘2nd Cycle’ chairs, iitala table and glassware, and a kitchen by Avestia.

The heart of the lounge is a fully equipped kitchen and dining area with a variety of fresh food, drinks, snacks, and bakery products where travellers can make their own snacks. In the living room passengers can watch TV or sit on a sofa in the book corner and pick up a book from one of the book shelves to read and borrow a pair of comfortable woollen socks at the reception.

Other amenities include a long dining room area with ‘Club Med’ style joined tables, working stations with HP computers, a gaming zone equipped with PS3, an LCD screen and 2 ‘Fat Boy’ sofas, and bathrooms and showers. Visitors have access to work space where their privacy is guaranteed. It is also possible to book a meeting room in the lounge. There is a room for families and a play and games corner for children.
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AirBaltic turns virtual shoe featured in advertising campaign into real sneaker

3 December 2011 | Besides starring Bill Murray as oceanographer Steve Zissou, the 2004 cult movie ‘The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou’, also featured custom-made Adidas white/yellow ‘Team Zissou’ sneakers with light blue striping, designed by the creators of the movie. After seeing the film, hundreds of sneaker fans inquired with Adidas where they could buy the fictional shoes. However, despite numerous requests, an online petition and Facebook page, Adidas declined to take the shoe into a limited edition production. This prompted many fans to design and produce their own Team Zissou shoes – and also offer them up for sale on eBay.

airBalticShoe
Fast forward to 2011, a time when the ‘conversation economy’ has become much more mainstream. In March 2011, Latvia-based airBaltic – which has been featured several times before on airlinetrends.com – launched a new advertising campaign that highlighted several airline-themed shoe designs branded in airBaltic’s colours. The fictional shoes were meant to illustrate the various reasons consumers could have for taking advantage of an offer by the airline, such as summer travel, winter break, visiting a sports game, or an upgrade to Business Class.

The shoe designs were featured in print ads, outdoor billboards and online banners, and  appealed to the public is such a way that people started to inquire at airBaltic via Facebook and Twitter where they could buy the shoes. Having already launched innovative ‘Baltic’-branded products such as the airBalticBag, BalticWater, BalticTaxi and BalticBike, airBaltic was quick to embrace this marketing opportunity and recently turned one of the designs into a real shoe. In the airline’s words: “Inspired from our advertisments we have made real airBaltic branded leather shoes.”
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British Airways brings umami to passengers

10 October 2011 | Earlier this year, British Airways teamed up with celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, well-known for his quirky Fat Duck Restaurant and highly experimental dishes such as snail porridge, in an innovative project to take airline food to new heights. The relationship between Blumenthal and British Airways has been on-going since the popular television series ‘Mission Impossible’, which saw Blumenthal tackling the kitchens at many British institutions, with British Airways being one compliant victim.

In the Mission Impossible episode with British Airways, which aired on Channel 4 in March 2011, Blumenthal tackled the issue of what happens to food and the ability to taste at altitude, combined with the confines of an aircraft’s galley area. 35,000 feet above ground, Blumenthal gave the TV audience a glimpse into airline food, while convincing catering experts Gate Gourmet that unlike salt and sugar, which need to be stronger to savour in high altitude, umami-rich ingredients stayed the same. Blumenthal has long used umami, a savoury flavour known as the ‘fifth taste’,  which occurs naturally in foods such as seaweed, tomatoes, mackerel and parmesan cheese, to push the taste barriers at his Fat Duck restaurant. After several experiments, Blumenthal then went on to win over passengers, as well as BA executives, with a tasty, umami-rich ‘seaweed cottage pie’.

Umami in the Air
The findings from ‘Mission Impossible’ encouraged BA’s catering staff to change menu plans, use of ingredients and the way in which food is prepared. Furthermore, BA invited Blumenthal to help to create their new, umami-based menu, using cheese, spices and seasonal produce. Says Mark Hassell, British Airways’ head of customer experience and a tasting panel judge on the Mission Impossible show: “There is a real science to food at altitude and with his innovative and creative approach, Heston’s work has been really interesting to us.”

From June 2011, BA’s on board menu in Business and First features umami dishes such as classic tuna Nicoise, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, sauteed salmon and gilt head bream with soy sauce and shitake mushrooms, and asparagus with pea and broad bean dressing and poached hen’s egg. Read full article »

Brazilian TAM goes retro to celebrate its roots in a time of rapid expansion

5 October 2011 | As the airline industry has always captured people’s imagination, airlines – legacy carriers in particular – can tap their heritage to incorporate a bit of storytelling into the travel experience (see also our earlier ‘heritage marketing’ report). BA’s new ‘To Fly. To Serve’ retro-style brand campaign, for example, aims to showcase the airline’s history and emphasize its ‘Britishness’. Brazilian airline TAM, meanwhile, has taken this retro approach several steps further by creating a vintage onboard experience on two of its aircraft.

TAM Vintage
Since May 2010, TAM has offered passengers on shuttle flights between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro a full retro experience on board  two A319 aircraft. Highlighting two important moments of the airline’s history, the first aircraft is painted in TAM’s livery dating from the 1970’s, when the company launched its regional operations. The other aircraft was painted in a 1990’s color scheme, a time of great expansion and national level recognition.

The TAM Vintage project was launched at both Sao Paulo’s Congonhas and Rio de Janeiro’s Santos Dumont airports in May 2010. Actors dressed up like in the 70’s greeted passengers at check-in counters with a music band playing songs of that time.

On both aircraft, the seats, on board service, printed materials and other details are modified to create a nostalgic atmosphere. Cabin crew and pilots wear uniforms from the 70’s and 90’s: Red skirts below the knee for the ladies and a white cap and jackets with large gold buttons for the pilots.

The aircraft interior has also received a retro makeover, with seat covers, carpets and curtains refurbished in the fabric and pattern of old times. Meals are served on old-fashioned disposable tableware.
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Turkish Airlines goes ‘Byzantine chic’ with its new lounge at Istanbul Ataturk Airport

1 August 2011 | Ambitious Turkish Airlines (THY), Europe’s fourth biggest airline and voted best airline in Europe in the 2011 Skytrax survey, has seen passengers soar as a result of an aggressive strategy to turn Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport into a hub for passengers travelling between Europe, Asia and Africa. One third of THY’s passengers currently transits in Istanbul and the airline plans to double this in the near future. To offer the rapidly growing number of passengers a better experience on the ground, Turkish Airlines has just opened a renovated and expanded lounge at Istanbul Airport.

Byzantine chic
The large, 3,000 m2 lounge (nearly three times the size of the former 1100m2 lounge) can accomodate 2,000 passengers per day and is divided in several sections, among which are a billiard hall and library, a TV wall, business centre, and a play room for children. The lounge also includes private relaxation rooms, showers with special toiletry kits, and a private infant room.

Catering in the lounges is provided by gourmet catering company Turkish Do&Co and passengers can help themselves on an extensive menu of hot and cold dishes, pastry, while a Turkish pizza (pide) kitchen prepares fresh pizzas on the spot. Besides a fresh juice bar, the beverage section offers Turkish brands such as Uludağ soda and Efes beer.

The design of Turkish Airlines’ lounge oozes an ambience of ‘Byzantine chic’ with curved arches that reflect the airline’s Ottoman roots (see also our recent whitepaper for more on how airlines can use their heritage to differentiate the passenger experience). The lounge also features a 150-year old olive tree and automatic piano that reportedly allows passengers to connect their iPod into to have it play their music. The lounge is accessible to Turkish Airlines’ business class passengers as well as and elite-tier members of THY and Star Alliance loyalty programs.
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Alitalia highlights its origins with ‘Made in Italy’ in-flight experience

20 June 2011 | Following a financial restructuring after its bankruptcy in 2008, Alitalia has been upgrading its in-flight experience in the past year. Italy’s flag carrier has taken a ‘Made in Italy’ aproach towards the development of its new services, teaming up with Italian luxury brands for in-flight amenities and offering authentic regional Italian cuisine onboard.

As style icon and globetrotter Tyler Brûlé (of Wallpaper and Monocle fame) several years ago already suggested: “Alitalia may well be the one carrier with the most potential to reinvent itself as a serious luxury brand as its has all the raw materials at its disposal.” […] “As the in-flight experience becomes increasingly homogenized and more airlines start to behave alike, Alitalia’s new owners might take a page or two from the country’s strong luxury heritage to put its national carrier back in flight.”

Italian brands
With the arrival of two new A330 aircraft in July 2010, Alitalia introduced full-flat beds in Business Class, a new Premium Economy cabin, and started an upgrade program for its B777s as well. Additionally, the airline completed a EUR20 million refurbishment programme for its short- and medium haul Airbus aircraft, equipping them with slim leather seats and individual LCD screens.

For its Business Class amenities on long-haul flights, Alitalia has teamed up with long-standing Italian luxury brands ‘Ginori’ (since 1735) for dinnerware, cutlery and glassware and ‘Frette’ (since 1860) for table linen, blankets and pillowcases, while passengers also receive a Bulgari amenity kit. Frette blankets and pillows are available as well in Alitalia’s Premium Economy and Economy cabins, and the amenity kit in Premium Economy passengers is provided by Italian cosmetics brand Culti.

Says Alitalia director of customer experience and ancillary revenue Aureliano Cicala, “We made tangible investments in seats, materials, food and beverage quality and lounge services, mostly in cooperation with famous Italian brands like Ginori, Frette and Bulgari.” […] “Alitalia aims to promote ‘made in Italy’.”
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How airlines can use their heritage to add some storytelling to the travel experience

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9 May 2011 | At the recent Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, airlinetrends.com presented its take on how one of the main trends in luxury today, ‘Heritage Luxury’, can be a source of inspiration for airlines in developing new products and services. 

Heritage luxury
Luxury has undergone a significant change in the past years. In the first decade of the new millenium, the steady rise in disposable income brought luxury goods within reach of the middle classes. As part of this ‘democratization of luxury’ trend, premium brands also introduced more affordable versions of their designs. However, as a result of the global financial crisis and its effects on the overall economy, consumers in the past years have been going back to basics, even those that have been relatively shielded from the effects of the downturn. Consumers today are more reflective and after a decade of ‘fast forward’ are looking for more authentic and meaningful consumption. Gucci CEO Robert Polet summarizes today’s luxury consumer as follows: ”Customers are looking for more discreet, timeless purchases, and are not keen on anything that could fall out of fashion. People feel guilty about that.” 

Of course, luxury houses have always been emphasizing their heritage, but today luxury brands from Italy and France to Japan and China are paying homage to their craftsmanship, knowledge and diligence stronger than before. A good example of this ‘heritage luxury’ trend is Gucci, whose current ‘Forever Now’ campaign celebrates the traditions and values that have helped Gucci evolve into a fashion authority.  

Even in rapidly growing economies such as China, consumers are increasingly looking for goods that link them with the past. Says one analyst: “China is changing so fast and there is no reference point for consumers. They have so many new Chinese brands with no history, and there are Western brands with histories that is hard for them to identify with. There’s a whole generation who will want something that reminds them of what it used to be like.” 

Storytelling
So what does the ‘heritage luxury’ trend mean for the airline industry? At airlinetrends.com we have highlighted the concept of storytelling several times before: Passengers love to learn about the story behind the product as it is something that makes their journey more exciting and memorable, be it local and seasonal food served onboard, city guides that have been created by the airline’s crew, or in-flight amenities that have been co-created with the general public. 

As the airline industry has always captured people’s imagination, airlines can tap into aviation history to incorporate a bit of storytelling into the travel experience. Legacy carriers in particular can benefit from their history to stand out against cheap and cheerful low-cost airlines. A simple example is painting aircraft in a retro-livery as part of a 75 or 90-years anniversary. However, a number of airlines have gone beyond this, creating an onboard experience inspired by heritage luxury.
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Airport perfumes and t-shirts let consumers tell a story

We have been covering the concept of ‘storytelling’ several times before on airlinetrends.com (short recap: In our million channel world, it is the brands who tell the best stories (or even better: the brands that let consumers tell the best stories), that win. Or as trendwatching.com puts it in their ‘Status Stories’ brief: “Expect a shift from brands telling a story, to brands helping consumers tell status-yielding stories to other consumers. What can be better for consumers hoping to tell peers an (impressive) story than to be asked for one?” 

The airline industry has always captured people’s imagination, with the jet-setting lifestyle providing a popular ‘conversation starter’. Now, a new perfume concept and a company that sells customized t-shirts are capitalizing on the storytelling trend. 

The Scent of Departure
The Scent of Departure is a new fragrance concept designed to capture the essence and spirit of cities. Each fragrance has been inspired by and created exclusively for a specific city, and comes in bottles labelled with a luggage tag with the three-letter symbol of the airports that serve them. To further add to the story, each fragrance will only be available at the duty free shops within the international airport it is named for. 

The collection starts with Munich / MUC, Vienna / VIE, Istanbul / IST, Budapest / BUD, and Frankfurt / FRA. In a nice twist, consumers can participate in the design and creation of future destination scents by filling out an online form asking them about the city they see for the collection, the perfume notes they think ought to be included and the image to put on the flacon. 

Scent souvenir
Developed by Paris-based perfume brand Histoires de Parfums, The Scent of Departure aims to let travellers bring home a scent souvenir from their trips abroad. In the company’s words: “The sense of smell is such a strong device for recollection that every city should have its own scent, which traveller can take with them to remembers their travels by.“ […] “A unique amalgam of rich raw materials reminiscent of a great city’s energy and personality, each Scent of Departure fragrance is offered a keepsake, a scent souvenir for a traveler to keep or give as a gift.” Read full article »

Thai airlines open take-away deli’s in downtown Bangkok

3 March 2011 | Bangkok Air Catering, a unit of regional airline Bangkok Airways prepares inflight meals for more than 20 airlines, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, on flights out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. In an entrepreneurial move, the company recently launched a new chain of delicatessen stores called Gourmet House, creating a new outlet for its meals. The first Gourmet House deli was opened in downtown Bangkok (Sukhumvit Soi) in mid-December 2010 and follows the airline’s earlier debut of catering services for private embassy and expat community parties.

Gourmet House’s selection of soups, meats, canapés and baked goods are prepared at Bangkok Air Catering’s unit near Suvarnabhumi Airport and trucked into the establishment daily. At the outlet, chefs apply some finishing touches, and a fresh meal is ready for sit down or take-out. Gourmet House emphasises takeaway purchases, but the 130m2 deli can also seat about 30 people. Gourmet House says it wants to establish itself as one of Bangkok’s top places to score gourmet food, using local products whenever possible, many of which are cultivated on the company’s farms at Sukhothai.

Reputable brand
According to Linus Knobel, managing director of Bangkok Air Catering, the Gourmet House franchise will help the company to make better use of capacity and resources at its airport catering facility, which currently produces 17,500 inflight meals per day against a full capacity of 25,000 meals. Bangkok Air Catering‘s 180 chefs have expertise in a wide range of international cuisines, and their skills can also be tapped for other distribution outlets, said Mr Knobel, adding that “taste, quality and hygiene are of the strictest standards for Bangkok Air Catering’s inflight meals, and these have found their way to Gourmet House as major selling points.” […] “It is the office workers and their bosses, the students and teachers, and the expats and their wives who yearn for a taste of New York or Milan, that we are catering to.” Read full article »

KLM’s Delft Blue miniature houses get a full-scale version in Amsterdam

14 December 2010 | For nearly 60 years, KLM has handed out small ceramic replicas of historical Dutch houses filled with Dutch ‘genever’ to passengers in Business Class. Each Delft Blue miniature depicts a real Dutch house, and the houses are made using the same glazing process as the famous blue tiles produced in the Dutch city of Delft. KLM has produced almost a hundred different models since 1952, and every year on 7 October the airline presents a new house to mark its anniversary. All houses remain on offer, but KLM carries only about 30 on each flight. The houses have become a desirable collectors item and have generated a lively trade on websites such as eBay. KLM also recently launched a mobile app for iPhone and Android phones that lists all KLM houses, so passengers no longer have to bring crumpled notes with them in order to pick their favourite house. 

‘Out of the Blue’
The KLM miniature houses have also been the source of inspiration for a series of full-scale houses recently built In the centre of Amsterdam. In 2009, Stadsherstel Amsterdam, an organisation involved in urban restoration in Amsterdam, had been commissioned by the Municipality of Amsterdam to spruce up the ‘Oudezijds Armsteeg’, a badly run-down street in the city’s red-light district. The plan was to make the street attractive to tourists again by introducing business activities and giving it a real Amsterdam feeling. 

A flight in KLM’s Business Class provided the inspiration for a life-size version of the airline’s iconic Delft Blue houses in a project called ‘Out of the Blue’. Says Jaap Hulscher, deputy director of Stadsherstel Amsterdam, “I was flying in KLM Business Class and received one of those little KLM houses. This made me start noticing them everywhere around the world, and I realized that this is the traditional image people in other countries may have of how we live in the Netherlands. At the same time, nobody in the Netherlands has got this image.”
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Finnair goes on an upcycling spree

10 December 2010 | We have reported earlier on how KLM, Delta and Virgin Atlantic have teamed up with outside designers in ‘upcycling’ initiatives that gave old uniforms and aircraft seats a second life as bags and other accessories. Not only is upcycling a good way to re-use discarded materials, it also make a great story behind the new products that were created out of old aircraft interior materials. Now Finnair is the latest airline to announce a series of upcycling initiatives.

Uniforms, seat covers, seat belts, curtains and life vests
In 2009, Finnair assigned Globe Hope the task of giving a new use to the fabric of Finnair’s discarded uniforms. Helsinki-based Globe Hope specializes in the design and production of clothing and accessories from recycled materials. The dark-blue fabric used in Finnair’s jackets and ties was converted into toilet bags and Globe Hope also turned Finnair seat belts into toilet bags for men. In early 2010, Finnair also commisioned sustainable design firm EDEL City with the design of a stylish bag set from used aircraft curtains and seatbelts. In June 2010, EDEL City’s launched the first item of its so-called ‘F-air-line’ collection, a luxurious shopping bag which retails for EUR59. EDEL City says it is planning more upcycled ‘F-air-line’ items.

Furthermore, as the vivid yellow material of old life vests also lend themselves perfectly to be re-used as high-visibility safety clothing for school children, Finnair donated 200 yellow safety vests to the first graders of two local schools.

Video monitors
In another upcycling initiative, parts of Finnair’s recently retired MD-11 aircraft have been refashioned by Finnish design agency Seos Design into energy efficient LED lamps. Says Pekka Kumpula, creative director at Seos Design, “I went to have a look around Finnair’s Technical Services facilities and became especially interested in the potential of the support elements for video monitors, from which the ‘First Class / Eco Lighting’ LED lamps evolved.”
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Tokyo Haneda’s new international terminal offers a mix of modern and traditional Japan

25 October 2010 | Despite Japan’s reputation for efficient infrastructure, the country has lagged behind its Asian peers when it comes to its main international airport. Tokyo’s Narita Airport is a long 60 to 90 minutes ride by train or bus from Japan’s capital, while Haneda, only 15 minutes by monorail from downtown Tokyo, until now has been handling mainly domestic flights. However, with the opening of Haneda’s new USD1.3 billion ‘Tokyo International Air Terminal’ on October 21, a first step toward Japan having a 24-hour airport hub has been made. International flights from Haneda will start on October 31 and by February 2011 the airport will offer flights to 17 international destinations. 

Made in Japan
The design of Haneda’s new international terminal emphasises that the airport is ‘Made in Japan’ as the country is referenced everywhere from the Mount Fuji-esque roof with high, waving ceilings to an Edo-period inspired shopping street and the latest in Japanese pop culture. Says Yoichi Hirai, Haneda’s director of corporate planning, “We want to showcase the country’s different architectural styles and cultural elements from traditional Japanese to contemporary manga.” 

Edo Koji
The retail centrepiece of the departure building is the Edo Koji, a recreation of a historic Tokyo street, designed to offer a taste of old Japan in an otherwise ultra-modern setting. Built by a master craftsman from Kyoto, who usually works on temples and teahouses, and a team of 30 carpenters, the Edo (the ancient name for Tokyo) streets have been replicated using traditional materials and techniques. The shops feature traditional craftsmanship products and instead of Starbucks and McDonald’s passengers will find classic Japanese cuisine and a traditional teahouse. Read full article »

Airlines go local and seasonal with their food offerings

5 October 2010 | Reflecting a growing food trend among hotels and restaurants, airlines are increasingly offering local and seasonal food onboard as they emphasize their national cuisine. This development also ties in with a number of other trends such as authenticity, storytelling, and the rediscovery of national and regional identities in a globalized world. Furthermore, offering local and seasonal produce supports local businesses and in some cases also results in a reduced carbon footprint. Some recent examples from around the world. 

SWISS ‘Taste of Switzerland’
As part of its ongoing ‘Taste of Switzerland’ program, started in 2002, SWISS offers premium passsengers on medium and long-haul flights signature dishes from its cantons (regions). Every three months a new Swiss canton is selected (currently Vaud), and local produce is used as much as possible. Thanks to a recent collaboration with the country’s ‘Kaseunion’, Appenzell, Gruyere and Emmental cheeses are also served on board. 

Lufthansa ‘Discover Flavour’
On a similar note, Lufthansa’s ‘Discover Flavour’ catering concept, offers regional German specialities on board. The current program, ‘Discover Slow Food’, held in cooperation with the Slow Food organization, serves Business Class passengers on select long European flights four regional specialities, such as the ‘Diepholzer Moorschnucke’ (a rare breed of sheep from Lower Saxony) and the ‘Bamberger Hörnla’ (an old variety of potato grown near Bamberg). On domestic routes, Lufthansa currently serves marinated North Sea crabs on scrambled egg, and Hamburg vinegar-marinated meat as part of a ‘Discover Hamburg’ theme. Read full article »

KLM donates old uniforms for upcycling into new products

13 September 2010 | Following earlier initiatives by Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic (seat covers and curtains), KLM is upcycling its old uniforms into bags, belts and slippers. In April 2010, more than 11,000 female cabin crew, ground staff and pilots at KLM changed into new uniforms designed by Dutch couturier Mart Visser. All blue items of the previous female uniform were collected for recycling, which resulted in 90,000 kilos of fabric.

Because of security reasons, many airlines destroy discarded uniforms as wearing an old airline outfit could make it easier to slip through airport security illegally. Airline uniforms are also in popular demand for carnival or even worse in erotic clubs. For this last reason, Japan Airlines says it has recently marked its uniforms as its restructuring will make thousands of staff redundant. Second-had JAL uniforms can generate as much as EUR2,500 and are a popular ‘roleplay’ costume.

KLM says it has been looking for ways to discard its uniforms in a thorough but sustainable way. The airline has teamed up with Texperium, which was recently set up with the help of the Dutch government, and promotes the reprocessing of discarded textiles and the development of high added value products from recycled fibres. KLM is the first company to use a new machine which reduces textile to small flocks, which then become the basic material for new products. According to the airline the recycling of the 90,000 kilos of uniforms saves 500 million litres of water, 1 million cubic meter of natural gas, and 4,600 tons of CO2. See this video (in Dutch) for an impression of KLM’s upcycling process. 
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