For many passengers, particularly those with physical and hidden disabilities, public transportation remains an undignified and exhausting challenge. I believe that inclusive travel will never be achieved by simply complying with the current regulations. Inclusive travel is about equitable offers for people to be mobile with confidence and reassurance, and creating spaces where people can feel a sense of belonging.
I’m part of a design studio where our mission is to take things further, throwing creativity in the mix and defining a better future. When designing for transport, we consider a wide range of accessibility needs to bring about a more universal experience.
Our studio PriestmanGoode is the designer of Air for All, a product that allows powered wheelchair users to remain in their own wheelchair for the entire journey, which would be a game-changer for aviation. We are expanding on that to include hidden disabilities and the application of digital technologies to transform future journeys.
“I believe that inclusive travel will never be achieved by simply complying with the current regulations”
AirforAll is a collaboration that is driven by our values as a studio, building on our knowledge of maximising the possibilities from constrained spaces. It also considers how airlines can maintain revenue with a flexible family of seat products that can be easily converted to accommodate a powered wheelchair. Making the experience equal and not placing a wheelchair user in isolation has been an important objective for us. AirforAll is currently progressing through certification and we look forward to seeing it as a standard feature in aviation very soon.
A key part of our design process towards enabling independence and re-thinking the onboard experience is engaging with the wheelchair user community. We’ve all read about incidents where wheelchairs are damaged in stowage, putting constraints on the remainder of the journey. We’ve also heard about different experiences, including the embarrassment of being the last person boarded and others being asked to stand up and move to allow the passenger with reduced mobility to take their seat, highlighting the procedural issues and lack of understanding.
As well as 3D design, I think that technology holds the potential to transform inclusive travel. One of the major challenges when booking a flight for passengers with a disability or personal need is having to input their details, information and specific requirements every time you book. A companion app could integrate passenger profiles with personal needs, enabling real-time updates, assistance requests and tailored support. Such digital solutions bridge gaps in communication, ensuring that airline staff are better prepared to provide personalised service and that passengers feel in control of their journey. You might be thinking, does travel really need another app? But if this was integrated, for example in an existing health app, passengers would no longer need to input requirements again and again for different booking systems, providing seamless interoperability.
A consolidated platform where you input your needs just once would also empower crew and ground services to give better service. A prior knowledge of dietary needs, allergies and other health related requirements would not only help efficiency for crew, it would also reduce food waste onboard. Digital platforms could allow discreet communication of needs. This would provide a layer of support that empowers rather than isolates, whether it’s navigation assistance through terminals, advanced meal customisation around complex allergies and intolerances or sensory-friendly cabin alerts.
“A consolidated platform where you input your needs just once would also empower crew and ground services to give better service”
As well as accessibility and technology, there is the fundamental human need for comfort, privacy and autonomy in travel. A person’s seat is not just a seat — it is their space for the duration of a journey. We are designing solutions to make the aircraft seat more personal, like a sanctuary. An antidote to the stresses and anxiety of flying is a space to look forward to. Respite, comfort and calmness meet an ever growing spectrum of diverse needs whilst we’re awake or asleep.
At AIX in 2024, we were proud to support Collins Aerospace and Panasonic Avionics Corporation with the development of the MAYA Business class seat concept. This highly innovative concept includes acoustic, soft cocooning materials that create a sense of calm and respite. It also features dynamic lighting, temperature, scent and Vibroacoustics technology. Each of these clever, embedded technologies will influence wellbeing in the future and ensure the passenger experience is one that stays in our minds as entirely positive.
As mentioned before, the best design starts with listening. Too often, accessibility discussions happen in isolation from the people they most affect. Although design for all is engrained as one of our values, we realised we don’t know enough as designers and can’t assume. Equally, we are in a great position to understand and unlock opportunities. For this reason, PriestmanGoode has started an internal podcast series ‘Conversation to Enable’ where we interview and listen to people and their experiences and turn these conversations into design goals. We look forward to sharing more.
The future of air travel must be smarter, better and more inclusive. It must champion dignity, not just accessibility. It must use technology to enable rather than to exclude. It must create spaces that feel personal, safe and empowering. Most of all, it must be shaped by the voices of those it seeks to serve.
From an airline’s perspective, personalisation brings loyalty. The airline loyalty landscape has so much potential to grow by being more inclusive. Both flexible design and seamless digital experiences will play a key role in unlocking that.
To register for WTCE 2025, visit worldtravelcateringexpo.com
Libby Stevens, Design and Strategy Lead at PriestmanGoode, will be speaking on ‘Inclusive Travel’ at the Taste of Travel Theatre on Tuesday April 8 from 13:05-14:00 at World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo at the Hamburg Messe in Germany.
