When Plane Talking Products (PTP) announced the appointment of Manoj Pridhanani as Creative Director, it marked more than just a senior hire. For Owner and CEO Alison Wells, it signalled a step change in how the company approaches design, sustainability and product strategy.
“We’ve not had anybody in that role before,” Wells explains. “It just felt like the time was right. We needed somebody with vision, with expertise – and with aviation expertise in particular – to help us shape our strategy around product development.”
Making it happen
For Pridhanani, the move was driven by the opportunity to bridge creativity with real-world execution.
“When you really want to bring design to life, you need the technicians to make sure that design is translated into a product you can actually have onboard,” he says. “That connection between the technical side, sustainability, and design as the medium that brings both together – that’s what really caught my attention.”
It’s a combination that sits at the heart of PTP’s proposition. While design vision is critical, aviation remains a highly constrained environment – from cost pressures to durability requirements – and translating ideas into viable onboard solutions requires deep technical know-how.
“You can make sustainable products, but design is what makes them desirable,” Pridhanani adds. “It helps bring a premium feel. But to achieve that, you need expertise – in tableware, textiles, in materials, and in understanding how to apply those innovations within the realities of aviation.”
Sustainability in focus
That alignment on sustainability was key to the appointment.
“For us, sustainability has to come from within the business,” says Wells. “It can’t be an after thought. It’s part of our ethos, our vision and our values.”
She continues: “When we started talking, it was clear how passionate Manoj is about it. That means sustainability isn’t an afterthought – it starts with design, with materials, with production, and flows right through the business.”
This integrated approach is increasingly important as airlines seek partners who can deliver both environmental improvements and elevated passenger experiences.
Changing times
With more than 15 years in aviation design, Pridhanani has seen a clear shift in how airlines approach onboard products.
“When I started, it felt more restricted,” he reflects. “Now, there’s much more cross-pollination – people coming into airline teams from hospitality, retail, even fine dining. That’s opened things up.”
Passenger expectations have evolved alongside this.
“Wellbeing and self-care are really coming through now,” he says. “Airlines are also using data much more to understand their passengers and tailor experiences. And importantly, they want to stand out – not just replicate what others are doing.”
This has led to a rise in more distinctive, culturally driven design.
“I love how airlines are bringing cultural elements into their products,” he adds. “It gives us the opportunity to create something unique – something bespoke that tells a story.”
Designing experiences
That shift is also redefining how onboard items are perceived.
“It’s not necessarily just an amenity kit anymore,” Pridhanani notes. “It’s an experience in itself.”
For PTP, this thinking is shaping both product development and presentation – particularly as the company prepares for a major showcase at the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE).
“We’ve developed a whole new range across tableware, textiles and amenities,” says Wells. “But more than that, we’re presenting concepts – how airlines can bring personalisation into the inflight experience, especially in premium cabins.”
A key challenge lies in translating high-end trends into aviation-ready solutions.
“Take glazed ceramics, which are very on-trend in retail and fine dining,” she explains. “The question is: how do you make that work onboard in terms of weight, durability, washing? That’s what we’ve been focused on solving.”
Making a statement
WTCE will also mark a more confident positioning for the company.
“We’re in a bigger stand this year – it’s a real statement,” Wells says. “It’s about showing the industry that we have the expertise, the design capability and the delivery to match.”
Behind the scenes, that capability has been strengthened significantly, with new hires bringing decades of product development experience.
“We want to communicate that we’re a safe pair of hands,” she adds. “But also that we have personality – that we’re collaborative, creative, and genuinely passionate about what we do.”
Blurring boundaries
For Pridhanani, the new role is as much about people as it is about products.
“It’s important to show the people behind the magic,” he says. “This isn’t something an individual does – it’s a team effort. I want to bring out those ‘artists’ and their work.”
Collaboration – both internally and with airline partners – will be central to that vision, alongside a continued push on sustainability and design innovation.
“It might sound cliché, but it’s about breaking boundaries,” he says. “Or at least… blurring the boundaries.”
Visit PTP at WTCE on stand 4C70.
