Concept launched: April 2024
Elements: Interior design
Hawaiian Airlines has launched its 787 Dreamliner services with a new interior design. The design aims to set it apart from the rest and create a whole new passenger experience.
More than just an interior design for Business and Main cabins, this new Hawaiian Airlines look has been created to immerse guests in vibes of Hawaii and bring the spirit of traditional Polynesian way-finding onboard.
As a leisure airline, Hawaiian Airlines is focused on providing travellers with a distinctly Hawaiian experience from the moment they step onboard, filling the entire voyage with a series of little moments of discovery to further support the goal.
Immersive design
The 787 experience starts immediately at the Door 2 entrance with koa-wood- inspired brand panelling and flooring; a Hawaiian flora printed overhead light dome, and area speakers that play sounds from nature over gentle welcoming music.
The immersion continues in the all-new Business class where the Leihoku Suites have been designed for privacy, while a double-suite is designed to suit couples, families and those who want to share their adventure journey to Hawaii.
Attention has been paid to even the smallest moments of discovery with touches woven into the cabin. These touches include Aloha attire adorning the lavatory occupied signs; seat row markers with Hawaiian language translations; and lavatory laminates inspired by Hawaii plant life, each one different throughout the aircraft.
From the sweeping starlit sky of premium cabin, to the small unique touches in laminates, carpets, lighting and at entry, every aspect of the 787 cabin design references the rich history of navigation pioneered by the early Polynesian Voyagers. Together these help immerse guests in a one-of-a-kind voyage.
Signature moments
The intention in all this was to create a unique feel to the cabins, with the signature ‘moment’ at the entry way of the cabin combining with little details and moments through the rest of the cabin to ensure a recognisable mood and unique feeling onboard.
The carrier has always been inspired by ancient Polynesian navigation and this aircraft launch gave it the opportunity to express that inspiration and bring that spirit of Hawaii and the spirit of Polynesian voyaging to life. In this way, the team hopes to make travelling to Hawaii that extra bit more special than it already is.
Upon boarding the aircraft, guests are immediately transported to their destination with an interior that exudes a feeling of tranquility mixed with that sense of adventure and exploration the early navigators must have felt.
Cultural inspiration
Polynesian navigation is reliant on the stars, the tides, the winds, ocean and other natural forces. So onboard guests see the stars in the Leihoku Business class cabin, and Hawaiian flora is expressed in the overhead dome and lavatory wallpapers. The ocean tides, the shadows, and wind are evoked throughout the cabin, for example, on the brand panels in the entry way which include a curved element to give the sense of wind-swept motion.
The carpets throughout the aircraft have been chosen to reflect the sparkling sands and ocean tides of the island.
Cohesive collaboration
Individually, many of these ideas may not be new but in totality they now come together to express the essence of Hawaii and the ancient spirit of voyaging in a way that feels immersive and cohesive. The project saw a number of suppliers come together to ensure success. TEAGUE came up with new ideas, and Boeing supported that with a willingness to execute and pursue things not done before. Collins found new ways to customise the seat and Adient built a seat to best fit the known guest profiles.
The final cabin really is a testament to the many parties from across the industry that came together to create a true expression of the Hawaiian spirit and its voyaging heritage, ensuring every guest now has their own unique Hawaiian voyage onboard Hawaiian Airlines.
