KLM - Plane Product

KLM - Plane Product

To celebrate the introduction of its new World Business Class, KLM has encouraged students from the Design Academy Eindhoven to repurpose the previous Business Class interiors into creative travel solutions.

Using at least 70 percent recycled materials including seats, carpeting, seat-belts and tv screens from KLM’s old Business Class interior, the students created a variety of novel travel-related products. KLM selected eight prototypes for a special exhibition at the upscale Bijenkorf Warehouse in Amsterdam. In addition, various elements of KLM’s new World Business Class cabin interior – including tableware designed by Marcel Wanders and cushions and blankets designed by Hella Jongerius – will be on show in the men’s department on the first floor of the warehouse.

KLM commented on the initiative:

We wanted to put the KLM World Business Class in a new spotlight and reach a wider audience. We found a perfect match between the Dutch design in letting students from the Design Academy Eindhoven create new designs with the materials originating from the old World Business Class, and the new World Business Class, designed by Design Academy Eindhoven alumnus Hella Jongerius.

KLM documented the “Plane Product” design project on YouTube in a video that shows the creative process of the young designers as they experimented with various product concepts.

KLM also promoted its up-cycling campaign on Twitter and in customer emails used to promote the new Business class Business Class .

Both Southwest Airlines and JetBlue have run successful up-cycling campaigns for their old interiors, partnering with local manufacturers to make garments, travel items—even leather footballs.