MEA doesn’t typically characteristic on TheDesignAir, because it has slipped beneath the radar for some time with its older fleet and less-than-design strategy to aviation. Nonetheless it appears the airline has turned a nook and is that includes firmly on our radar now. Whereas not as ‘bells and whistles’ as many different Center Jap carriers, it has definitely grown up with the primary of its ten A321neos that includes a modernised livery and good inside delivered to life by Beirut primarily based Joe Farah Design Studio.
The livery is recent, and higher balanced, with the blue colored swash elongating and ‘weighting’ the aircraft, making a dynamic fluid picture. Using pink inexperienced and blue, being the core additive color mannequin of sunshine is a troublesome palette to grasp. In spite of everything, these primary colors mirror a toddler like high quality, and one way or the other remind me of a Sony Triniton Anode TV emblem from my childhood.
Nonetheless the matured use and dulling of the inexperienced Cedar tree emblem mature the design and each the sharklets and raccoon masks on the cockpit full the design with wanted design particulars to steadiness the entrance half of the plane which is principally white. We like the very fact the Cedar tree has been each simplified and made summary on the tail by simply that includes a part of it. It has a greater visible steadiness for the livery, though fascinating to see the MEA emblem nonetheless options the extra detailed tree displaying the airline isn’t rebranding solely, as an alternative it has opted to purely mirror the Lebanese flag element on the tail.
Whereas the surface is vibrant and daring, the inside couldn’t be extra completely different. Dropped at life by working with studio Joe Farah, well-known Lebanese Inside designer, the airline has a sensible, skilled cabin which is designed to imply enterprise.
And ‘enterprise’ is the operative phrase with a minimum of seven rows of Recaro CL5710 seats in a 2 x 2 configuration on the A321 which signifies that 28 enterprise class seats within the entrance, nearly extending all the best way to the over-wing exits (bar two rows of financial system seats).
The enterprise class seats characteristic a slate gray easy textured cloth, which work together with the carpet textures and clean gray leather-based headrests embossed with the MEA emblem. The seat controls are properly designed, clear and match the final design of the cabin, nonetheless these seats do characteristic the IFE controller proper subsequent to the knee, which now we have knocked a number of occasions up to now making for watching IFE a little bit more difficult.
Nonetheless, that mentioned, we do discover these seats extremely snug due to the deep padding they provide.
In financial system, like many airways, the airline and design studio have opted for a complimentary design palette, albeit with differing textures and patterns.
In financial system, the seats supply a deeper, extra complicated weave sample which permits for higher put on and tear whereas nonetheless providing a sensible, subtle cabin idea.
On the reverse of the seat, there’s a massive TV display permitting for touchscreen leisure in addition to a bi-fold desk, frequent to the Recaro CL3710.
General, this cabin product, whereas sadly missing among the color and vibrance of its ornate cultural roots, definitely positions the provider as an internationally acceptable cabin product.
Hopefully this new cabin design and strategy will lend itself to the brand new A330-900 neos that have been (and perhaps nonetheless are) scheduled to hitch the provider subsequent 12 months. Though we hope the 4 A321 XLR’s that can characteristic a greater flat-bed enterprise class product for these longer-haul single aisle routes that the plane is designed to fly.
