London-based design consultancy PriestmanGoode has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with one of the top 10 airlines in the world, China-based Hainan Airlines, for design services covering its fleet of aircraft, cabins and related on-board items, airport and ground services.
The signing ceremony took place during an official UK trade visit to China and was witnessed by the Liam Fox, the UK’s secretary of state for international trade, and Sun Jianfeng, chairman of Hainan Airlines. The agreement will see PriestmanGoode play a strategic design leadership role with Hainan Airlines on an on-going basis.
PriestmanGoode has been working with Hainan Airlines since 2016, when they were invited to develop an international and distinctive brand, create a seamless and recognizable passenger experience at every touchpoint from airport to plane, and help them maintain Skytrax ‘5-Star Airline’ status – Hainan is the only Chinese airline to win this award seven years in a row.
Commenting on the agreement, Paul Priestman, chairman and co-founder of PriestmanGoode said, “The signing of this agreement with Hainan Airlines is a proud moment. Their very clear intention to continue the design collaboration with us signals a strong vote of confidence not only in the PriestmanGoode team, but also in British design.
“I am proud of the world-renowned talent that exists within the UK creative industry, and am equally excited to have the opportunity to continue our creative collaboration with Hainan Airlines.”
Hainan Airlines chairman Sun Jianfeng added, “What has always impressed me about PriestmanGoode is their willingness to immerse themselves in Chinese culture and explore deep into Chinese cultural elements to come up with a design that not only fits the brief, but which is culturally sensitive and nationally iconic.
“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with PriestmanGoode and to continuously improving our passengers’ experience through great design, and to hold on to our 5-Star Airline position.”
PriestmanGoode has business links with China, and has an office based in Qingdao. The studio has been working in partnership with clients in China since 2008, providing design services across a wide range of sectors. Around 20% of the company’s sales are from China.
