The aviation industry is set to soar in 2025 with a host of exciting developments. From innovative new routes to luxurious cabin upgrades, airlines are once again on track to forge brand new travel experiences. As the year comes to a close, we’re looking ahead to 2025 and what advancements we will see and hope to see in the next twelve months.
1. Lufthansa’s woes could bode well for Condor, but will that mean a new lounge?
While there hasn’t been any official announcement by Condor when it comes to lounges in Frankfurt, our guess is that with the launch of a new feeder network by the carrier due to the fractious relationship with previous partner Lufthansa, a new lounge is most likely on the cards. After all, the premium passenger base – that will start connecting via Berlin, Hamburg, Milan and Rome to name a few – will need a lounge during layovers, and while the airline currently uses Lufthansa lounges, now is a time for Condor to forge ahead quickly with a ground product to rival that of struggling Lufthansa, who has been hit by continued setbacks when it comes to launching its Allegris product. Could we see Europe’s Design Airline of the Year 2024 take a big leap in 2025, next year will tell.
2. The return to Cathay’s former glory means competition in the region is back and bodes well for passengers.
2025 will see Cathay Pacific’s highly anticipated Aria Suite finally debut on long-haul international routes including London which is slated to be the first route to get the configuration. The new Business Class suite might have won Cathay awards at this year’s awards, but it’s the fact Cathay has now returned to its pre-pandemic glory, that there is yet another leading Asian carrier in the region upping the ante when it comes to passenger experience. There’s no surprise that many airlines are looking to invest in new cabins in the region, from Thai Airways to China Airlines, every airline in the region is sharpening their collective pencils in order to win over market share in an already impressive region for hard and soft product alike. Asia for sure will be a region to keep an eye on in 2025 for new product launches and announcements.
3. The Rise of the Business Plus product
This year saw Oman Air join the ranks of airlines that now offer a Business Class Plus product onboard instead of First Class. While Oman Air took its First Class cabin and rebranded it, there are a handful of airlines that custom-made a Business Class Plus product from the ground up, including Condor and Virgin Atlantic. But 2025 will see American join the club, with the advent of its new Flagship Suite Preferred suites make up the front row seats in the brand new Business Class cabin from Adient. With so many airlines now taking this approach, we’ll expect to see a few more carriers follow suit.
4. Air France’s New First Class will take centre stage
While some airlines are doubling down on Business Class Plus seats, Air France is poised to unveil a new First Class product, raising the bar for ultra-premium travel. While details remain under wraps, we’re already aware that at 4 windows long, this is the longest First Class seat in the skies. Early reports suggest that the design will blend French elegance and haute couture with cutting-edge technology. The new product is expected to offer expansive suites with privacy doors or curtains, curated fine dining experiences, and luxurious bedding inspired by five-star hotels. This update aligns with Air France’s strategy to compete with other European carriers like Lufthansa and British Airways who have just revealed a new First Class cabin for their A380s in the premium market.
5. Air New Zealand’s New Business Class will make waves in Australasia
It’s a pretty good baseline to start at when your airline’s main complaint about the Business Class experience is just the seat. Unlike service, a seat is a much simpler product to update and replace (although cabin and design teams will most likely challenge that statement). Thankfully Air New Zealand’s new Business Class seat will finally roll out in 2025. Dubbed the “Business Premier Luxe,” this new offering includes additional privacy features, including fully closing doors, larger seating areas, and upgraded bedding. With a focus on sustainability, the airline is also incorporating eco-friendly materials into its cabin design. But with these new cabins, it’s easy for Air New Zealand, with its smaller, nimbler fleet to quickly leapfrog competition in the region. With Qantas and Air New Zealand introducing new cabins in the upcoming months, there’s a lot to celebrate ‘Down Under’.
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6. The Americas will see a wave of new Business Classes
While eyes are turning to American Airlines’ long-awaited “Flagship Suite,” it’s not the only product launch for one of the airline markets in the world. Late 2024 saw Avianca relaunch its Business Class product, now dubbed Insignia 2.0 in a bid to win over lucrative international travellers. Also in South America, LATAM’s brand new Business Class seat will debut in 2025 featuring more privacy and a whole new look and feel for the cabin. Air Canada has also already hinting at its new 787 cabins, and while they won’t start flying until 2026, we’re pretty sure we’ll see the cabins revealed in 2025, including its very own Business Class Plus product.
7. The future of ultra-long haul flight will almost be set to take flight
Qantas’ ambitious Project Sunrise is expected to come to life by the end of 2025. While eyes are turning to Qantas, there are many ultra-long haul flights already in operation and the A350 and 787s are already pushing long-haul boundaries. With a rise of point-to-point traffic, expect to see more airlines launching these ultra-long haul flights soon. Air New Zealand has already hinted that it wants to start flying back to London in 2026, and while that will most likely be via Los Angeles, it might become a little more common to find unusual airlines from the other side of the world in an airport near you soon. Naturally with the rise of ultra long-haul services, it’s likely that we’ll also see advancements in passenger comfort, especially in economy cabins.
8. New lounges raise the bar across the globe
The race is already heating up on the ground while airlines and lounge companies are opening swathes of new spaces to spend time before taking flight. It’s great to see these companies investing in design. No longer are the lounges dark spaces filled with rows of uninspiring seats and a questionable buffet. We’re seeing incredible interior design from airlines and lounge companies alike which feel more like a hotel or a private club rather than an airport space. With many airlines already mid-swing with their lounge upgrades, 2025 is sure to see a wave of new lounges across the globe making the airport experience a little bit more enjoyable.
9. The golden age of connectivity
Connectivity is increasingly becoming easier, cheaper, faster and more reliable as more and more airlines adopt more advanced technology. While airlines are currently riding the wave to win over passenger loyalty by offering free WiFi on the airline’s dime, fundamentally someone has to pay for it. Eventually, once airlines have reliable fleet-wide technology, the lure of charging passengers for this service will once again become more appealing to airlines, especially if there are spiralling costs across the industry. So 2025 will be the emerging peak of onboard connectivity, so enjoy it while it’s cheap. Our guess is that airlines will have to start charging soon, or finding other revenues to fund it, such as advertising and sponsorship.
10. A stable raft of airline concepts
Could this be the decade the industry finally gets a stable international low-cost long haul carrier and a resilient staple of boutique carriers? While mainline carriers are now stabilising and returning to their full-service offerings (read Cathay and Etihad) eyebrows might be raised as long-haul low cost carriers such as French Bee, Air Asia X, Air Canada Rouge are now firmly rooted, and even Norse has seemingly managed to find a way to stay aloft. Meanwhile boutique carrier La Compagnie which is a decade old seems to have a new counterpart in the form of beOnd, which has managed to survive its first year unscathed, and even enters its second year with higher frequencies due to the arrival of a second aircraft. External influences aside, its possible that 2025 could be the stabilising factor that strengthens these often maligned operating models.
As I do every year, I ask on your kind support to keep things going. If you are able to donate – whatever amount – it all gets funnelled back in to the site, to keep the site full of content. And I thank you personally for your kind support.
