Image: Air France
Image: Air France
Image: Air France
Image: Air France
Image: Air France
Image: Air France
Most airplane food is forgettable fare, optimized for space and transport instead of taste. But those same constraints can lead to uncommonly tasteful tableware, such as these playful new Eugeni Quitllet silverware sets designed for Air France.
There are three new Quitllet-designed sets of cutlery, all manufactured by IPI: a traditional, metal set of silverware for first class, a plastic version for ‘Premium Economy,’ and a fun, blister-pack set for kids. Both the first-class and the premium economy versions are identical except for the material used; both feature a form inspired by Bernoulli’s principle and air flight in general. But adults in all cabins will be clamoring for the set reserved for children. Perhaps the most interesting of the three sets, it comes in a blister pack that breaks down into six pieces. Three of those pieces resemble wing pieces, and they slot directly into the provided silverware, approximating the form of an airplane. “For children the goal was to transform the cutlery into a toy,” Quitllet says. “Something that you can keep and play longer after your meal.”
A sketch of Air France’s new toy-transforming cutlery. Image: Air France
There were two primary considerations when designing tableware for Air France: First, anything you bring on a plane should be efficient and light, and second, he wanted it to resemble the act of air travel in some way. “The first image that came to mind was pleasure, an idea of going to dinner with Air France,” Quitllet explained in a promotional video. “Keeping a minimalist airline feel, almost as if the object was designed by air friction.”
Because every gram matters when you’re hauling it cross the seas, Quitllet’s disposable design treats weight as a primary consideration, achieving a 30 percent reduction in raw material usage that is billed as “eco-designed.” Since Air France estimates that they serve 14 million meals per year, there’s a lot of potential cost savings not only in the raw material needed, but also the gas costs, especially considering these table sets will be primarily deployed on long-haul flights.
Air France has a tradition of effective design in the cabin–search eBay for Concorde silverware, and you’ll see spoons designed by Raymond Loewy and forks by Robert Stadler’s design firm for the French airline. In fact, Eugeni Quitllet gave a very design-focused interview to Air France’s in-flight magazine back in January. Air France carefully considers every part of the dining experience–and the fact they serve French food doesn’t hurt either.
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