Airline partners with local designers to repurpose obsolete cabin interiors in environmentally-friendly waste disposal

Aircraft parts no longer in use at Etihad Airways' fleet will get a new lease on life with a transformation into artwork.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has teamed up with local designers to repurpose obsolete cabin interiors into pieces of art, as an 'environmentally friendly alternative of dealing with waste', it said in a statement on Monday.

“End-of-life parts that were destined for landfill have been repurposed into beautiful art instillations by skilled artists who used rare and unwanted aircraft scraps,' Terry Daly, executive director of guest experience, brand and marketing, said. 'Our goal is to not only showcase talent within the region, but to further encourage sustainable innovation that’s good for the environment.'

Carpet and fabric rolls, emergency equipment, sidewalls and windows, and Economy and Business class seats are among some of the old aircraft parts that local artists Azza Al Qubaisi and Christine Wilson used to design art installations for Etihad Airways.

The airline is displaying the art pieces at its headquarters and said it aims to commission similar work in the future.

Born in Abu Dhabi, Emirati sculptor Azza Al Qubaisi’s first art piece used seat floor mounting rails as a building motif to create symmetric geometric formations that can be displayed free standing or suspended from the ceiling.

'Visiting Etihad’s warehouse of aircraft parts during the Covid-19 pandemic brought back memories of travelling around the world and discovering different cultures,' Ms Al Qubaisi said. 'I was thrilled to have unlimited access to amazing materials that I could upcycle or melt into art for my ‘Seeking Identity’ sculpture series.'

The artist is already working on a second piece for which she is melting and casting the scrap materials that remained unused for her first installation.

Using aircraft curtains, wall panels, life jackets and cabin interiors, Christine Wilson, an emerging artist from Ireland based in Dubai, designed a multidimensional upcycled art piece to encapsulate a 'textural zeitgeist of Etihad', according to the statement.

“Upon reflection and consideration, we want to remind travellers that 2020 should be remembered for more than the difficulty of Covid-19 times,' Ms Wilson said.

'‘Aintiqal /انتقال’ is a visual reflection of the Abu Dhabi skyline and depicts the incredible landmark achievements of the UAE’s space programme. It represents national pride and reminds us of new beginnings and a new journey.'

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