Reconnect with the joy of the journey: Cathay's upcycled ‘From cabin to home’ collection

Cathay’s newest upcycled collection is not just about repurposing aircraft components, it’s also about celebrating customers’ journey. “As with our very first upcycled collection, these products demonstrate our continued efforts to make use of materials that would otherwise be discarded when our aircraft retire or get refurbished – turning them into premium lifestyle products which customers can cherish beyond the cabin,” explains Louisa Luk, assistant manager, brand at Cathay.

The upcycled floor cushion, crafted in partnership with Hong Kong brand G.O.D., is crafted from recycled and cleaned seat fabric from Cathay Pacific’s Business and Economy cabins. For lounging on or simply admiring, the cushion is topped with a leather handle embossed with Cathay’s brushwing logo and the words: “From cabin to home”. Each cushion holds a unique travel story and reflects a love for adventure and travel we shared with our customers.

Great care and attention go into the process of recycling materials. “We worked closely with our vendors and partners to handpick each tray and fabric piece to ensure they’re in good condition before being cleaned and washed to make sure they meet hygiene standards,” Luk explains.

An icon of aviation history, the upcycled tray is made from repurposed tray tables from B-HLU and B-HLV, members of our Airbus A330 fleet. B-HLV was the first and last aircraft parked at Alice Springs during the pandemic. Equally decorative and functional, this tray is perfect for holding items including magazines, cups and books, and is fully equipped for its next adventure in your home.

As a nod to the Airbus A330, only 330 units of the upcycled tray are available. 

“We wanted to highlight a variety of materials and textures both in and outside the aircraft, including aircraft fuselage skin and cabin furnishings,” says Cilla Lau, product designer at Cathay. From there, the team brainstormed how to convert those parts into stylish and functional items.

Despite reusing old materials, the quality of the collection is exceptional, thanks to the efforts of the product design team. “Although we’d like to feature the original recycled material as much as possible,” Lau says, “we also want to ensure the final product is refined and aesthetically pleasing. It was a challenge to strike a balance between the use of newly fabricated parts and the used materials in our final products.”

The hope is that this upcycled collection will evoke cherished memories of Cathay members, aviation enthusiasts and travel geeks. “By bringing these products home, customers can relive the joys of travel and their experiences with Cathay.”

This article is sponsored by Cathay.