Wave Aloha
Product & System Solution
for Air Travel Safety during COVID-19
How is travel to Hawaii changing due to COVID-19?
Starting October 15, 2020, tourists and returning residents could arrive in Hawaii with proof of a negative test result and bypass the 14-day quarantine requirement.
As a product-system, Wave Aloha was designed to improve air travel safety during COVID-19.
Airport Arrivals Procedure
I wanted to redesign deplaning the aircraft.
Overcrowding the plane presents a serious problem because of close contact among passengers with COVID-19.
Current Boarding and Deplaning Systems
Airlines now board planes from the back rows to front rows, which helps seat passengers closer to their luggage.
How could I create a product-system that would encourage passengers to remain in their seats and follow deplaning protocol?
A New Deplaning System
I wanted to offer a way to ensure that passengers would remain socially distanced or seated as rows were called to deplane the aircraft.
Retrieving Luggage when Dismissed
My initial concepts focused on finding ways to reduce overcrowding among passengers trying to get their luggage immediately after the plane arrives at the gate.
An Overhead Compartment Lock
To support orderly social-distancing in the deplaning process, an overhead compartment lock-enabled handle is retrofitted to the overhead bins. The lock will only be active between landing and deplaning. The flight attendants will unlock the bins above the rows as the passengers are dismissed.
Visual Brand Language
I paid attention to the plane’s visual brand language to integrate my product’s appearance into the overall look of the plane’s interior.
Mechanics
The handle is equipped with an RFID lock that is activated by a key card and notified by an LED light display. A manual unlocking system exists in case of battery failure or emergencies.
Wave Aloha In-Flight Video
“Show a wave of aloha as you deplane the aircraft and are welcomed to the beautiful islands of Hawaii.”
Some images complied and edited from the Hawaiian Airlines website for this educational case study: Hawaiian Airlines, 2020. https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/. Accessed December 2020. | Hawaiitech.com, Staff. 25 September 2020. https://www.hawaiitech.com/transportation/hawaii-travel-covid-testing/
Karina Bhattacharya 