Passenger Experience-Centered Sustainability: SAUDIA’s Innovative Service Design Approach
Service design is pivotal in integrating customer needs with business objectives, ultimately shaping the passenger experience while fostering competitiveness and innovation. Beyond focusing solely on operational efficiency, service design provides a comprehensive framework for problem-solving by incorporating user-driven insights into business processes. In the aviation industry, where customer experience and sustainability are emerging as key differentiators, innovative service design approaches enable airlines to create value beyond traditional offerings. Airports and airlines increasingly utilize service design tools such as customer journey mapping and research walls to enhance the passenger experience and identify critical areas for improvement.
SAUDIA exemplifies this approach through its pioneering In-Flight Sustainability Lab, which redefines sustainability as a collaborative effort rather than a purely technical challenge, engaging both passengers and employees in the process. Implemented on the Jeddah-Madrid route, this initiative invited passengers to contribute ideas on how air travel could become more environmentally friendly. Unlike conventional feedback mechanisms, the lab empowered customers to actively participate in co-designing a more sustainable aviation future. Simultaneously, a parallel ideation process was conducted at SAUDIA’s headquarters, encouraging employees to contribute their insights, resulting in 150 unique sustainability proposals.
This service design-driven model demonstrates that sustainability in aviation is not solely dependent on technological advancements but can also be co-created with stakeholders. By involving passengers and employees as active participants in shaping sustainability initiatives, SAUDIA not only accelerates the adoption of eco-conscious practices but also strengthens passenger trust and engagement. Service design transforms passengers from passive consumers into collaborative stakeholders, allowing airlines to refine key touchpoints in the customer journey.
SAUDIA’s innovative initiative earned the Best Customer Engagement Award at SkyTeam’s Sustainable Flight Challenge, setting a compelling example for airlines seeking to integrate sustainability into the passenger experience through novel approaches. This recognition underscores the significance of service design methodologies that extend beyond technical enhancements and embrace holistic, participatory models.
Such forward-thinking applications of service design contribute to the evolution of sustainable aviation while enhancing brand value through deeper customer engagement. SAUDIA’s exemplary initiative underscores the potential of a broader service design-oriented approach that prioritizes passenger experience and co-creation as a catalyst for meaningful transformation within the industry.
References
Polat, İ., Ozturk, A., Koc, R., & Inel, Y. (2024). Designing experiences: Unveiling passenger perspectives through service design at an airport. Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism, 3(1), 47-61. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/jght/vol3/iss1/4
INCTürkiye. (2024). Hizmet tasarımı ve araçları müşteri deneyimini nasıl yeniden şekillendiriyor? Retrieved from https://incturkiye.com/makaleler/hizmet-tasarimi-ve-araclari-musteri-deneyimini-nasil-yeniden-sekillendiriyor
SAUDIA. (2025). SAUDIA’s in-flight sustainability lab. Retrieved from https://www.saudia.com
MICE Benelux. (2023). SAUDIA invests in sustainability programs. Retrieved from https://micebenelux.com/saudia-invests-in-sustainability-programs/
Times Aerospace. (2023). SAUDIA wins sustainability award for customer engagement. Retrieved from https://www.timesaerospace.aero/news/events/saudia-wins-sustainability-award-for-customer-engagement
SimpliFlying. (2024). The 6X+S airline brand model. Retrieved from https://green.simpliflying.com/p/the-6xs-model
Pictures: SAUDIA
