Airlines commission bespoke sonic branding to soothe anxious flyers

Airlines are increasingly investing in bespoke sonic identities to calm passengers and enhance brand recognition. Inspired by Brian Eno's 1978 album Ambient 1: Music for Airports, which aimed to reduce flight anxiety, agencies like DLMDD and Sixième Son create custom compositions. DLMDD co-founder Max De Lucia notes the need for music that is gentle and sophisticated without being irritating. For Norwegian, DLMDD produced Northern Colours, a 35-minute symphony performed by the Trondheim Solistene String Ensemble and Embla Choir. Singapore Airlines commissioned a 'Symphony of Flowers' based on its batik motif, translating colors and shapes into music performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Lauri Porra, great-grandson of Jean Sibelius, composed Finnair's Matkantekijä suite using Finnish instruments like the kantele and jouhikko. Sixième Son's Laurent Cochini avoids vocals to not distract from onboard announcements; for Cathay Pacific, the agency captured sounds of Hong Kong islands and night markets to create four hours of music. Etihad's sonic identity interprets Emirati al sadu weaving with oud and ney layered with electronic textures. Singapore Airlines' tracks have 3.3 million Spotify listens; Eno's Ambient 1 has over 70 million.