Carriers Use Corporate Perfume to Relax, Calm and Garner Repeat Business

The trend for in-flight fragrance began back in 2013 when Turkish Airlines unveiled TK 1933. Since then, a host of other airlines have developed their very own scents.

Normally, planes and perfume don’t mix, but it seems that more and more airlines are now turning to signature scents to relax and calm passengers, even using them as a device to help foster brand loyalty among travelers.

The idea is that an onboard scent will remind passengers of a positive past experience with a carrier, a response that could subconsciously help to generate more repeat business for an airline in the future.

The trend for signature scents on planes began back in 2013, when Turkish Airlines unveiled TK 1933, its corporate perfume. The scent’s name is a nod to the year in which the carrier was founded and is featured in all Turkish Airlines’ VIP lounges and ticket offices as well as inside the cabins of its planes. In a statement at the time, the carrier said that the fragrance evoked “feelings of trust, peace, happiness, serenity and pleasure.”

But Turkish Airlines isn’t the only carrier to have cottoned on to the power of perfume; in fact, a number of major carriers are now careful to fragrance their cabins with scents that they believe will help to positively represent their brand ethos.

Delta Air Lines, for example, scents its hot towels and liquid soap with a chamomile and lavender fragrance called ‘Calm’ while Iberia, Spain’s national carrier, favors a more citrussy scent for its cabins.

In order to help diffuse these unique fragrances, French company Zodiac Aerospace has created Five, a system that is intended to help carriers engage with passengers’ olfactory senses.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for Zodiac said, “Five can be integrated into boarding areas, downstream of cabin air vents, and inside trolleys, premium seats, galleys or lavatories to create a positive first impression, a unique cabin experience and prevent [bad] odors. Pleasant smells improve moods, shorten the perception of time, boost sales, and form strong memories. Flight operators can finally engage all five of their customers’ senses and complete the passenger experience.”

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