Eugeni Quitllet, a Catalan designer who has worked alongside Philippe Starck for over a decade, has designed a set of airplane cutlery with a fun twist. The utensils were conceptualized for children on board Air France flights as a flat-packed set that resembles the parts of a model plane. Each package contains the expected knife, fork, and spoon, but also comes with three plastic wings. The wings can be inserted into slots in the utensils to create a trio of miniature airplanes. And what parent hasn't pretended a fork is an airplane?
The design of the cutlery itself is reminiscent of Quitllet's tableware collections. For adults, plastic (economy) and metal (premium economy) versions of the set keep the aeronautical inspiration for their shape, but remove the playful slot and wings. Quitllett has also redesigned the entire meal service, from plates to trays. The new cutlery is already available on Air France flights. The designer calls his collection "a design that disappears to give away the spirit of an idea: the search for the essential, objects sculpted by air and for the air."