We all know what it feels like to arrive at our destination after a long-haul flight, likely lacking hydration, quality sleep, and having been squashed into our not-so-ergonomically friendly airplane seat for hours on end. Now imagine having to get off the plane, contending with all that and potentially jet lag besides, and performing at the very top of your game as a pro athlete.

Meanwhile, If we are lucky enough, we may also know the difference a wider, more comfortable seat in the front of the cabin can make, and elite teams normally take care to fly their athletes to games and tournaments as comfortably as possible. For international tournaments, they also try to arrive as early as possible to give the players a chance to adjust to sleep and eating schedules, the disruptions of which can wreak havoc on overall performance.

For instance, for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Lionel Messi and his Argentina arrived on November 17, five days before the team's first match against Saudi Arabia (although, in an unexpected turn of events, Argentina ended up losing the game.)

Argentina arrives at FIFA world cup 2022
Photo: Getty Images

Time spent away from training and recovery sessions (ice baths, physios, massages, etc.) is also not ideal. But what if there was a way to offset the detrimental effects of the constant travel for top athletes and their teams?

In a bid to drive down the disadvantage of playing away, world-leading sports brand Nike teamed up with global design consultancy firm Teague to develop a concept fit for the most elite of athletes - or, as the pair calls it, an "athlete-centric facility in the sky." Nike and Teague hope to capitalize not only on pre-game preparation but also on post-game review and analysis.

Catering to an underserved niche

Sports teams spend millions of dollars securing the best players for their squad, not to mention the substantial investments in training facilities, gym equipment, expert support, and much more. But the time these athletes spend in the air is often overlooked.

Manchester United players in seats
Photo: Getty Images

Teague and Nike got together to change all this, working on designing an interior for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that caters to professional athletes during their time away. Collaborating with coaches, team physicians, operations staff and sleep specialists, the partners worked to develop a solution that is not currently addressed by commercial charter aircraft cabins.

Specifically, the team wanted to focus on several key areas. This included mitigating the effects of travel on the body and mind, promoting circulation and natural mobility, providing for an enhanced sleep experience and providing spaces for thinking and debriefing after the game. Physical post-game recovery was also a key element, giving athletes the space and facilities required to treat injuries adequately.

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Nike Athletes plane from Teague
Photo: Teague

The solution

The Nike Athletes Plane works on the basis of zoned areas, much as any other commercial cabin. But rather than having zones for business class and economy, the Teague concept zones the aircraft by needs. Various areas specific to players, coaches and other staff are built-in, with thought given to foot traffic and noise levels to provide the right environment.

Players enter the plane into a dark, relaxing room, where they are invited to sit and assess their injuries on a touchscreen. From there, they make their way into a kitchenette area to enjoy some food and drink, before proceeding to the ‘recovery room’.

Nike Athletes plane from Teague
Photo: Teague

Here, there are full-sized therapy tables ready for athletes to receive their sports massage or physio. The plane is equipped with everything required for hot and cold therapy, electro-stimulation and more.

Nike Athletes plane from Teague
Photo: Teague

Revived and ready to rest, players can then head to the passenger cabin, which has been specifically designed to accommodate even the largest of people (think football/soccer goalies such as Andries Noppert of the Dutch national team at 6 feet 8 inches tall, or any player in the NBA).

The full recline is suitable for up to a seven-foot person (the NBA average was 6 feet 6 inches in the season 2021-2022), allowing passengers to relax and revive. To help promote restful sleep, each seat is cocooned in a half-shell transparent frame, cutting down noise and disturbance.

Nike Athletes plane from Teague
Photo: Teague

Those not quite ready to sleep will find a relaxing social space complete with café tables and benches. The benches can double up as beds, giving everyone options for how to spend their flight. In this room, as well as at passenger seats, OLED touchscreens provide the opportunity to review and debrief the game.

Teague's principal designer, Franco Gagnina, says that "wearable sensors embedded into apparel can collect data on a player's physiology and feed it to on-board computers for post-game review and analysis."

Nike Athletes plane from Teague
Photo: Teague

Cutting-edge biometrics are employed throughout the plane to assess the players’ physical state. There’s even a urinal that calculates an individual's hydration levels. Ice and compression sleeves are built into the aircraft's sidewalls, which can promote circulation and speed up the healing process.

Will it make it into production?

First introduced in 2014, no sports team or charter operator has yet taken the concept further. However, the idea has garnered extensive interest from all corners of the globe, both from teams and entire leagues. Maybe it has been a little ahead of its time? It’s a conversation starter for sure, and perhaps a glimpse into the future of travel for elite sports teams and athletes.

Tech and sports are becoming increasingly interlinked, and it seems as if it is only a matter of time before one team makes the investment. Should it prove to give them even the slightest upper hand, you can be sure that many more will soon follow,

How would you like to fly in the Nike athlete cabin? Do you think it would significantly affect a (your) team's away performance? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.