Hamburg, Germany | March 29, 2017– Thousands of delegates and more than 500 exhibiting companies are gearing up for the world’s largest aircraft interiors event, Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), being held in Hamburg, Germany from 4-6 April, 2017.

The event will provide a forum for the world’s airlines and companies from across the supply chain to source the latest innovations, technologies and products from the cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and passenger comfort industries.

AIX is part of the wider Passenger Experience Week, which also includes the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo and the Passenger Experience Conference (taking place on 3 April). Organised by Reed Exhibitions, some 20,000 visitors are expected to attend Passenger Experience Week.

A big feature of AIX will be Cabin Space LIVE in Hall B3 Upper, which provides an arena where delegates can learn, network and seek inspiration on a variety of pressing issues in the industry. Sessions will take place throughout the three days of the event.

Some of the issues that will be discussed during the sessions include analysing the cabin-retrofit opportunity for airlines, the future of IFE, predictive maintenance and the connected aircraft, as well as the environmental impact of end of life cabin equipment.

There will also be dozens of new innovations on display at AIX including:

· FliteTrak: unveiling next generation intelligent airline seating technology that will transform passenger comfort with seating that can measure individual seats for temperature, movement and seatbelt closure. It also has the capacity for locking overhead bins

· Dimer LLC: showcasing its mobile sanitising robot for airplane interiors, “GermFalcon”. The highly-effective germ killing device is mobile and compact — no larger than a flight attendant’s food and beverage cart

· GENTEX: showcasing the latest in electronically dimmable windows to enhance the flight experience. The dimmable windows feature high‐speed transition between clear and dark, a new ultra‐dark low‐end transmission, an innovative thin‐film coating for elimination of harmful IR and UV light, and reduced maintenance and operation costs

· AeroFoam Industries: debuting their comfort configuration tool. Using a seat configuration platform, people will be able to sit with AeroFoam experts as they adjust the comfort

· Zyenalabs: showcasing its technology that provides for cabin exploration and feasibility studies through visualisation technology

· Starling Aerospace: launching their new track and swivel seat to optimise passenger space for recline and relaxation

For the first time at AIX, visitors will have the chance to take part in a number of experiments investigating the best methods of stimulating passenger movement to improve their comfort. These experiments will be run by Delft University of Technology and will take place in the Experiential Zone located in Hall B4 Upper. Dr Suzanne Hiemstra-van Mastrigt, lecturer at Delft University will present the findings at CabinSpace Live on Thursday the 6th of April at 12pm.

The evening of Tuesday 4 April will also see the 11th annual Crystal Cabin Awards being hosted in Hamburg. The Crystal Cabin Awards are the only international awards for excellence in aircraft interior innovation and are now firmly established as the standard by which airlines, manufacturers, suppliers and engineering firms are judged on their innovations.

There are seven award categories: Greener Cabin, Passenger Comfort Hardware, University, Cabin Concepts, Cabin Systems, Electronic Systems and Material & Components. The awards are commonly regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the aviation industry and provide the perfect platform to honour innovation in the industry.

Polly Magraw, Event Director, Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), commented: “There has been major growth in the number of exhibitors this year and in particular in the expanding IFEC zone, which is reflective of another successful year for the industry.

“Attendees at this year’s show will have the opportunity to learn about the latest industry developments, network with their peers and take part in educational discussions.

“The team at Reed Exhibitions is looking forward to welcoming visitors to Hamburg for what promises to be great event.”

Plaisir | March 29, 2017– Zodiac Aerospace will present its latest innovations in Cabin, Seats and Systems at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg from 4-6 April at its main stand 7B40, stand 4C20 in the IFEC zone, and at stand 4E10 at World Travel Catering Expo.

At the main stand 7B40 Zodiac Aerospace will present its two finalists for the prestigious Crystal Cabin Awards: the ECOSTM baggage management system and the RevolutionTM toilet. Both products are integrated in a real size ECOSTM Cabin mockup that additionally features updated PaxPOD PSUs, DMS Lavatories, the Space-Flex v2 galley-lav aft complex, and Z300A and Z85 economy class seats with the latest RAVE IFEC products.

Other highlights at the main stand are the Zodiac Connected Aircraft Experience and the launch of three new seats: Optima, a unique business class offering the perfect balance of efficiency and comfort; Skylounge, that combines flexibility, customization and comfort, and Z400 which will sets new economy seat standards.

Get comfortably seated to view the extensive range of economy, premium economy and business class seats and the many innovations at the stand: Try the new LED lighting offer, look at the benefits of the Cabin Surveillance System or discover how the power of scent from our Five Fragrance diffuser can complete your flight experience and boost on board sales.

After your visit to the main stand, be welcomed at stand 4C20 in the IFE hall to take a look at the latest RAVE IFEC offer, and discover how you can get more control over your own flight experience with SeatNet Elite, the new Heliott Reading light and Whizper Noise control.

Finally at the World Travel Catering Expo, stand 4E10, Zodiac Aerospace will be proud to show you its latest addition to the Hybrite S trolley and container line: the smart Universal Waste Solution for trolleys. Additionally it will present the Smart Lock and Cool trolley.

Crystal Cabin Award finalist: ECOS Cabin Baggage Management System (stand 7B40)
Come and take a look at the new real size ECOS cabin mock up that includes the Crystal Cabin Award finalist ECOSTM Baggage Management System.

With checked luggage charged at a premium, more than 80% of today’s passengers try to bring theirs on board and almost half of those bags are larger than the aircraft was designed to carry. The result is a perfect storm of stress and anxiety at the boarding gate for passengers and crews alike.

ECOS is much more than a larger overhead luggage bin. It is a system which addresses cabin design and how both passengers and crews interact with it to make maximum use of limited overhead space.

Informed by extensive real-world luggage studies, proprietary passenger boarding simulations and over 35 tried and tested development prototypes, ECOS combines amazing space efficiency with unmatched ease of operation and a simple visual indicator which allows passengers to find precious space for their bags

With ECOS, a happy passenger is one who can bring what they want and depart on time. That also means stress free crews and efficient aircraft turn-around operations.

Crystal Cabin Award Finalist: The Revolution Toilet (Stand 7B40)
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest products including the Crystal Cabin Award Finalist – RevolutionTM Toilet. The RevolutionTM toilet is a modular toilet assembly that minimizes health hazards in the lavatory. It not only uses 33% less water per flush than the industry standard toilet, but also uses composite and recyclable materials for a light yet durable toilet.

One of the many improvements the RevolutionTM toilet exhibits incorporates air gaps into the toilet rinse ring. This allows the toilet shroud to seal directly to the toilet, creates more airflow for a cleaner flush, and helps prevents waste from building up under the toilet shroud reducing bacteria and odor in the lavatory. Combined with a new 360 degree spay pattern, the RevolutionTM toilet improves the overall health and safety of the passengers and crew in the lavatory.

Launching Optima, a Unique Business Class Offer, the perfect balance of
Efficiency and Comfort (Stand 7B40)
Officially launched at AIX17, Zodiac Seats latest product Optima is expected to set new standards in business class travel. Combining class leading passenger experience and improved cabin efficiency, through a unique cabin configuration that mixes in-line and angled seats, Optima can offer the uncompromised business class solution that the market was expecting.

An elevated business class experience comes from direct aisle access for every passenger, large surface areas, extensive stowage options and configurable privacy. Thanks to its seating arrangement and electrically actuated privacy screens, Optima offers an exclusively private environment for travelers wanting to relax and unwind, or passenger interaction for those travelling together. With bed lengths up to 83.5” and the option for a centerline double bed, Optima creates a sleeping experience for travelers that would typically only be associated with First Class Travel. However, Optima’s unique quality is that while it pays close attention to the needs of its passenger, it never forgets the requirements of airlines; to increase their profitability through increased passenger count. The unique cabin layout, originally designed by Acumen, allows airlines to maximize their revenue potential, offering 15% more seats in the cabin compared to standard business class products.

Optima can be tailored to the brand of the airline; thanks to its modular architecture. A variety of optional product features and customizable areas, allows each customer to embed its brand identity. This design ethos has been integrated into the product from its origination, building upon Zodiac Aerospace’s heritage and experience in manufacturing bespoke premium aircraft cabin solutions.

The perfect marriage of empathetic design and innovative engineering, Optima is the dawn of a new era in Business Class Travel.

Skylounge Core, the business class seat that combines flexibility, customization and comfort
Skylounge Core is a completely re-designed business class seat that focuses on offering class leading features and airline branding solutions while minimizing program costs. Its revolutionary product architecture enables airlines to offer the best possible experience to their passengers whilst also offering airlines customizable elements that reflect their branding and unique identity. This next generation platform offers a reliable and risk free solution with quality at its core.

A business class seat must represent the airline’s brand, but also needs to be easy to maintain. That’s why Zodiac Seats developed a modular architecture based upon the need to customize high value brand-able areas. With a few simple changes customers can make this seat their own. Zodiac Seats has created the PAX module which includes all the features dedicated to the business class passenger. Ideally located above the console it is entirely customizable from a fully open design to maximum stowage capacity option. The aisles’ privacy wings are also customizable to let airlines select between an open cabin feel or maximum privacy.

The seat is available at 42” or 44” of pitch and has been optimized for A330, B787 and A350 aircraft taking into account all the specificities of those platforms. The design integrates all the constraints of the different seat locations in the aircraft in order to reduce the number of parts. Developed with Zodiac Seats’ industrial processes in mind

Skylounge Core reduces maintenance cost and improves on time delivery performance.

Skylounge Core is a new member of the successful Skylounge family, offering a more flexible and easy to customize new offer.

New Z400 economy class seat sets new standards
Zodiac Aerospace launches a new long range economy class commercial airline seat at AIX17: Z400.

The Z400 series offers increased living space and greater weight optimization while establishing a new standard in comfort for seats in its class. In developping Z400, Zodiac Seats worked closely with ergonomics experts and the latest structural analyses software to create a design that is smooth, contemporary and completely optimized for weight with a beginning weight of 10 kg per PAX.

The sleek IFE system integrations have been designed to provide a seamless appearance accommodating up to a 13.3 inch monitor. The thinner design of the seat back, coupled with the articulating motion, provides industry leading shin clearance. The result is an ergonomically satisfying, comfortable, and enjoyable flight that will leave passengers with a fresh experience that positively reflects the airlines’ brand. Cherry on the pie is a revisited meal table design that hides a unique passenger module which is fully customizable.

Two different mock ups of the Z400 will be displayed at Zodiac Aerospace stand 7B40. This includes one with the latest IFE screen manufactured by Zodiac Inflight Innovations. The Z400 will be available on A330, A330NEO, A350, A380, 777, 777X and 787.

WhiZper Active Noise Control System (stand 4C20)
Noise is stressful. Noise is disturbing. Thanks to WhiZper, the passenger can now experience a quieter flying trip. The active noise control system protects the passenger from environmental sounds. The passenger can comfortably watch its favorite programs, listen to its own music or just read or sleep without disturbing or being annoyed by its neighbors. This headset-free technology keeps the passenger in a quiet environment and mood.

Heliott Smart Reading Light (stand 4C20)
If you have to adjust your reading light every time you change position, you quickly stop moving… and are uncomfortable! With the smart reading light, the passenger can now focus on what one’s reading, the light automatically adjusts to the passenger. Tracking the passenger’s support, Heliott always lights at the right place, at the right moment. The passenger can freely move around in its seat, comfortably enjoying his reading.