London | January 28, 2020–The commercial aircraft cabin interiors market size is poised to grow at a CAGR of more than 9% during the period 2020-2024, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. Request a free sample report

The demand for air travel is likely to double over the next two decades due to the growth in air travel in countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and the US. The year-over-year increase in air traffic has also mandated the induction of new aircraft to facilitate this growing demand. Hence, airline companies are increasingly ordering new generation aircraft that are fuel-efficient and lightweight. For instance, in November 2018, IndiGo, an Indian operator, upgraded its orders for A320s and replaced them with 125 A330s. The change in order was attributed to the airline’s plans to offer distinguished services to its customers and evolve its brand image from that of an LCC into a full-fledged carrier. Thousands of pounds of composite materials like honeycomb core, thermoset prepregs, and thermoplastics are being used in new-generation aircraft to reduce the overall weight of aircraft. These materials are mostly used in ceiling and floor panels, galleys, lavatory modules, food and drink trolleys, and class dividers. Such innovations will stimulate the demand for new generation aircraft, which will drive the growth of the commercial aircraft cabin interiors market.

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As per Technavio, the emergence of 3D printing in aircraft cabin interior will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other important trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over 2020-2024.

Commercial Aircraft Cabin Interiors Market: Emergence of 3D printing in Aircraft Cabin Interior

The consistent growth of the aerospace industry is compelling aerospace companies to seek innovative technologies to manage their costs efficiently and meet the demands of the aviation market. One such technology is 3D printing or additive manufacturing that can develop three-dimensional objects using computer-aided design (CAD). 3D printing allows designers and engineers to manufacture parts with intricate geometries that are lighter than components manufactured using traditional methods. Moreover, advances in laser and 3D printing machines are encouraging developers to create parts with new material combinations. This method, apart from being cost-effective, gives the added advantage of quick design and manufacturing of different components.

“Factors such as the increasing preference for collaborative efforts in aerospace industry, and growing R&D of new materials for aircraft seating will have a significant impact on the growth of the commercial aircraft cabin interiors market value during the forecast period,” says a senior analyst at Technavio.

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Commercial Aircraft Cabin Interiors Market: Segmentation Analysis

This market research report segments the commercial aircraft cabin interiors market by product (seating; lavatory module; windows, cabin panels, and stowage bins; galley; lighting), type (narrow-body aircraft, wide-body aircraft, and regional aircraft), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA).

The North American region led the market in 2019, followed by Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA respectively. However, during the forecast period, the European region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the growing orders for new-generation aircraft, which will parallelly generate demand for advanced cabin interior products.

Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

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Some of the key topics covered in the report include:

Market Landscape

• Market ecosystem
• Market characteristics
• Market segmentation analysis

Market Sizing

• Market definition
• Market size and forecast

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation

Geographical Segmentation

• Regional comparison
• Key leading countries

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

• Vendors covered
• Vendor classification
• Market positioning of vendors
• Competitive scenario

Greensboro, NC | August 19, 2019– Latitude Aero, a leading global aircraft seating overhaul provider, recently announced the hiring of Taylor Caslin as Director of Marketing. In this role, Caslin will develop and implement a marketing plan that will translate the company’s business strategy into marketing objectives using website management, public relations efforts, and branding.

“I am honored to join such a successful young company that is on the verge of great change and growth, and hope to propel that success at the helm of the Marketing team,” says Caslin. “I look forward to getting acquainted with the aviation industry and applying my experience in strategic communication and design.”

Caslin comes to Latitude Aero with seven years experience in marketing and graphic design. Most recently, Caslin worked as Marketing Specialist and Graphic Designer in the contract furniture industry. There, she led marketing efforts, including managing digital and print materials, creating and maintaining an active email campaign and database, developing sales presentations and controlling social media. This background has helped Caslin to make an easy transition into her current position.

Caslin will be based primarily out of Latitude Aero’s corporate headquarters in Greensboro, N.C., where she will work closely with President & CEO Kelvin Boyette to provide sales and trade show support.

Nuremberg, Germany | March 27, 2019– Nuremberg, Germany-based MRO, FAI Technik GmbH, part of the FAI Aviation Group, has selected Collins Aerospace’s latest Venue^TMcabin management system and high definition entertainment system for its latest Bombardier BD700 Global Express cabin refurbishment project, named “Project Pearl.”

Project Pearl represents one of the most extensive refurbishment projects for the type. The five month project will include 60, 120 and 240-month inspections and a full cabin refurbishment featuring thenew Collins Aerospace Venue.  Passengers can enjoy watching HD movies and listen to enhanced digital audio throughout the cabin. Venue can broadcast a range of other high-resolution content. The project also includes the installation of Honeywell´s Ka-Band broadband technology, delivering ultra-high-speed satellite connectivity.

The architect of the cabin project is German designer Tim Callies, who is well known for his work on Airbus ACJ, Boeing BBJ and Bombardier Global Express interiors.  The luxury interior will feature VIP seating for 12 passengers and include stylish two tone leather seating and two three-seat sofas covered in Armani fabric. Additional modifications and upgrades include new cabinetry, cobalt black metal plating, granite table tops, the latest galley appliances to include a wine cooler, coffee maker and oven and stylish heated stone floors in the galley and toilet area. This will be followed by a newly designed exterior paint scheme.

Priced at USD $ 10.95 m, this unique turnkey Global Express should be very attractive to potential clients flying on business or leisure trips.

Siegfried Axtmann, Founder and Chairman of FAI Aviation Group comments: “We are very much looking forward to presenting this unique aircraft to the pre-owned Global Express market in April.  FAI Technik continues to stretch the boundaries to extend its remit in MRO and this latest project demonstrates our outstanding capabilities in refurbishing Global Express aircraft.”

Project Pearl is FAI´s sixth in-house Global Express cabin refurbishment and its third installation of Honeywell´s Ka-band technology on a BD700.

In January 2018, FAI Technik was appointed as an Authorized Dealer for Collins Aerospace avionics and cabin electronics equipment.

Seletar, Singapore | December 3, 2018– Flying Colours Corp. PTE the Singapore-based cabin interiors business has expanded its scope of refurbishment services at its Bombardier Seletar Airport facility.  Flying Colours has completed four full and three partial interior refurbishment projects on two Challenger and five Global aircraft types. This represents a significant step-change as the Singapore team has progressed from undertaking simple repairs of cabinetry and soft furnishing, to using its extensive experience to realize partial and full cabin overhauls on Bombardier aircraft for Asian and Middle Eastern customers.

One of the latest projects followed the purchase of a pre-owned Bombardier Global XRS aircraft. As it began extensive maintenance in the Bombardier Seletar facility, Flying Colours worked in parallel to complete an upgrade of the 14-passenger cabin. Meeting the brief of the China-based customer who wanted to modernise the dated look Flying Colours outfitted the interior with an elegant, neutral cream palette. The cabinetry was refinished, new satin rose gold plating was added to the metal work, a camel coloured carpet was fitted, and the divan and seats were recovered. The galley and aft lavatory countertops were replaced to complement the newly fitted vanity wardrobe and cabinet.

“The increase in cabin overhauls really exemplifies the change in demand from the maturing Asia and Middle East markets as savvy owners and operators recognize the benefits of acquiring preowned aircraft,” says Paul Dunford, general manager of Flying Colours Corp. PTE. “This has stimulated a need for high-level refurbishments and demand for complete customization has increased.” Flying Colours is meeting the charge providing highest standard interior services to a widening customer-base. Its 20-strong team now supports Bombardier and aircraft owners in Asia and the Middle East by mirroring its North American facilities in providing full refurbishment services while aircraft are in the hangars for maintenance.

“A few years ago, the Asian market preferred to buy new, but we are seeing more purchasers looking to buy pre-owned and style it in their own look. Our team is well-equipped to tackle minor repairs, through to full completion work scopes and has built a reputation for producing results equal to the mature markets in North America and Europe. We are now well known to the Asian and Middle East-based customers.”

The latest project is becoming the norm for the Flying Colors Corp PTE team. “There are more than 300 Bombardier business aircraft in the region and many are nearing their 96-and 120-month inspection intervals. We believe this is a great opportunity, as we can fully support an operator’s interior refurbishment needs and deliver a customized, high-quality aircraft, in parallel with the maintenance work. We anticipate a very busy year in 2019,” says Dunford.

Rockwell Collins’ industry-leading MiQ seating platform has been chosen by Turkish Airlines for the business class cabin of its new fleet of medium-haul, single-aisle aircraft. Initial deliveries of 92 shipsets for Airbus A321neo aircraft and deliveries of 77 shipsets for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are now underway.

The MiQ platform was selected for the superior passenger experience it delivers to business class travelers with a comfortable, ergonomic reclining position, including a four-way adjustable headrest and leg rest. The seat also provides a large console for passenger storage. Aisle seats feature level access in which the aisle-side armrest retracts downwards to allow passengers extra width in the seat, as well as enabling them to swing their knees into the aisle so window-seat passengers may move in and out of the row.

“We are very excited to introduce our latest business class seats in our new generation 167 narrow body aircraft. As we continue to take firm steps to increase our passengers’ comfort to an even higher level, we now place those state-of-the-art seats, having special features such as seat back inflight entertainment screens, retractable privacy panels, accessible personal stowage and power outlets, in our new medium-haul fleet. With keeping a close eye into customer expectations, we will continue to present the highest standards with our cabin and seat designs in the future,” said Ahmet Olmuştur, Turkish Airlines Chief Marketing Officer.

“The modular design elements of the MiQ seating platform allowed us to work closely with Turkish Airlines to provide a customized configuration that includes a new privacy feature to ensure that business class passengers enjoy an optimal flight experience,” said Mark Vaughan, vice president and general manager for Interior Systems at Rockwell Collins. “In addition, we designed custom leather dress covers to fully reflect the airline’s brand.”

MiQ’s award-winning design is available for business class and premium economy seating for both narrow- and wide-body aircraft.

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ASTRONICS

Astronics is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary! Happy Anniversary from IFExpress! and, oh yes, Astronics PGA Solutions was selected by AMAC Aerospace for a VIP jet completion program – A Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental VIP jet will incorporate Astronics PGA inflight entertainment and cabin management systems.

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SITA

GOL, Brazil’s largest airline, is introducing new self-service bag-drop technology to speed up the airport experience. Passengers of the carrier, can now use SITA’s Scan&Fly to check in their bags when flying domestically from Rio de Janeiro International Airport and will soon be able to do so at São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport as well. This self-service option halves the time it takes to check in a bag and gives passengers more control over their journey. Each year, GOL flies around 32 million passengers. Providing significant reductions in the time it takes to check in is a major bonus for passengers, as well as helping GOL reach the targets set as part of the IATA Fast Travel program.

Sergio Quito, Vice President of GOL Operations, said: “GOL has always pioneered the use of innovative processes. Self-service is important for us because it improves the customer experience and helps streamline our operations. SITA’s self bag-drop technology provides what we look for – it is fast, reliable and easy to use.”SITA is retro-fitting Scan&Fly units at each airport. Using them, passengers will be able to check in their baggage in just 40 seconds. As well as the units themselves, SITA also provided consultancy to develop the optimized processes in both airports, integrating the solution into the airlines’ and airports’ infrastructures. Elbson Quadros, SITA Vice President, Latin America, said: “Our goal is to use technology to improve the passenger experience and to make airline and airport operations more efficient. Our self bag-drop solution does exactly that. We are proud to have GOL as the first airline to adopt this technology in Latin America.”

SITA is providing 24/7 support both on the ground and through the SITA Command Centers, which proactively detect issues to avoid any passenger disruption. That monitoring ranges from tracking surges in internet usage which might have an impact on the airport, to alerting the team on the ground that bag tag paper supplies are running low.

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AIRBORNE WIRELESS NETWORK

Airborne Wireless Network announced that they are implementing a 30,000-to-1 reverse stock split. every 30,000 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding will be automatically combined into one new share of common stock without any action on the part of Airborne Wireless Network stockholders.  As a result of the reverse stock split, there will be approximately 296,000 shares of common stock outstanding (subject to adjustment due to the effect of rounding fractional shares into whole shares).

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AIRBUS

Airbus Perlan Mission II, the world’s first initiative to pilot an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, made history again yesterday in El Calafate, Argentina, by soaring in the stratosphere to a pressure altitude of over 62,000 feet (60,669 feet GPS altitude). This set a new gliding altitude world record, pending official validation.

The pressurized Perlan 2 glider, which is designed to soar up to 90,000 feet, passed the Armstrong Line, the point in the atmosphere above which an unprotected human’s blood will boil if an aircraft loses pressurization. This marks a second glider altitude world record for Jim Payne and Morgan Sandercock, the same two Perlan Project pilots who soared the Perlan 2 to 52,221 feet GPS altitude on Sept. 3, 2017, in the same remote region of Argentine Patagonia. The 2017 record broke a previous record that was set in 2006, in the unpressurized Perlan 1, by Perlan Project founder Einar Enevoldson and Steve Fossett.

“This is a tremendous moment for all the volunteers and sponsors of Airbus Perlan Mission II who have been so dedicated to making our nonprofit aerospace initiative a reality,” said Ed Warnock, CEO of The Perlan Project. “Our victory today, and whatever other milestones we achieve this year, are a testament to a pioneering spirit of exploration that runs through everyone on the project and through the organizations that support us.”

“Innovation is a buzzword in aerospace today, but Perlan truly embodies the kind of bold thinking and creativity that are core Airbus values,” said Tom Enders, Airbus CEO. “Perlan Project is achieving the seemingly impossible, and our support for this endeavor sends a message to our employees, suppliers and competitors that we will not settle for being anything less than extraordinary.”

Another first-of-its kind achievement this year for the Perlan Project was the use of a special high-altitude tow plane rather than a conventional glider tow plane. During yesterday’s flight, Perlan 2 was towed to the base of the stratosphere by a Grob Egrett G520 turboprop, a high-altitude reconnaissance plane that was modified for the task earlier this summer. Operated by AV Experts, LLC, and flown by chief pilot Arne Vasenden, the Egrett released Perlan 2 at around 42,000 feet, the approximate service ceiling of an Airbus A380.

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BOEING

Boeing reports that the Asia Pacific region will have the greatest global demand for new civil aviation personnel over the next 20 years. The region is projected to account for 33 percent of the global need for pilots, 34 percent for technicians and 36 percent for cabin crew.

The 2018 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook is an industry forecast of new aviation personnel demand. It is closely tied to projections for new airplane deliveries around the globe. As with personnel demand, the Asia Pacific region leads demand for new commercial airplane deliveries over the next 20 years. Forty percent of all new passenger airplane deliveries in the next 20 years will be delivered to airlines in the Asia Pacific region.

According to the outlook:

• The 20-year demand for new commercial sector pilots in the region remains strong at 240,000. While demand decreased five percent, this was driven by regional trends that indicate a peak in pilot retirements in the first decade of the forecast and a softening of replacement demand in the later years, due to a younger generation entering the pilot ranks long before reaching mandatory retirement age.
• New commercial technician demand decreased five percent to 242,000. This is due to advancements in product development on the 737 MAX, which have resulted in increased maintenance efficiencies. Overall, maintenance hours required over the life of the airplane will be reduced.
• New commercial cabin crew demand increased three percent to 317,000 due to anticipated fleet mix, cabin configuration and regulatory requirements.

For the first time, the outlook included the helicopter and business aviation markets. The inclusion of these sectors increases the region’s demand to 261,000 pilots, 257,000 technicians and 321,000 cabin crew.

Leading the region in projected demand for new pilots, technicians and cabin crew:

• China: 128,500 pilots; 126,750 technicians; 147,250 cabin crew
• Southeast Asia: 48,500 pilots; 54,000 technicians; 76,250 cabin crew
• South Asia: 42,750 pilots; 35,000 technicians; 43,250 cabin crew

“Strong demand for pilots in the region continues, and we expect that this will continue for the next several years,” said Keith Cooper, vice president of Training & Professional Services for Boeing Global Services. “Through our pilot training solutions, including the Pilot Development Program, we are helping to ensure a pipeline of pilots is ready to meet the industry’s demand.”

Boeing’s Pilot Development program is an accelerated training program intended to guide pilots from early stage ab-initio training through type rating as a first officer.

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OTHER NEWS

• Check out this article in VenturBeat on Gogo’s use of AI for machine learning tools to personalize your IFE experience and hardware monitoring – How Gogo uses AI to predict equipment failures, personalize customer experiences | VentureBeat – One clever use monitors the cooling fans speed to monitor system temperature. The off load the data on the cell links on the ground and analyze the data there.
• Good video on using 5G for aircraft communications – Moving towards 5G for aircraft communications – Aircraft Interiors International
• The Aircraft Interiors folks have a simple slide show on the use of interior colors for jet application designed by LIFT Strategic Design. Cool!The PAL A350-900 cabin lighting schemes, created by LIFT Strategic Design – Aircraft Interiors International

Rockwell Collins

Switzerland-based AMAC Aerospace has selected a full suite of Rockwell Collins’ cabin products for the world’s first Airbus ACJ320neo VIP aircraft, which is due for delivery to Acropolis Aviation, the UK VIP charter operator, in the fourth quarter of 2019. AMAC is scheduled to begin outfitting the aircraft at its Basel, Switzerland, facilities before the end of 2018. AMAC and Acropolis selected Rockwell Collins’ market-leading Venue HD cabin management and entertainment system to provide their passengers with an engaging in-flight experience. Venue is now installed on more than 1,100 aircraft ranging from turboprops to long-range business jets and VIP aircraft. Also included in the product suite is the Stage on demand wireless streaming solution, Airshow Moving Map and the company’s innovative Viu LED interior lighting system. Acropolis Aviation will benefit from Venue’s fault-tolerant, rugged fibre optic backbone, which ensures maximum system availability while providing necessary bandwidth to integrate the latest consumer technologies. It also features intuitive cabin controls for its passengers to easily manage their ride environment, both from on-board interfaces and personal devices.

Stage on demand, recently introduced on Acropolis Aviation’s ACJ319, G-NOAH, features a total content delivery solution from Rockwell Collins that will allow all its 19 VIP passengers to stream media, including Hollywood digital rights management (DRM)-protected movies and TV shows, to their personal devices from an easy-to-refresh, robust onboard server through wireless access points. Content is selected by flight departments from a frequently updated cloud-based media catalogue. The selected content can then be loaded on the aircraft server in a variety of ways, including both physical and wireless.

Rounding off the cabin offering is Viu LED lighting, which includes a series of innovative products customizable to fit different brands via a full range of easy to integrate high intensity color options for any type of aircraft, new or retrofit. Viu is integrated with the Venue CMS to allow for control functions.

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SmartSky

Duncan Aviation is pleased to announce its partnership with SmartSky Networks, as the latter company launches its new 4G LTE-based inflight connectivity network. The air-to-ground (ATG) network delivers a true office-in-the-sky environment with unprecedented speed, reliability, and security. With low latency and high bandwidth, passengers will enjoy the same connectivity capabilities they do on the ground: streaming video, chatting, texting, playing games and video conferencing. Working with SmartSky Networks, Duncan Aviation’s Engineering & Certification department helped develop the first Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a Cessna Citation Excel.

“It is an honor to partner with Duncan Aviation, a company that has a well-deserved reputation for outstanding customer service,” said Bryan Rapp, Account Manager with SmartSky Networks. “We believe this partnership confirms SmartSky’s commitment to deliver the very best in resources for our customers as well.” The SmartSky 4G LTE system received FAA approval for the Citation Excel STC in January and aircraft Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) in March. Duncan Aviation representatives should be contacted to schedule installation on aircraft.

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Satcom Direct

Satcom Direct, the business aviation connectivity, software and hardware provider, has strengthened its European presence with the opening of its fourth European office. Situated at EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg, one of Switzerland’s busiest executive aviation centers, the office is located in close proximity to a number of Europe’s leading completion, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centers where upgrades and completions of large-, narrow- and wide-body cabins form a significant part of the MRO business.

It positions SD at the heart of Europe’s satcom installation business and supports the increased demand for the installation of Jet ConneX, the ultra-high-speed data transfer service, for large-cabin, long-range jets. Powered by SD hardware and software applications Jet ConneX delivers the fastest connectivity in the skies. SD was one of the first companies to prove the Ka-band technology for business aviation, and now supplies over 70% of activated tails using the service worldwide. To maximize this experience SD has developed industry-first Service Level Agreements (SLA), which include onsite support, proactive monitoring, outage notifications and guaranteed email and phone call response times. The Basel team will support the SLAs and provide configuration, installation and educational support to SD customers in the region. To mark the office opening, members of the SD team partnered with business colleagues from Inmarsat, Gulfstream and Viasat to deliver Europe’s first SD CwC (Connecting with Customers) event.  The one-day meeting reflected the ethos of the annual U.S. experience which welcomes more than 300 SD customers and partners to a three-day forum covering every aspect of business aviation connectivity. More than 50 industry experts attended the inaugural event which heralds the launch of CwC internationally.

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Southwest Airlines/iHeartRadio

Southwest Airlines announced a new collaboration with iHeartRadio to bring iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital music and live streaming radio service to Customers as the exclusive music offering within the onboard entertainment portal on Southwest flights. Through the onboard entertainment portal integration with iHeartRadio, Customers can enjoy all their favorite musical genres including alternative rock, country, hip hop, R&B, Top 40 hit music, and more. From these genres, passengers can choose their favorite live radio station or pick from hundreds of artists to launch their very own custom artist radio station featuring music from that artist and those similar. In addition, iHeartRadio will also bring Customers expertly-curated station themes perfect for inflight listening like Pass the Time and Kids Zone.

“Our Customers and Employees are passionate about music,” said Ryan Green, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Southwest Airlines. “And for Southwest, music is a part of a larger story—it’s an ongoing investment in enhancing our Customers’ travel experiences. Through this partnership with iHeartRadio, we will create the soundtrack to our Customers’ journeys as we connect them to what is important in their lives.”

“We continue to expand iHeartRadio’s massive distribution platform to ensure that we are available everywhere our listeners are with the products and services they use most,” said Michele Laven, President of Strategic Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “We are proud to team up with Southwest Airlines to bring the music, radio stations, and on-air personalities people love inflight, continuing to entertain our listeners and Southwest passengers as they travel to their destinations.”

Customers can access iHeartRadio free of charge through the onboard entertainment portal on their personal devices to begin their listening experience. Once activated, the music will continue play as long as the entertainment portal is open in a tab, allowing Customers to browse the rest of the portal, check the flight tracker or utilize the web if they have purchased WiFi access.

Customers who already have the iHeartRadio app installed on their devices will be able to play their personalized music and favorite podcasts directly from the app while onboard Southwest flights. Those passengers who already subscribe to iHeartRadio’s All Access on demand subscription service will also have access to their entire music library and saved playlists as well as enjoy millions of songs and albums instantly. The free service is available on the more than 690 WiFi-equipped aircraft serviced by Global Eagle. Due to licensing restrictions, iHeartRadio may not be available onboard WiFi-enabled international flights. The iHeart Radio product is available only on WiFi-enabled aircraft. For more information please visit southwest.com/wifi.

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Airbus

Airbus and the European member States France, Germany, Spain and the UK have agreed on some amendments to A380 and A350XWB Reimbursable Launch Investment (RLI) loans.

This allowed the European Union to notify the WTO of an additional set of compliance measures, responding to Tuesday’spublication of the WTO Appellate Body report. In its report, the WTO had clarified that the European Union and Airbus have achieved compliance in respect of the vast majority of the support at issue but considered that some remaining obligations required minor adjustments. Those have now been addressed by the EU. The terms of these amendments – like the terms of the original RLI contracts themselves – remain confidential but they are aligned with current market conditions.

Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) has created a new cabin design concept, called Harmony, which combines the comfort and space of a widebody cabin with the practicality to suit the longest of flights. Harmony seamlessly combines the benefits of Airbus Corporate Jets’ VIP widebodies – such as comfort, space and quietness – to produce a consistently harmonious customer experience. It builds on the Airspace cabin brand from the Airbus airliner family. Initially proposed for the new ACJ330neo Family[1], which features new-generation engines and Sharklets, Harmony can also suit other Airbus widebodies, such as the ACJ350 XWB

Lufthansa Group has firmed-up a previous option for six further Airbus A320neo, following a decision by the company’s supervisory board at the beginning of May. The latest agreement brings Lufthansa Group’s total order for the A320neo to 122 (77 A320neo and 45 A321neo). In addition, the airline signed an order for three more A320ceo, bringing the Group’s A320ceo orders to 273. With a total of 395 A320 Family aircraft on order, the Lufthansa Group is also Airbus’ biggest A320 operator with nearly 400 A320 Family aircraft in service. Lufthansa was the launch operator of the A320neo. Manufacture of the first ACJ320neo[1] has begun, with elements taking shape across Europe and final assembly due to begin in June, followed by the first delivery of the “green” aircraft to Acropolis Aviation of the UK in the last quarter of this year.  A second ACJ320neo will follow by year-end.

Deliveries of the first ACJ319neo, for K5 Aviation, will begin in the second quarter of 2019, marking a further step in the creation of the new corporate jet family. Orders for the ACJ320 Family now total nine aircraft, comprising three ACJ319neo and six ACJ320neo aircraft.

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Boeing

Boeing Co.-backed startup Zunum Aero plans to deliver its first hybrid-electric plane in 2022 to JetSuite Inc., setting the stage for a new era in regional flying. JetSuite, a small charter airline with plans to expand a commercial operation nationally, eventually will receive as many as 100 aircraft that seat up to 12 passengers each, Zunum co-founder Matt Knapp said in a statement Monday. JetBlue Airways Corp. has invested in Zunum and JetSuite. The charter operator is also backed by Qatar Airways. The new aircraft will eliminate the roar of combustion-based engines, powered instead by twin propulsors attached to the rear of its frame. The ducted, or covered, fans will be driven by electric motors. A conventional fuel-powered motor will serve as a back-up system at the outset.

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Other News

• United is offering high-paying customers their own airport terminal
• Airbus has resolved its winglet dispute by making a large payment to Aviation Partners, so we understand – Aviation Partners Inc. – Wikipedia And, here is why they are in demand – Blended winglets rack up 7 billion gallons of jet fuel savings – Puget Sound Business Journal. And here is the end product – Airbus launches Sharklet retrofit for in-service A320 Family aircraft And, along the same line. Boeing’s Sci-Fi Foldable Wing Design for New 777s Gets Go-Ahead – Bloomberg
• Gogo and Iridium Communications sign a deal where Gogo will build Iridium Certus aviation terminals and develop a new global L-Band service for Business Aviation.
• Some of our readers will think this next link has nothing to do with IFE – and it doesn’t. What it is (and yes, it is aviation) will give the reader a great sense of what a trip from the Northwest US to Texas is on a small, single engine airplane. Its very good, and long, and includes some great photos of the journey with excellent descriptions of the experience. As Mr. Bogash notes: “Best set aside some serious time for a  look see, even a quick one.  Or … there’s always the Delete button.” Believe us, you  are going to learn a lot about aviation, history, geography, and Bob’s sense of humor.
• If you are into computers, this may interest you: Buggy software for computers in the early 1980’s had two recommended solutions: expanded complex software or the RISC set of simpler and faster instruction sets which were just the opposite. Read how two professors won the Turing Award in 2017 for their answer here: Rewarded for RISC | June 2018 | Communications of the ACM

 

Kirkland, WA | May 14, 2018– Innov8 Cabin Solutions (Innov8), a supplier of affordable and flexible cabin upgrade products, and Aero-Dienst, one of the leading full-service providers in European business aviation, announced today that they have entered into an Agreement naming Aero-Dienst as the launch Dealer in Europe for the debut of Innov8’s CABINFLEX (“CFLEX”) Products including its SIMPLICITY, COMMAND and CAST cabin control and entertainment product solutions.

Innov8’s CFLEX Products offer the business aviation sector robust, affordable cabin management and entertainment upgrade solutions that provide customers an exceptional experience in their current aircraft that exceeds current aircraft cabin systems. This is accomplished through adaptable products that address obsolescence issues with existing cabin entertainment and control systems while enabling the latest consumer electronic technologies through state of the art interface, control and communication solutions. Ultimately, these solutions provide an immediate and economical path to a “wireless” cabin entertainment and control for existing business aviation aircraft. All the CFLEX product lines can be installed independently, incrementally or as a full suite depending on the customer budget, timing and needs. The intelligent design of these solutions reduces woodwork, eases installation, and provides customers options to retain the functionality of their existing cabin products as they step their way through an upgrade path.

“Aero-Dienst was the ideal partner for our expansion into Europe given their technical capabilities, platform breadth and confidence to work with us on a much-needed solution for their customers. Our CFLEX products offers immediate and affordable upgrade options that can be accomplished in a way that truly differentiates these solutions versus traditional full cabin systems,’ said Jason Danforth, Business Development Leader for Innov8.

“In order to provide our customers with even better and innovative solutions and opportunities, we expanded our supplier network by gaining Innov8 as a new partner”, says André Ebach, Head of Maintenance at Aero-Dienst, Nuremberg.

• JetBlue Reveals First Complete Restyle of A320 Aircraft Interior Since Airline Launched in 2000, Bringing a Living Room-Comfort to the Sky
• JetBlue Goes All-In on In-Seat Connectivity and Customer Comfort With Larger Seatback TVs, More Channels, Streaming Entertainment, Free Gate-to-Gate High-Speed Internet, The Most Legroom in Coach®, and the Widest, Most Comfortable A320 Seats

New York | May 2, 2018–JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today formally unveiled its first Airbus A320 to undergo the airline’s fleet restyling, which is bringing an all-new interior to its A320 aircraft. The aircraft – tail N646JB named “Bravo Lima Uniform Echo” – operated its first scheduled flight today between Boston Logan international Airport (BOS) and Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA). True to its founding mission to bring humanity back to air travel, JetBlue’s restyled interiors boast the very best in customer comfort, connectivity and entertainment – creating an environment that feels more like lounging in your living room than flying at 35,000-feet.

“JetBlue’s A320 restyling is about making the best even better,” said Marty St. George, executive vice president commercial and planning, JetBlue. “JetBlue has built its innovative reputation on offering our customers the very best products and a level of service they won’t find on another U.S. airline and this update ensures we remain the go-to choice for flyers who expect nothing but the best.”

JetBlue’s A320 cabin restyling marks the first major overhaul the customer-friendly airline’s original fleet since launching in 2000. The industry-disrupting airline that first revolutionized flying with a refreshing reputation for its customer-focused approach, free snacks and signature live TV at every seat is creating a modernized experience based on customer preferences. For most of the airlines 101 destinations the A320 restyling will bring the first upgraded JetBlue product to their city in nearly 20 years.

A major focus of the restyling is keeping customers connected throughout their flight, including a new inflight entertainment system, high-definition seatback televisions, in-seat power outlets with USB ports and continued free gate-to-gate Fly-Fi high-speed internet.

“We are excited to partner with JetBlue on their plan to further enhance the customer experience,” said Jeff Knittel, Chairman & CEO, Airbus Americas, Inc. “JetBlue’s decision to upgrade to state of the art wireless connectivity and IFE will truly be a highlight to their customers. The A320 remains a market leader with JetBlue’s focus on customer comfort and innovative technologies. Airbus is proud to be a part of JetBlue’s success!”

Phased Restyling Schedule
The restyling will include two iterations of the design, with the 2018 model introducing features from the popular A321 interior and the 2019 and beyond model featuring an innovative seat design and inflight entertainment system unlike anything offered by U.S. airlines today.

For roughly the next nine months, JetBlue’s A320s will be restyled with the Rockwell Collins Pinnacle seat and LiveTV 4 entertainment options currently enjoyed by customers on the airline’s A321 aircraft.

In early 2019, JetBlue will transition to the restyling featuring the Rockwell Collins Meridian seat and Thales AVANT and ViaSat-2 products.

Introducing A Sleek and Smart Seat
In 2019, JetBlue will outfit its A320 aircraft with the Rockwell Collins Meridian seat, customized for the airline’s needs and featuring a number of design elements with customer comfort in mind:

• Expanded seat width offers more than 18 inches, the widest available for the A320.
• The most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (a).
• Enhanced cushion comfort.
• Adjustable headrests, a new feature for JetBlue’s A320.
• Contoured seatback design at knee level creates additional living space for every customer.
• Redesigned seatback stowage options, including an innovative elastic grid to accommodate a variety of customer items.
• At least two easily-accessible and repositioned power connections at every seat.

Exceptional Entertainment Options
Also in 2019, JetBlue will build on its reputation as an industry leader in inflight entertainment options with Thales AVANT and ViaSat-2 connectivity. With this system, JetBlue will offer customers aboard its restyled A320s expanded entertainment choices in nearly every region the airline flies.

• 10.1 inch, 1080P high definition screen at every seat.
• More than 100 channels of live television.
• Expanded collection of on demand movies, TV shows and video content, plus new gaming features.
• Destination-specific content allowing customers to enhance their travel experience.
• Picture-in-picture function.
• Enhanced, 3D flight map offering multiple ways to track time to destination.
• NFC paining turning personal handheld devices into remotes or gaming controllers.
• Expanded Fly-Fi connectivity, providing coverage to nearly the entire JetBlue network.

All About In-Air Ambiance
JetBlue’s A320 restyling also allows the airline to refresh the overall feel of the aircraft interior. New LED lighting will enhance the look and tone of the in-cabin ambiance and allow for a variety of lighting settings to increase customer comfort. New sidewalls and overhead bins will also be installed, as well as a variety of newly incorporated design elements throughout that will capture JetBlue’s unique style and personality.

Restyling Schedule
JetBlue expects to complete approximately a dozen A320 restyles by the end of 2018, with the ability to complete multiple aircraft each month by 2019. JetBlue’s so-called A320 classics will be restyled first. JetBlue’s overall A320 restyling is set to take approximately three years.

Often Copied, Never Duplicated
As JetBlue refreshes its A320 fleet the airline is also enhancing an additional element that cannot be matched anywhere else in the sky: the airline’s crewmembers.

JetBlue’s philosophy has always been to hire those who are passionate about providing great service. In 2017 the airline grew to include more than 5,000 inflight crewmembers. At the same time JetBlue made a commitment to provide every one of them with enhanced tools and training for more meaningful interactions with customers every day.

Building on the success of JetBlue’s specially trained Mint inflight crewmembers, the airline expanded its unique ‘JetBlue Promises’ training standards across the board, with every inflight crewmember on track to compete the program in 2018. JetBlue is committed to offering world-class hospitality experiences across the entire airline, on every flight and at every seat.

Multimedia
Please visit JetBlue’s Media Room to download and view additional images and video.

As anticipated, the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) on April 9, and the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) on April 10 thru 12 were the IFEC big deals last week. Each year we attempt to give readers a bit of an oversight about this week dedicated to the aircraft cabin and all things IFEC. This year was not different and for this week and next week, IFExpress will cover the show summary put out by the folks who organize this incredible extravaganza in Hamburg Germany each year. In today’s issue, we cover PEC (April 9) and Day 1 of AIX (April 10)  – next week we will send out the summary of Day 2 and 3 of the Expo. Here we go! 

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PASSENGER EXPERIENCE CONFERENCE

Monday April 9,  2018 – Passenger Experience Conference (PEC), the industry-leading global conference and networking forum, returned to the Hamburg Messe, marking the start of the world-renowned Passenger Experience Week (PEW). Exhibition Director, Polly Magraw kicked-off the day with a welcome to delegates attending the Conference, which defines the passenger experience. Following this, Richard Chung, Vice President Innovation & Design at Adient  took to the stage to discuss the exponential changes that are emerging and converging to create new opportunities for the aviation industry (see image above).

One such change, is the future introduction of commercial space flight at Virgin Galactic’s facility in New Mexico. Adam Wells, Head of Design, talked delegates through every stage of the process of the journey of a spacecraft, including a video of a recent test flight where the spaceship reached 82,000 feet.

Closing the plenary sessions, Paul Priestman, Director and Chairman of Priestman Goode, discussed how convergence of existing technologies, including magnetic levitation, can facilitate new forms of transport such as the Hyperloop.

For the rest of the Conference, PEC delegates could choose sessions from three streams: Convergence and Mobility, Personalizing the Journey and Flexible and Sustainable Thinking.

Convergence and Mobility:

• From seamless urban mobility to the on-demand economy, this stream explored how cross-pollination between transport modes can enrich the passenger experience and create business opportunities.
  • Arguing that millennials prioritize access over ownership, Jönna Pöllanen of MaaS Global introduced their new multi-modal transport planning and booking platform, ‘Whim’.
  • Sustainable materials were the focus of conversation between José Rui Marcelino of Almadesign, Joel Fragata of TAP Air Portugal and Luciana Ribeiro Monteiro of Embraer, while the Head of Partnerships & Advertising and Head of Product & Customer Experience at Joon told attendees about their new products and services being tested by Air France-KLM.

Personalizing the Journey:

• This stream explored how connectivity and data-driven technologies can improve the passenger experience and enable deeper relationships between an airline and its service partners.
  • Nathaniel Giraitis of design company SmartDesign told attendees about Kite, a newly-conceived digital travel companion that could provide nervous flyers with personalized coping techniques.
  • Representatives from gategroup and Black Swan Data shared their insights on how artificial intelligence and data collection can revolutionize inflight food, while seamlessness and the harmonization of software and content were the focal points of discussions between speakers from Panasonic Avionics, Cathay Pacific, Gogo, Valour Consultancy and Spafax.

Flexible and Sustainable Thinking:

• Examining how flexibility can be designed into products to afford more options for airlines and rail operators, this stream asks the question about the role sustainability plays in this equation.
  • Christina Fagin, Industrial Designer and Circular Economy Expert at Grüner Hering, emphasized the importance of ensuring that products have a full life-cycle and that environmental disposal is considered in the design phase in her key-note speech.
  • Later speakers from Boeing, Recaro, Zodiac Aerospace were among those who discussed the ways in which modularity and open platforms can support a more flexible approach to cabin design and services.

Polly Magraw, Event Director of Passenger Experience Conference, comments: “This year’s agenda offered delegates an insight into the future of transport and the technologies that are driving change for passengers. Our fantastic plenary speakers transported the audience through space, supersonic and electric air travel – a range of possibilities that now feel closer than ever before.”

“The breakout format of the conference let delegates explore the issues that are driving change in their industry and revolutionizing the passenger experience. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who continues to make the Passenger Experience Conference the huge success it is today.”

The PEC is the launch event for Passenger Experience Week – which comprises four leading events in one destination: the Passenger Experience Conference, the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) and, new for 2018, Passenger Technology Solutions.

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AIX DAY ONE – NEWS ROUND-UP

Tuesday, April 10 2018 – Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), the world’s largest event dedicated to innovation in the in-flight passenger experience, kicked-off as world leaders in cabin interiors, in-flight entertainment and passenger comfort gathered in Hamburg to showcase their latest products and developments.

Every year, exhibitors choose AIX to announce new products and deals, and 2018 got off to an impressive start with news from organizations including:

• Airbus announced the development of a new option for A380 aircraft, ‘A380 Cabin-Flex’. The enhancement, which consists of a new cabin door area arrangement on the upper-deck, is available for line-fit and retrofit, and will be installed on Qantas’ current A380 fleet from mid 2019.
• Thales announced the expansion of its inflight entertainment portfolio with CORE and PRESTIGE, offering a full spectrum of solutions and services to maximize passenger satisfaction, loyalty and airline revenue.
• Immfly announced a new partnership with Pegasus Air, to bring a dynamic in-flight digital services platform to the Turkish Market.
• Panasonic Avionics announced the debut of their new airline on-board loyalty platform, called NEXT Loyalty, with Singapore Airlines as launch customer, as well as a partnership with gategroup on their new retail platform NEXT Marketplace, and an IFEC commitment from Turkish Airlines for 50 wide-bodied aircraft.
• Gogo announced that Air Canada has extended its agreement to install the provider’s 2Ku in-flight connectivity service on its Bombardier CSeries CS300 fleet, with the system to be line-fit during assembly.
• Global Eagle Entertainment has launched the Airconnect Go video-on-demand system portable IFE system for regional aircraft, which streams content to passengers’ own devices through Global Eagle’s Airtime portal.
• Geven’s Essenza economy-class seat has been ordered by Wizz Air for the Airbus A321neos it will begin receiving in January 2019.
• Acro is to supply its Series 3 ST seat to Viva Air for the airline’s 50 Airbus A320 aircraft on order.

Delegates to AIX were also able to enjoy the first day of a series of educational sessions in the Flight Global Cabin Space Live Seminar Theater.

Consolidation and the interiors supply chain: Panelists discussed how consolidation among the cabin supply chain could provide an opportunity for agile new suppliers to enter the market, as well as the demand on suppliers to boost production while reorganizing supply chains.

The future of IFE: The panel of airlines and technology providers discussed the need for airlines to have the flexibility to provide choice to the passenger, with platforms that adapt to meet the fast pace of technology development. The need for robust and stable connections for streaming in the air to meet passenger demand is critical, with embedded IFE, wireless IFE and connectivity all being part of the future mix.

Flight Ascend Market Outlook Briefing: This briefing assessed where the industry is in the demand cycle. It examined whether Airbus and Boeing are on track to hit their ambitious production-rate targets and what the prospects are for new market entrants such as the C-Series, C919 and MC-21, and new product studies such as the Boeing NMA.

AIX’s Exhibition Director, Polly Magraw, comments: “AIX 2018 has launched with a busy and exciting day. It has been inspiring to see all the amazing innovations our exhibitors are showcasing and how they are bringing to life some of the key themes around the passenger experience we heard about in Monday’s Passenger Experience Conference.

Aircraft Interiors Expo is co-located with World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) and, new for 2018, Passenger Technology Solutions (PTS). Along with the Passenger Experience Conference the three expos make up Passenger Experience Week.

For further information please follow this link to Aircraft Interiors Expo

Well, AIX 2018 is finally upon us and the next 4 days promise to be an innovative rich and technology filled environment. Lets get started with a few pre-show news highlights.

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Astronics

Astronics Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems (AES), has been selected by multiple Asia-Pacific airlines to install the EmPower in-seat power and flight deck power systems. Several major airlines in Asia will install the EmPower systems from 2018 to 2025, including two Chinese low-cost carriers. These recent awards will place in-seat power within 500 additional narrow-body aircraft serving the Asia-Pacific region. The installations are scheduled on both Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

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Panasonic Avionics

Interested in the latest technological developments from Panasonic at this year’s AIX Hamburg? You can find out about Panasonic’s show offering here –

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Rockwell Collins

The Crystal Cabin Award recognizes excellence in aircraft interior innovation—the only international award of its kind. It’s a unique honor and this year, Rockwell Collins is a finalist in four categories: Visionary Concepts, Cabin Systems, Material & Components and Passenger Comfort Hardware. The category winners will be announced on Apr. 10, 2018, at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. The following aircraft interior solutions from Rockwell Collins are finalists:

Universal Passenger Seat interface (UPSi)

The cost to certify seats with differing advanced actuation and data sensing can be in the tens of millions of dollars in many sectors of transportation. The UPSi is a solution for autonomous transportation that transcends industries and provides a universal, standard seat interface applicable to aircraft, vehicles and trains. This Visionary Concept finalist aims to slash development costs and create synergies across the autonomous transportation industry.

Silhouette MOVE: A revolutionary cabin divider for all aircraft platforms, this Cabin Systems category finalist takes advantage of unused space between the divider and the seat in front of it. Bulkhead seated passengers get an additional one cubic foot of space, giving them more space to stretch their legs and place carry-on items.

Secant Luminous Panel: A finalist in the Materials & Components category, this micro LED lighting display is incorporated into the interior body and ceiling panels of the aircraft using flexible printed circuit boards. This solution enables airlines to adjust the lighting to improve sleep and the cabin’s appearance, and it provides the opportunity for airlines to uniquely brand their aircraft.

Valkyrie Bed:This is a new solution to an old problem—how to make a seat into a comfortable place to sleep. A Passenger Comfort Hardware finalist, business-class passengers get a more luxurious experience with a comfortable seat to work, eat and lounge. And when it is time to sleep, the seat folds away and a full-size mattress emerges from the console.

For more information about this year’s Crystal Cabin Award finalists, visit this site

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SkyLights/Emirates

The airline is providing an immersive cinematic experience in its lounges in Dubai International Airport by providing Skylights theater headsets (See above) to customers. The headsets are being trialed in the Business Class lounge in Concourse B for the month of April and in the First Class lounge in concourse B in May. The introduction of these innovative new headsets is part of Emirates’ continued commitment to improve the customer experience both on the ground and in flight. Offering a fixed-screen with a wide-angle field of view for 3D and 2D content, each Skylight theater headset weighs only 120g and offers a Full HD viewing experience. Its in-built sound and video allow customers to fully immerse themselves in what they are watching. The service is complimentary and Emirates plans to roll out the experience across all its lounges in Dubai if the trial is well received.

Dubai International Airport is home to seven Emirates lounges spread over three concourses – A, B and C. In each of the concourses there is a dedicated Emirates First Class and Business Class lounge. Entry is complimentary for those traveling in Business or First Class as well as Emirates Skywards Silver, Gold and Platinum members. Emirates Skywards Blue members can visit the lounge for a fee. Emirates has the largest network of airport lounges worldwide. In addition to the seven in Dubai, there are 34 other dedicated Emirates Lounges in major airports across the globe.

SkyLights/Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways has started trialing SkyLights Aero Virtual Reality (VR) entertainment technology at its flagship First Class Lounge and Spa and Business Class Premium Lounge, at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Terminal 3. The aim of the month-long trial is to gather customer feedback to determine the airline’s future lounge entertainment offering at Abu Dhabi’s state-of-the-art Midfield Terminal. The SkyLights ALLOSKY VR headsets deliver an immersive, HD resolution, cinematic experience in 2D and 3D, featuring intuitive technology for ease of use and noise cancelling headphones. Each set has a battery life of over six hours which allows for uninterrupted enjoyment from a catalogue of recent blockbuster movies, selected 360° short films, TV series, documentaries and children’s programming. Throughout the trial, Etihad staff will assist interested guests at dedicated areas within both lounges. Each session will end with a short manual questionnaire.

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PXCom

With the rapid growth of w-IFE solutions, the IFE/C industry has rapidly moved to the digital era. Now, even the seatback screens provide personal-device-like experience and beyond the legacy video & audio sections, all the other IFE sections can be significantly revamped to deliver a full digital experience, including engagement, personalization, and many other exciting features.

Meals Menus, Corporate Content & Destination Section – These are the three pillars – the initial use cases of PXCom’s end-to-end solution. “All the digital sections that we create intend to elevate the onboard experience by providing passengers with compelling content and to generate additional revenues for our airlines customers”, says Cyril JEAN, PXCom’s CEO. “For example, the interactive meals menu section can display the right content according to the seat class and route and encompass buy-on-board snacking options, as well as the ‘click and deliver’ features. As an example, an airline that intends to treat its premium passengers with a hand-picked wines & champagnes selection can offer to have their guests’ selection delivered directly to their home.” Since PXCom is a French company filled with wine and foodie lovers, they have absolutely no choice but to provide only THE VERY BEST of food and beverage highlights!

XPlore by PXCom, the sponsored inflight microsite factory –  PXCom’s technical wizards have extended XPlore by PXCom’s capabilities to enable brands and their media agencies to create their inflight microsites in full autonomy. As a result, they can deliver a customized digital inflight experience regardless of the type of IFE/C platform available onboard. Thanks to PXCom’s partnerships with most of IFE manufacturers (both seatback, w- IFE and IFC) those microsites are automatically uploaded during the airline’s media content update slot and are seamlessly integrated into the GUI. “We have been setting up XPlore’s sponsored inflight microsites on behalf of various customers now. The creation of the microsite is self-explanatory and very easy, thanks to the PXCom solution.”, states Christian SZABO, CEO of LASKER a major Cross Media Agency in Europe. “The integration of the microsite within the destination guide section offers advertisers the possibility for destination targeting in the IFE. By adding transaction-related elements, like downloadable voucher codes, advertisers are able 

LATECOERE, the world leading provider of Airborne Entertainment Cameras has selected PXCom to enrich its live external camera which streams high quality video from the aircraft exterior to passengers’ seatback screens using landscape camera technology. This move ensures a truly innovative way to boost the live camera experience!

Live contextual movement information in-flight  – Thanks to PXCom’s technology, passengers can now enjoy a multitude of points of interest related to places they pass by in the air. In real time, a short description that includes HD pictures and text is added to the live video stream that comes from LATECOERE’s landscape cameras. The new generation cameras provide 360° video streaming which is enhanced with software applications such as augmented reality prove to be really exciting for airline passengers.

Ancillary generator –  It goes without saying – as it’s the case with all PXCom’s solutions – airlines will be able to integrate advertising spaces which will be automatically filled with partners’ brands advertising material. Airlines’ media sales agencies can access PXCom’s back office to upload their campaigns and have them rolled out during the flight. LATECOERE’s vision is to maximize the added value provided to all Airborne Video Systems users and to boost ancillary revenue generation for its airline clients. The rational is to bring further investment into passengers’ inflight experience.

Live demonstration at the LATECOERE’s stand  – This exciting new inflight entertainment feature can be tested by all interested parties during AIX Hamburg 2018 at the LATECOERE’s stand #2E30. For further information on PXCom’s range of IFE solutions, we invite you to visit #3C30A during AIX Hamburg 2018.

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Other Stuff

• We asked Geoff Underwood, CEO at IFPL to tell us a little bit about what they will be showing at AIX and he told IFExpress: “As your IFExpress readers know, IFPL leads the way when it comes to designing power outlets.  With new consumer devices adopting USB-C as standard, IFPL will demonstrate how airlines can easily transition from USB Type-A to USB Type-C. As always, IFPL’s established range of audio and IFEC solutions will be on display and the expert team from IFPL will be on hand to discuss any requirements that your readers or visitors to AIX 2018 may have”.  Thanks Geoff!
• On Friday Boeing posted on their website that American Airlines has ordered 47 Boeing 787 Dreamliners with options to purchase 28 more of the long-haul jets. However, over the weekend Boeing has removed the news  from their site. Check out this article for the full story.
• We love it when someone gets ahead of the crowd – and this time it is Rick Lundstrom, Editor-in-Chief, PAX International – and he did it by putting out the Aircraft Interiors Expo Hamburg issue, before the show. Its a winner and here it is – PAX International AIX March/April 2018 by Global Marketing Company Ltd – Issuu
• Want to know if you have been hacked? Read through this story on the global future of Blockchain markets – Global blockchain market size is expected to reach $13.96 billion by 2022 | Technology Startups News | Tech News

AIX, Hamburg | April 2018– At the world’s leading trade show for aircraft cabins and passenger experience, the Aircraft Interiors Expo (10 – 12 April, Hamburg Messe, organised by Reed Exhibitions), global industry-leaders and regionally rooted suppliers alike will present new concepts and products — and it may not be long before passengers are encountering these concepts and products on board. The order books, especially for short and medium-haul airliners, are full, so there is sure to be a large contingent of airline customers at this key Hamburg trade fair. New models like the Airbus A321 LR, making new long-haul routes accessible for single-aisle aircraft, add to the current dynamics of the segment.

Whether the flight is short or long, more and more passengers expect to be able to stay online while airborne. The increased demand here is reflected by the floor plan, where the space allocated to in-flight entertainment and connectivity has grown yet strongly again. In fact, the whole aircraft interiors segment is booming. This year, according to the show organisers Reed Exhibitions, the Aircraft Interiors Expo has expanded to a new record in size, with the number of exhibitors having grown significantly once again as well. The spectrum of products on show ranges from seating rails to fully equipped First Class cabins.

Adding to the programme: Conference, sub-expos and a special flight

Once again, the Aircraft Interiors Expo is the main component in the “Passenger Experience Week”, starting with the Passenger Experience Conference on Monday, 9 April. The main expo is then flanked by the World Travel & Catering Expo (WTCE — leading trade show for in-flight catering) and, for the first time, Passenger Technology Solutions (trade show focusing on aviation-related IT services). All these events are taking place at at the Hamburg Messe convention site, and are organised by Reed Exhibitions.

The growing international importance of the show is also increasingly seen in the programme around the show itself: the airline Emirates is flying a Boeing 777 equipped with its new First Class cabin to Hamburg on Wednesday, 11 April in order to present the on-board product to selected partners in person.

Showdown of the aviation industry: the Crystal Cabin Awards

Also traditionally presented as part of the Aircraft Interiors Expo are the Crystal Cabin Awards. This industry prize, initiated by the Hamburg Aviation cluster and closely followed by the industry and media around the world, will be presented on the evening of 10 April in the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. In eight categories, the award honours the leading innovations of the year for aircraft operators and passengers. Amongst this year’s finalists are famous major players like Airbus as well as airline products from Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Information on the finalists is available at the Expo at a special exhibition in the Crystal Cabin Award Gallery (Hall B3 Upper). And at 11am on Thurs., 12 April, all the winners will present their innovations in person one more time — after which they are available for questions and interviews.

Aircraft Interiors Expo a “home game” for Hamburg

The scale of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region’s presence at the “local” trade show is appropriate for the most important location worldwide in the field of aircraft cabins. Aircraft manufacturer Airbus, for example, has concentrated its global development activities for aircraft cabins in Hamburg, and the company has a strong presence in Hall B5. With four finalists, Airbus is also looking at a very successful Crystal Cabin Award season this year – e.g. with the new “Airspace” cabin for the A320 range of aircraft.

For Lufthansa Technik, located in Hall B6, the show is an important event, too — and not only because of the activities in the exclusive VIP segment. The Hamburg company now supports every fifth commercial aircraft worldwide, and it is particularly expanding its activities in the so-called “retrofit” market. Every five or six years, an aircraft cabin has to be completely refurbished. With innovative business models such as aircraft seat leasing, the company is responding to a growing market.

Another heavyweight in the aircraft cabin segment is the family-run Diehl company. The third-largest industrial employer in Hamburg’s aviation industry produces galleys and toilets as well as complex cabin trims with baggage lockers. Diehl, too, is focusing on the high-demand “single-aisle” segment with its presence in Hall B7, and the company has a walk-through cabin model that shows just how much potential remains untapped in a single-aisle airliner.

Alongside the major international companies, SMEs have also always been well-represented at the Aircraft Interiors Expo. Dozens of small and medium-sized enterprises are active in the segment in the Hamburg region alone. They are particularly concentrated on the Hanse Pavilion, operated by the Hanse-Aerospace association in Hall B6, with more than 2,000 square metres of space and almost 100 exhibitors. As well as conventional suppliers, the site is also home to test laboratories and engineering service providers such as Altran. The French-headquartered company has massively expanded its Hamburg operations in recent years, turning the city into its global head office for aircraft cabin activities.

The Hanse Pavilion is also home to the Hamburg Aviation stand (6B90), a central point of contact for the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The aviation cluster is providing updates on Hamburg-related news from and during the trade show via Twitter, WhatsApp and the live ticker on the Hamburg Aviation Website.

London, UK | January 9, 2018–Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), the global event that showcases innovations in aircraft passenger experience, will return to the Hamburg Messe from 10^th – 12^th April 2018, for the 19^th annual AIX.

The leading event will host 500+ exhibiting companies, more than 1,200 airline buyers from 268 unique airlines and lessors and almost 14,000 visitors.

Over 30 new exhibiting companies including 3D Systems, General Aerospace GmbH and Vanema will join longstanding exhibitors such as Acro, Boeing, Gogo, Haeco, Inmarsat, Molon Labe, Panasonic Avionics and Thales.

The week will commence with the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) on Monday 9 April and is set to examine the impact of futuristic travel trends on the air and rail industries. Visitors to the event will hear from speakers including Rosalyn Gough, Cabin Quality Product Manager at Thomas Cook Group Airlines, José Rui Marcelino Chief Executive Officer of Almadesign and Raymond Kollau Founder or AirlineTrends. The event will also feature breakout sessions exploring Convergence and Mobility, Sustainability and Flexibility and Personalising the passenger journey, followed by the popular Industry Networking Party.

2018 will not only see AIX span a larger floor space, but introduce new and improved networking opportunities to ensure that attendees can easily initiate business discussions and maximise their time spent at the event.

Both visitors and exhibitors can enhance their show experience by using My Event on their mobile or desktop to build their own itinerary. The tool enables all attending AIX to create a personal list of must-see contacts and book meetings before and during the show, as well as tagging key products and CabinSpace Live sessions of interest.

Visitors to this year’s show will also have the opportunity to hear industry leaders discussing the latest trends and insights on the aircraft cabin, consolidation and the interiors supply chain and the future of IFE, in the Cabin Space LIVE Seminar theatre.

Polly Magraw, Event Director, Aircraft Interiors Expo comments: “As AIX approaches its milestone 20th anniversary in 2019, the 2018 show illustrates how the event has evolved to become a platform for companies right across the passenger experience sector, and the world’s largest event dedicated to aircraft interiors.

“For the thousands of influential airline buyers who attend the show each year, AIX covers the full spectrum of aircraft interiors from cabin design innovations to in-flight entertainment and connectivity. This enables our exhibitors to generate highly-targeted business leads and network with the who’s who of the aircraft interiors industry. For visitors, AIX is the perfect place to connect with the entire supply.”

AIX returns to join the Passenger Experience Week line up, comprising four leading events in one destination – the Passenger Experience Conference, AIX, World Travel Catering and On Board Services Expo (WTCE) and new to 2018, Passenger Technology Solutions. The new event will offer attendees a chance to discover and source the latest developments in passenger technologies from mobile initiatives, IT solutions, big data and analytics technology and payment technology suppliers – all enhancing the passenger experience.

With all Passenger Experience Week events being staged under one roof, the Hamburg Messe is the destination to discover the latest cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and connectivity, onboard technology, passenger comfort, catering and retail offerings to create the ultimate passenger experience.

For more information about Aircraft Interiors Expo please visit: http://www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com

Ried/Toulouse | 4 September 2017 — Airbus once again relies on high tech from FACC for its new “Airspace“ cabin in the A320 family: FACC AG has concluded a contract with Airbus for the delivery of the overhead stowage compartments and ceiling panels. The contract provides for a supply volume of more than 500 mill. euros. Thus, it successfully continues the decades of cooperation for the delivery of cabin interiors with the European aircraft manufacturer.

“In addition to a high level of comfort and sufficient space, the most important aspects of a passenger cabin are low weight, convenient handling, low operating costs and high reliability”, said Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC AG. “We strive to meet these requirements through consistent research work and by developing innovative and lightweight solutions creating more space in the cabin. With the new ‘Airspace’ cabin, Airbus offers its passengers an exceptional feel-good ambience. We are particularly happy that the Austrian high-tech enterprise FACC gets the chance to support this level of comfort by contributing technological advances for the A320 family.”

Apart from its unique aesthetics, the “Airspace” cabin concept launched by Airbus in the course of the Paris Airshow 2017 offers passengers a maximum of comfort and more space. The “Airspace” core elements “Ambience”, “Comfort”, “Services” and “Design” are part of Airbus’s passenger-friendly cabin development. Wider seats and aisles, atmospheric LED lighting, spacious entrance areas and lavatories featuring modern design, as well as bigger overhead stowage compartments make traveling on board of the Airbus aircraft more comfortable. According to the present contract FACC will develop, in close cooperation with Airbus, the so-called “Airspace XL Bins”, the biggest overhead stowage compartments in the category of short and medium-haul aircraft. Series production will start in 2018. The newly designed overhead stowage compartments will offer space for eight instead of previously five items of baggage. Furthermore, the luggage pieces may be up to 61 x 40.6 x 25.4 cm in size and thus significantly larger than before. In addition, FACC will deliver the ceiling panels, which, apart from their common function as paneling, will also provide for uniform illumination in the cabin. The task of FACC in the course of interior development is to implement the new Airbus cabin concept as best as possible and to ensure maximum luggage volume through new innovations. In this regard, Airbus can rely on FACC as a proven and reliable partner, who has been an interior supplier of Airbus since 2001 and who has co-designed the fourth generation of a new cabin layout for the A320 family, this time the “Airspace” cabin. FACC innovations such as the new and improved combination of different materials and manufacturing technologies enable FACC to offer, together with Airbus, a product with significantly increased stowage as well as improved component weight.

FACC is currently working on the detail development of the individual components. According to the contract, the first deliveries for the “Airspace” cabin will be supplied to Airbus in late 2018. From the beginning of 2019 onward, Airbus will offer the new “Airspace XL Bins”, for the A320 aircraft to the airlines as an alternative interior to the current versions, which are also manufactured by FACC. Owing to the great demand, the present order level of the A320 family – in its class, the A320 family is the most successful aircraft on the market – is more than 5,000 aircraft. Moreover, the airlines may order the new “Airspace” cabin also to be upgraded in existing aircraft, of which currently more than 7,300 are operated by airlines. “The success of the A320 family also substantially benefits FACC”, said Robert Machtlinger. “The high sales figures give reason to expect a high demand of new as well as upgrade cabins and thus additional contract volume for FACC. The utilization of the FACC Interiors division is thus ensured far beyond the year 2019, and FACC will more than fulfill its role as a job motor in Austria.”

Long Beach, CA | September 19, 2017–

In just one weeks’ time, over 3,000 visitors, 300 executive VIPs and 90 exhibiting companies will descend on the Long Beach Convention Centre for the three-day Aircraft Interiors Expo Long Beach (AIX).

Earlier this year, this leading fall event for the aerospace industry announced a long-term strategic co-location agreement with the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) in co-ordination with the International Flight Services Association (IFSA). Together, the co-located shows, which take place on one level in one location, will host over 500 exhibitors forming the largest passenger experience event in the fall and a must-attend event in the aviation industry calendar.

For the first time in 2017, AIX Long Beach will be a Smart Event. The innovative Smart Event technology, designed by Konduko, will enable AIX visitors to use their smart badge to easily collect information from exhibitor stands in one simple tap. At the end of each day, visitors will receive information from all the exhibitor stands they visited in one handy email, removing the need to carry paper brochures, catalogues and flyers. For exhibitors, the system acts as a virtual business card which drives lead generation and content distribution, enhancing the show experience and driving business value.

The innovations being showcased by exhibiting companies this year include the Avipeo social network for the aviation community, LIFT’s production-ready Tourist Class seat, Mirus’ next-generation economy class Hawk seating platform, Optimares’ brand-new premium lay-flat Maxima seat model and SkyPaxxx’s modular ready to install carpet Sky-Tiles.

AIX will feature the Airline Club Lounge (booth 2019) which is exclusively reserved for the 300 executives who will attend the show from 100 major carriers including American Airlines, British Airways, Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines. The complimentary Airline Club Lounge will provide a space for these executives to relax, work or network away from the show floor.

Verity Newton, Exhibition Manager at Reed Exhibitions, said: “AIX takes place against a backdrop of continued success for the aviation industry. The aircraft interiors market is set to be worth almost $30 billion by 2021, and is growing at 7% annually.

“Our co-location with APEX and IFSA is proving to be a great success, and we are confident that the show will be a fantastic experience for all our attendees, VIPs and exhibiting companies from around the world.” 

The Aircraft Interiors Expo Long Beach takes place from 26^th – 28^th September 2017. More information can be found here.

London, UK | July 26, 2017–  Reed Exhibitions, the organisers of Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) Long Beach, California, have announced that exhibition space at their fall expo is 90% sold, with almost 100 days still to go before the show commences.

In February, Reed Exhibitions and the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) announced a long-term strategic co-location agreement for the fall expo event in co-ordination with the International Flight Services Association (IFSA).

This year’s event will take place from 26-28th September 2017 at the Long Beach Convention Centre, California, and is the only fall event dedicated to the Passenger Experience Industry. The events will welcome more than 300 exhibitors from a wide range of renowned companies exhibiting at AIX Long Beach and APEX, including Acro Aircraft Seating, Avio Interiors, Diehl, Gogo, Inmarsat, Isovalta, Panasonic, Geven, Thales to name just a few.

Over 30 unique airlines such as; Etihad Airways, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and many more from across the world are already confirmed to attend with many more expected to register in the run up to the show.

Katie Murphy, Senior Exhibitor Director at Reed Exhibitions, said: “To have virtually all of the exhibition space already sold is testament to the growing popularity of the fall event dedicated to the passenger services industry.

“AIX Long Beach brings together APEX, IFSA and AIX into a powerful partnership and to have generated so much interest already gives us great confidence that it is quickly becoming established as the must-attend event for the passenger experience industry in the fall.”

The co-located passenger experience event is the largest in the fall, showcasing the latest innovation, technologies and products in the industry, such as galleys, lighting, cabin management systems, IFEC and passenger services.

AviationGlass & Technology unveils its new glamourously coloured Bronze, Gold and Rose Gold AeroGlass Mirrors

EBACE 2017, Geneva, Switzerland | May 22, 2017– AviationGlass & Technology (AGT) – a Dutch company specialized in the research, development and production of glass products for the aviation industry – today announced the launch of its new range of glamourously coloured AeroGlass Mirrors for aircraft interiors. The new bronze, gold and rose gold AeroGlass Mirrors are designed to enhance style and decoration possibilities inside the cabin on both commercial and business aircraft. As with all AeroGlass products, the new glamourous mirror range can be cut into any shape and integrate special lighting as well as touch screen features for a superior on-board experience.

AeroGlass is the world’s only certified ultra-thin and lightweight glass product for aircraft interiors. It is up to 50% thinner and 25% lighter than traditional polycarbonate products yet highly robust as well as scratch and UV-resistant. Cost of ownership and maintenance are significantly reduced due to the product’s high level of durability and resistance to scratching when cleaning and handling. AeroGlass Mirrors are available in any colour and when combined with integrated lighting features provide high quality branding and luxurious personalization opportunities.

John Rietveldt, AviationGlass & Technology’s CEO, said, “Our striking new bronze, gold and trendy rose gold coloured AeroGlass Mirrors immediately add a touch of glamour inside any cabin. The beautification of aircraft interiors with high quality glass products enables commercial airlines and business jet owners to stand out with a new level of on-board luxury. In terms of aircraft interior design, our new glamourous AeroGlass Mirror is set to become the new must-have item.”

United Kingdom | November 4, 2015– Airline Services Interiors, the dedicated interiors division of Airline Services Ltd has completed the design and integration of Panasonic’s next generation eX3 In-Flight Entertainment system into the first of 18 British Airways Boeing 747 aircraft. The upgrade, which took nine months to complete, features on all classes of passenger seating from World Traveller (economy) through to First Class. It is anticipated that all 18 Boeing 747’s will be refitted by August 2016.

Led by Lenny Gray, Head of Engineering, Airline Services Interiors was responsible for the design, and integration of the new Panasonic IFE mod kits into all classes of cabin seat, design and manufacture of the seat mod kits as well as certification of the mod kits into the seats. Airline Services Interiors worked with British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC) who carried out aircraft installation work and Zodiac NAT who certified the installation into the aircraft.

Following the inaugural flight in September, British Airways passengers were treated to a choice of over 1500 hours of entertainment programming on larger, hi-resolution screens featuring tablet style touch and swipe controls. As an added advantage, the lightweight design of the system also helps to save fuel.

As part of the upgrade, Airline Services Interiors has integrated new universal power sockets on every seat in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) together with individual USB sockets to allow customers to power their phones and tablets.

The cabin interiors of the British Airways 747s have also been refreshed so they match those on the airline’s new A380 and 787 aircraft and Airline Services Interiors has developed new fitted seat covers to improve comfort and appearance.

Lenny Gray said: “We are extremely pleased to have completed the first new IFE integration with the support of our colleagues at British Airways, Panasonic and Zodiac NAT. We are delighted with the results. British Airways passengers can now enjoy the benefits of many hours of programming on the newly installed entertainment system not to mention the comfort and elegance of the newly refreshed interior.”

Trial integration and First Article seat build was carried out at Airline Services Interiors Passenger Seating Centre of Excellence, which is co-located with the design and manufacturing teams in Manchester, UK. Airline Services Interiors is supporting the seat modification programme by British Airways Interiors Engineering at its facility in Blackwood, Wales where the first aircraft was refurbished by British Airways.

We heard from a few companies about what they will be showing at the Aircraft Interiors Conference in Hamburg Germany, March 31 thru April 2. See the details. From an IFE perspective, you should go to this show! Not only is it the “other” IFE showcase, it is the biggest airplane interiors show in the world. There are lots of cheap fares, cheap hotel rooms and the show is free to visit and walk thru the displays. With respect to the show itself, we will be covering it in a new way so keep checking our new web presence… ’nuff said.  

While there, here are a few tips we gleaned: 1. Don’t miss VT Miltope, not only will they be rolling out a new broadband service, they have a BIG DEAL partner. 2. Both IMS and digEcor promise new portable entertainment options that sound very interesting, 3. No doubt, Lumexis will showcase a smaller in-seat HD module. 4. We hope and pray Panasonic brings back the massage chairs! 5. Thales has a 3D product that appeared in demo form at the WAEA last fall but we want to see a new product based on that technology. We are expecting advances in seat weight technology; new, smaller IFE devices that marry portable technology with imbedded mounting and power; a new wireless connectivity entrant; and a new IFE supplier. We are also wondering if digital projection will ever make a comeback because the projection hardware has become much more reliable, lower in weight and size as well as costs. It will also be interesting to see next phase in fiber optic IFE development from Sicma/Zodiac. 

Almost finally, a wireless caller asked if we were going to run some news this week or more of that “portable IFE legal wrangling stuff” again? “Yes and No” was our answer. Here is a link to a response from digEcor about the recent court ruling between them and e.Digital. And finally, here is a link to the Temporary Operating Ticket from Row44 to put that one to bed too.

See you at AIX!