Polly Magraw, exhibition director of Aircraft Interiors Expo looks ahead to what visitors can expect to see at this key event in the aerospace calendar.
From 10-12 April, the 19th annual Aircraft Interiors Expo will once again return to the Hamburg Messe. Over the three days of AIX, the show will open its doors to over 500 exhibiting companies, more than 1,200 airline buyers from 268 unique airlines and lessors and 14,000 attendees.
The remarkable evolution of the show since its conception nearly 20 years ago is testament to the strength of the global aviation and aircraft interiors industries. Spending on cabin interiors is projected to exceed $2 billion for narrowbody and widebody aircraft in 2026 - double the amount spent in 2016 - according to data from ICF in London.
In the wider industry, there has been a notable growth in overall revenue passenger kilometres in the Asia-Pacific region. Airlines based there now fly more than one-third of total RPKs of any region, up one-fifth from the early 90s. Moving into 2018, IATA forecasts that overall revenues will continue to rise to reach $824billion, up 9.4% from 2017. Similarly, the industry trade body predicts that passenger numbers will increase 6% to reach $4.3bn.
Staying connected
Against this positive economic backdrop, and with the show now approaching its 20th year, it is firmly established as the world-renowned place to see the full spectrum of aircraft interiors from cabin design innovations to in-flight entertainment and connectivity in one location and under one roof. The IFEC Zone now claims the crown as the world’s largest event dedicated to inflight entertainment and connectivity, as well as content and service providers.
According to a recent report, the IFEC market is projected to grow from an estimated USD 3.18bn in 2016 to $.91bn by 2022. Many airlines across the globe now regard IFEC as a core part of their brand and as an area for continual investment. These carriers are also placing increasing importance on IFEC as a source of ancillary revenue and it is estimated that it generated a total of $82.2bn in 2017.
In the IFEC Zone and throughout the Messe, visitors to the show will be able to see 30 new exhibiting companies alongside those who are returning, and some who have been with us since the first event in Cannes. For those visitors wanting to source new ideas and inspiration on a variety of pressing issues facing the aircraft interiors sector in the years ahead, AIX will also host CabinSpace LIVE Seminar Theatre. The hugely popular sessions will take place on 10–11 April in Hall B3 Upper with speakers from companies and institutions including Bluebox Aviation, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and Lufthansa AG all set to take the stage.
Adjacent to CabinSpace LIVE Seminar Theatre, will be the Crystal Cabin Awards Gallery. The awards, dubbed the ‘Oscar’s of the aviation industry’, will be hosted on 10th April with prominent manufacturers and major industry players all present on the awards shortlist. For those who are not able to attend the awards, the winners will present their winning concepts to the AIX audience in the CabinSpace LIVE Seminar Theatre at 11am on 12th April.
As part of the wider Passenger Experience Week (PEW) which takes place from 9–12 April at the Hamburg Messe, visitors will be able to access four events: The Passenger Experience Conference (PEC), AIX, World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) and new to PEW in 2018, Passenger Technology Solutions (PTS).
Commencing on 9th April, the PEC will host a range of high-profile speakers from across the passenger experience industry. This year, speakers will explore the theme of ‘next generation transport and new frontiers for the passenger experience’. Those in attendance, including dozens of C-Level executives from airlines, will hear from companies including; AirlineTrends, Embraer, Joon, KLM, Norwegian, Recaro Aircraft Seating, Thomas Cook Group and Virgin Galactic.
