AIX 2024 - Q&A with Event Director Polly Magraw

• What’s new for 2024 at the show? Any new panel sessions, fringe conferences or talks in addition to the main event?

The highly anticipated Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) will return to the A-Halls of the Hamburg Messe on 27 May, the day before AIX officially opens. The programme will follow the overarching theme of ‘Innovating tomorrow’s travel experiences’, the title of the day’s opening plenary session. The afternoon will consist of three streams: ‘Future Now’, the passenger experience initiatives already underway, ‘Future Connected’, considering multimodal travel solutions and how the air travel experience should fit within collaborative and connected ecosystems’ and ‘Future Efficient’, featuring fresh perspectives on how to maximise the efficiency of delivering a future seamless passenger experience and lowering the industry’s resource footprint.

Global communication satellite provider, Viasat, in partnership with AIX, is hosting a special ‘Women in Aviation’ luncheon panel discussion. The session, titled Next-gen aviation: The technologies and leaders paving the way, brings together three prominent female leaders: Julieta McCurry at Delta Airlines, Helga Huld Bjarnadóttir at Icelandair, and Michelle Munoz-Talcott at Viasat. Attendees will be able to hear Julieta, Helga and Michelle explore a number of current issues in the boardroom, the challenges faced by the industry, and the pivotal technologies set to transform aviation’s future.

Hamburg Aviation is also relaunching its ‘Young Talents Campaign,’ initially introduced in 2023, to address industry skill shortages by engaging young talents and fostering their interest in aviation.

• Any new zones or themes for this year’s event?

The 2024 edition will place an emphasis on sustainability, with industry leaders discussing ways to contribute to aviation’s sustainability targets and examine net-zero goals. AIX’s net zero carbon events pledge involves activities such as recyclable carpets, recyclable badge holders, and more digital options. Industry leaders, Nico den Ouden, Chief Innovation Officer and GM seating at Gen Phoenix, Gary Doy, Founder and Managing Director at Doy Design, and Sabeti Wain Aerospace will explore how airlines and seat manufacturers can rethink traditional processes to pioneer sustainability and redesign aviation’s circular future.

The IFEC Zone enables visitors to easily find the latest advancements and solutions in in-flight entertainment and connectivity; future-proofing the cabin for future generations. This year, the zone will reflect the industry’s growing focus on LEO satellite solutions, offering airlines and passengers the potential for higher bandwidth, lower latency, and a seamless in-flight experience.

There is also an increased focus on accessibility, with several discussions in the programme centred around the passenger experience for the disabled community, and how it can be improved. At PEC, for example,aviation accessibility experts Christopher Wood, Flying Disabled, and Roberto Castiglioni, Reduced Mobility Rights, will join a representative from Boeing to discuss initiatives improving the inflight experience for travellers with disabilities.

Over 50 exhibitors will gather in the IFEC zone, including industry leaders like Panasonic, Viasat, Hughes, Eclipse, and Telesat LEO. These companies are at the forefront of developing and deploying innovative connectivity solutions, leveraging both GEO and LEO satellite technologies to ensure reliable and efficient in-flight internet access.

Furthermore, Aeroplay will demonstrate how it delivers tailored content for airlines, while ThinKom will showcase its advanced antenna solutions. Also joining the IFEC Zone, newcomer Gladi8tor, alongside partner Inflight Media Digital, will present its gaming entertainment ecosystem for the modern traveller, and Airfi will offer its 2023 Crystal Cabin award-winning LEO connectivity solution.

• Have any of the exhibitors indicated that they will be bringing or launching anything exciting or new?

A total of 42 new exhibitors across Europe, the USA, and Asia will join AIX this year, bringing the total up to 446 participants. Like previous years, the three-day event will be filled with new products and technologies for visitors to explore. Teledyne will bring its award-winning ACES® Cabin Air Monitoring System which reduces operational costs for airlines. Specialists in thermoplastic materials, Simona Boltaron, will offer innovative lightweight cabin interior applications, while Muirhead will display its new LightCore™ leather range which is 33% lighter than standard leather. Lantal provides an alternative approach to sustainable cabin seating materials, with its new natural leather using wet-green® tanning process to reduce water consumption during the manufacturing process.

In line with AIX’s recognition of inclusive and accessible travel, leading companies, such as Airchair and Operational Aviation Solutions, bring their innovative solutions to the show floor. Airchair’s lightweight and compact transfer system assists passengers with reduced mobility when boarding and disembarking. Meanwhile, Operational Aviation Solutions will debut the world’s first functionally touchless lavatory door, demonstrating advancements in accessibility.

• It would be good to get a few direct quotes from the organisers about the event.

Polly Magraw, Event Director of Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), said: “2024 is expected to be a year of growth for airlines and businesses from across the global cabin interiors supply chain, which is why we are proud to welcome new and returning exhibitors to the show this May. AIX remains the most important forum for the biggest airlines and members of the supply chain to come together, and we look forward to holding an event that brings some of the most pressing trends in our industry to life with focussess on passenger experience, sustainability, accessibility, and more.”