We’re starting a little build-up as we head towards the Passenger Experience Week and Aircraft Interiors Expo 2019.
Today, I’m going to look at connectivity and entertainment – and the IFEC Zone at Aircraft Interiors Expo & The Passenger Experience Week. This is a good three halls across, with suppliers around the world moving in for the week.
With over 100 suppliers due to attend, it’s normally a hive of activity (and it’s one of the places you’ll find me between meetings as I roam from booth to booth, checking on stories and developments as the year progresses ahead.
This is the home traditionally of Panasonic Aviation, BlueBox Aviation Systems, Gogo, Thales – as well as names you may not be familiar with, but have interacted with their equipment (for example, SITA OnAir, Empower and so on)
Gogo 2Ku dome at Aircraft Interiors Expo
And it’s a big part of the industry too – with the ability to drive revenues and ancillary revenues increasing – with an estimated US$82.2bn across the airline industry, accounting for almost 11% of global revenue
What topics will we see?
The emergence of Virtual Reality is predicted to make another splash this year, however (with Skylights showing off their immersive product as a seat fittable product, or wireless version) – there will the core items – Seat-back systems and connectivity.
Stelia Aerospace Opal with Skylights AlloSky integrated at APEX Expo.
To those who think seat-back systems are a relic of the past- there’ some interesting IATA research that revealed that 54% of passengers would choose to watch digital content on a seat-centric system, rather than their own device (36%).
Companies like digEcor will also be demonstrating products, and it’s a great way for an airline to get a hands-on with its new GLIDE embedded IFE system
Meanwhile, companies like Panasonic and Thales will be looking to ecosystems with Panasonic’s NEXT platform and Thales InFlyt 360 – a driver for ancillary revenue.
The Panasonic NEXT EcoSystem.
Thales AVANT in action, the end-user point of InFlyt 360
With the Passenger Technology Solutions show moving from the A halls to the Upper B halls too, it brings technologies and solutions within touching distance of each other.
This leaves the A Halls at the Hamburg Messe to remain the home of the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services show (something I mean to keep visiting each year… but run out of editing time as always).
End of a busy day at the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Show.
In quotes
Polly Magraw, Event Director of AIX, said:
“The passenger experience industry continues to undergo a transformation, driven by passenger expectations and new technological innovations. From improved in-flight entertainment and connectivity to the opportunities to use data to personalise the service provided onboard and drive ancillary revenue. We look forward to welcoming representatives from the leading airlines to Hamburg from 1-4 April to help them redefine the future of the passenger experience industry.”
If you’re in the aviation and passenger experience fields, this is a week that can’t be missed.
Registration and further information can be found at www.passengerexperienceweek.com
Will Economy Class and Beyond be at Passenger Aircraft Interiors Expo?
It’s an interesting show, so yes – I will be attending Aircraft Interiors Expo 19 (and providing I can get there fast enough from Chicago – the Passenger Experience Conference too).
I’m planning my usual show coverage (Headlines and announcements from the show) as well as the in-depth analysis, in the weeks after.
As usual, I will be opening my inbox to media requests, meetings, innovation and the slightly different – from both the bigger and smaller exhibitors.
Editors notes and disclosures:
- Images: Economy Class and Beyond Archive. Header, Passenger Experience Week.
- Some content for this article was provided by Storm Communications
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, with in-depth coverage, unique research as well as the humour and madness as I only know how to deliver.
Follow me on Twitter at @EconomyBeyond for the latest updates! You can also follow me on Instagram too!
Also remember that as well as being part of BoardingArea, we’re also part of BoardingArea.eu, delivering frequent flyer news, miles and points to the European reader.