AIX shows aircraft interiors are a strategic priority for global airlines

Airline CEOs, procurement leaders, engineers, and passenger experience specialists from across the globe converged at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), making it clear that innovative, novel cabin solutions are now central to how commercial airlines compete and connect with passengers.

The presence of so many high-level individuals at the event April 8-10, 2025 sent a clear message – innovation in aircraft interiors is not just a design choice, it's a strategic priority.

Over three days, AIX welcomed representatives from 170 airlines, with more than 13,000 attendees exploring cutting-edge products and services to revolutionize cabin interiors during the coming years.

Explaining the value of the show, Shoaib Ahmed, technical procurement manager at Riyadh Air, commented: “We recently ordered 72 787's and 60 A21's, so we came to AIX to find the best products for our new aircraft. The show has been very insightful, especially in meeting IFE providers, and I was very impressed with the R&D on display this year.”

Chris Hulbert, cabin performance technical team leader at British Airways, added: “What’s great is that you get to meet smaller companies we haven’t heard much about, and there are real gems in there. You’d never find them just from emails. The beauty of it all being under one roof is you can block out three days and tick off a lot.”

Nutsupang Pitakapan, aircraft project development at Thai Airways International Public Company, said: “Thanks to visiting AIX we are now considering new suppliers that we didn’t even know about before coming to the show. We have come away with new ideas and knowledge of technologies that we had not heard about.”

The place for major announcements

The show began with major announcements from some of the aircraft interiors industry’s leading players, including Airbus, Collins Aerospace, Insperial, Panasonic Avionics, Recaro Aircraft Seating, and Thales.

In-flight entertainment and connectivity at AIX continued to be a sector driven by innovation. On the opening day, Airbus and Panasonic Avionics announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which signified a pivotal moment for the future of connected aircraft. Subject to a definitive agreement later this year, the partnership will explore leveraging Panasonic’s next-generation in-flight entertainment (IFE) hardware and software server platform, Converix, to co-develop Airbus’ future Connected Aircraft platform.

Tim Sommer, Airbus' VP of the Connected Aircraft program, stated: "Panasonic Avionics' experience as a world-leading IFE provider, combined with Airbus' experience as a world-leading aircraft OEM and integrator of digitally-enabled end-to-end operations, brings together the best of both worlds. This will benefit both airlines and their passengers.”

Viasat, a global leader in satellite communications and In-flight Connectivity (IFC), also announced its next-generation solution for commercial aviation, Viasat Amara. Powering the new IFC solution are innovations in core satellite network design, hardware advancements, and a suite of digital products, all of which provide scalability that will enable airlines to differentiate and future-proof their onboard passenger experience.

Accessibility remains a key focus

Collins Aerospace strengthened its commitment to accessible air travel by revealing significant updates to its Prime wheelchair seating solution. Focused on improved accessibility, functionality and flexibility, the updated Prime system now features a "custom transformable monument" that seamlessly transitions between a fully equipped passenger amenity station for electric wheelchair users and a crew service area.

Addressing enhanced accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility and visual impairments, Diehl Aviation unveiled significant advancements in lavatory design at AIX. For visually impaired travelers, the aircraft interiors manufacturer presented new lighting scenarios within the lavatory, employing contrast and highlighted signage to aid in locating essential components such as the faucet and soap dispenser. Complementing this, the lavatory incorporates braille characters and a synthetic voice system that audibly identifies features like the flush push-button. Additionally, it also displayed an innovative twinning lavatory concept that allows cabin crew to fold away the partition between two lavatories, creating space for a passenger and their wheelchair.

Preparing for eVTOL flights

In addition to revealing its latest range of products and innovative technologies, aimed at redefining passenger comfort and premium quality, Recaro also revealed an eVTOL seating solution for the first time, alongside Embraer spin-off Eve Air Mobility. Utilizing lightweight materials, such as high-grade aluminum, titanium, and composite materials, the seat maintains minimal weight, enabling energy-efficient flight operations.

In other aircraft interiors news

Insperial used AIX as a platform to announce its acquisition of fellow exhibitor MGR Foamtex, a leading UK-based manufacturer specializing in interior soft goods and advanced passenger upholstery systems, which now sits alongside its other sister companies, Perrone Leather and Adhetec.

Exploring the key trends at CabinSpace Live

AIX again provided an opportunity to understand the trends shaping the cabin of tomorrow. The two-day CabinSpace Live program featured leaders from Boeing, Cirium, Hughes, Flightpath 3D, and more, with conversations and panel discussions covering passenger experience, IFE, sustainability, connectivity, and cabin interiors.

Connected cabin: Making the most of artificial intelligence brought together an expert panel exploring the vast potential of connected cabin technologies for airlines. From areas including IFE, MRO, and enhanced passenger personalisation, the numerous opportunities for airlines to leverage AI within the connected cabin environment to improve efficiency and the overall passenger experience were made clear to the audience.

Day two revealed an exclusive look at how the fleet and interiors market will evolve over the next decade, including global fleet forecast, interior market trends, challenges and production forecasts, as well as touching on how new global tariffs could impact airlines and demand for concepts.

With this year’s Crystal Cabin Awards winners revealed during AIX, visitors to the show were able to get a deeper understanding of the innovative aircraft interior concepts during a series of presentations from the people behind the solutions.

Among the most popular presentations, were Diehl’s fully recyclable overhead storage Eco Bin that is set to advance sustainable travel; an in-flight entertainment system developed by Tongji University that uses compact projectors and gesture recognition in place of traditional seatback screens to project content on tray tables, windows, or wherever passengers want to watch; and Cathay Pacific, JPA Design, and Reaktor’s groundbreaking IFEC Aria Suite which features an in-seat interface that allows passengers to check lavatory availability without getting up – a longstanding aim of cabin system designers.

Discussions at PEC

The knowledge sharing and future gazing discussions were not limited to the AIX show floor. The Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) preceded AIX with a full day of speaker sessions and panels discussing the future of passenger experience innovation and solutions.

This year’s PEC covered three main areas – Collaboration Initiatives, Engagement Initiatives and Transformation Initiatives. Of particular interest to attendees were session on how the aviation and rail sectors can learn from one another, with an insightful roundtable discussing how to evolve the passenger experience.

Insights into accessible travel highlighted how public transport for those with hidden or visible disabilities remains an uncomfortable experience.

Continuing the theme of accessibility was innovation within the cabin, particularly when it comes to bringing wheelchairs onboard.

While much of the eVTOL development landscape seems geared towards smaller, luxury air taxis, Sora Aviation showcased a future where eVTOL travel is inclusive, envisioning safe, rapid, and comfortable journeys for a broader public. The company’s Sora S-1 prototype was digitally presented, a 30-seat eVTOL bus for urban transit, promising more affordable fares and a familiar passenger experience.

Diversity, equity and inclusion in aviation

The "Women in Aviation Leaders Panel" featured prominent women leaders from across the aviation industry who shared their insights on balancing strategic vision with core values to drive impactful innovation and success.

Onward to AIX 2026

Archana Dharni, event director of AIX, said: “The quality of conversations, from business meetings to informational seminars, has been outstanding this year. We’ve welcomed familiar faces, alongside newcomers, and seen many unveilings and product launches. All in all, it has reminded us that AIX is the place to be for the aircraft interiors industry. We look forward to next year, seeing what’s in store for the next generation of aircraft interiors.”

Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2026 will take place in Halls B1-B7 at the Hamburg Messe, Germany, April 14-16, 2026.