Aircraft Interiors Expo: a Preview of Tomorrow’s Passenger Experience April 5-7 2011
An insight into the future of flying – from the ‘wow’ factor to the practical and energy saving – will be on show next week during the world’s largest dedicated cabin interiors exhibition. Aircraft Interiors Expo takes place from 5 to 7 April at the Hamburg Messe in Germany and visitors are already anticipating seeing some ground-breaking new concepts in everything from seat design to inflight entertainment.
A futuristic seat concept, called Not For Wimps (NFW), has been created to give passengers an intense and stimulating in-flight gaming experience. Seat manufacturer Contour Aerospace teamed up with Factorydesign to produce this prototype, which is both technologically advanced but also reflects social changes in the way passengers want to spend their time during a flight. The design is currently at the concept stage but has been produced to prompt debate within the industry, according to Contour Aerospace.
Other concepts on show will include the Super Diamond luxury seating concept from B/E Aerospace and, for the economy cabin, the company’s Pinnacle seat with an integrated iPad on the back.
Designs to refurbish existing aircraft fleets will also be in evidence. Heath Tecna will be unveiling an interior upgrade system to retrofit existing Boeing B737s and B757s. This new look, on show for the first time anywhere, features contemporary styling, increased baggage capacity, improved bin loading, ease of access to seats and LED lighting.
Other innovative new products being demonstrated include a drinks trolley that could revolutionise the way beverages are served on board aeroplanes. The Sky-Tender has been developed by SkyMax and Air-Eltec Luftfahrtelektrik and can produce up to 30 different drinks including tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine and beer – at the touch of a button. The system has excellent green credentials because it will significantly reduce the amount of bottles and cans that are traditionally needed for each drinks service. Less waste means a saving on weight and also frees up storage space on board. It also means a speedier service – drinks are delivered quickly by the automated system – and airline staff no longer need to rummage around in trays looking for a passenger’s preference.