Anyone who has traveled on a plane lately (or who has tuned into the news during the last 18 months) knows that air travel looks very different than it did at the beginning of 2020. To make the necessary accommodations to keep passengers and crew members as safe as possible during the global pandemic, every part of the aviation ecosystem has adapted to address shifting needs and expectations, including cabin interiors. Recently at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2021 (AIX 2021), aviation experts gathered virtually to discuss efforts in the cabin to improve safety, sustainability, and the overall passenger experience.
Captured here are a few of the key moments from AIX 2021 and some of the overarching themes that industry leaders should be keeping top-of-mind:
A wide array of industry voices joined the conversation to discuss their lessons learned and best practices with regard to adapting to the pandemic. In one such session, British Airways, Play Airlines, and Norwegian airline Flyr shared their insights and spoke to the emergence of new airlines in the wake of the pandemic.
Naturally, hygiene and cleanliness remain top of mind for those across the aviation ecosystem, particularly in the cabin. Inmarsat and other leaders covered the rise of touchless solutions in the cabin and how it’s modernizing the passenger experience.
Of course, the pandemic impacted the aviation ecosystem in a broader sense than just tangible cabin solutions. Leaders at Inmarsat spoke to the accelerated adoption of digitalization throughout aviation being driven by the more pressing need for data analysis.
With such notable improvements and upgrades taking place in aviation in response to COVID, it makes sense to simultaneously discuss environmentally driven improvements to the aviation ecosystem. Trends around more sustainable practices like embracing urban air mobility were among the hot topics at AIX 2021.
While AIX 2021 was not able to take place in person this year, it didn’t stop the critical exchange of ideas among aviation leaders to keep pushing the industry forward and striving for a superior cabin experience.
Until next year!
