The Airborne Oscars

An independent competition decided by an expert jury with presentations at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, the awards are “an institutionalised stage for innovation from the industry, for the industry,” says Lukas Kaestner, from the business coalition running the show.

Eight categories, evolving from an initial six awards, are currently up for grabs:

>> Cabin Concepts
>> Cabin Systems
>> Greener Cabin, Health, Safety & Environment
>> Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity
>> Materials and Components
>> Passenger Comfort Hardware
>> University
>> Visionary Concepts

The diversity within each category can be astounding: in the Greener Cabin, Health, Safety & Environment finals this year were a new series of restraints for Air New Zealand’s Skycouch, a UV LED water disinfection unit from interiors powerhouse Diehl Aviation, and an air purification system from Panasonic Avionics called nanoe, which the Japanese conglomerate has previously used in applications including hairdryers and air-conditioners.

“The CCAs are a great motivating factor for engineers around the world,” Kaestner says. “Even small companies and start-ups have the chance to get noticed on an international stage thanks to the CCA. It also helps spur innovation in larger companies as they get more inclined to work out visionary concepts to submit at the awards, all for gaining attention in the field. ” The rockstars of cabin interior design and engineering have won the Crystal Cabins: Delta Air Lines’ partnership with Thompson Aero Seating and Factorydesign won the Cabin Concepts category for the Delta One Suite, resetting the expectations for business class, in 2016. In 2015, the ViaSat inflight Wi-Fi connectivity service – a version of which is used by Qantas domestically within Australia – won its category. Qatar Airways’ QSuite won Cabin Concepts in 2018, Air New Zealand’s Skycouch took Passenger Comfort in 2011, while Recaro’s popular slimline series have taken comfort and interiors gongs in several years.

It’s not just the newest and shiniest technology either: 2018’s win by Bluebox Aviation Systems, with its accessible IFE system enabling blind and visually impaired passengers to navigate using voice responses to inputs, filled a crucial gap in the passenger experience.

“On the one hand,” says Kaestner, the awards are “a great stage for the aviation industry to promote new ideas and products, not only within their customer communities, but also to the general public. As PaxEx is an industry segment of high public interest, the CCAs have seen some extensive and frequent media coverage with some of the largest news outlets around the world. On the other hand, it is a great way to get feedback from the industry itself. The jury of the CCA comprises 28 people from all aviation backgrounds, so if you want to know whether you’re on the right track with an idea, the CCA will give you the answer. ” This is huge business: cabins and connectivity systems are immensely expensive investments for airlines, requiring engineering and design expertise, substantial certification, years of lead times and significant resources for maintenance. With a market estimated to grow by nearly 50 per cent through the middle of the next decade, we’re talking some US$40billion by 2025.

Airlines and manufacturers, which include some of the world’s largest aerospace conglomerates including Airbus, Boeing, Safran, Collins and others, want to do their research – including through the ‘red team review’ process of the Crystal Cabins – to get it right.

Research of another type is also a key part of the Crystal Cabin Awards, with the University category open to students. “The University category was established in 2010,” explains Kaestner. “It was our wish to make the CCA more accessible to students and young professionals – not only to people already working in the industry – while fostering interest from academics.

“Students benefit greatly from the CCA and we encourage as many students as possible to join the race and submit their idea, as crazy as the concept might be. The CCA University category is the chance for young professionals to make a name for themselves in the industry. There is no other competition where you can get exposure for your idea to the entire civil aviation industry, including media, all for free. ” Indeed, Kaestner notes, “this is the only category which has actual prize money: €1500. ”

‘Even small companies and startups have the chance to get noticed’