History

• Aircraft Interiors Expo History

  2000

  The Aircraft Interiors Expo was established in March 2000 by UKIP Media & Events in Cannes. It was the world’s first event dedicated entirely to aircraft interior design, fitting-out and completion.

  Becci Crook, PR manager, told EBAN: "If you want to see the future of air travel and what it has in store for corporate aircraft owners, passengers, airline owners, this is the show to attend. It's a totally international event, with an estimated 5,000 visitors coming from all over the world."

  March 2000

  2001

  Aircraft Interiors Expo, the combined exhibition and conference, now in its second year, took place in Cannes, France in February of 2001.

  Over 100 companies were represented at the exhibition, bringing together many of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers, international interior design consultancies, corporate jet and charter owners, and operators. At the conference, an international forum uncovered new concepts in design, business services, health and safety, ergonomics and comfort - among many others.

  February 2001

  2002

  2002 saw the expo move to a new location. Due to Hamburg’s Aviation hub and the location of Airbus cabin interior facility it was a perfect location for the growing Aircraft Interiors Expo.

  In Hamburg, Germany, for the first time, 241 show exhibitors welcomed more than 4,000 visitors to the new venue at the Hamburg Messe convention centre from April 8 to 11. Heide Tacheron, with the Boeing Company exhibit, was unreservedly enthusiastic in her assessment of the show: “Every customer who came by was the right customer. It’s been fabulous–the hall, the setup and the quality of the customers.” The 241 companies representing 25 countries was an increase of 81 over the number of exhibitors at last year’s event. And by the third day of the Hamburg show, Robinson was predicting well over 4,000 visitors–substantially more than the 2,600 who attended the Cannes show last year. “Hamburg is now the permanent site of the show,” he told AIN.

  April 2002

  2003

  Despite the worldwide economic slump and the threat of war in Iraq, the fourth annual Aircraft Interiors Expo 2003 opened its doors at Germany’s Hamburg Messe conference center in late February, and organizers and exhibitors alike appeared pleasantly surprised at the industry response to this largest expo to date. While the 242 exhibitors represented just one more than at last year’s show, total exhibit space increased by about 25 percent from last year. No less encouraging was the number of visitors. Representing 77 countries, visitors totaled more than 7,000, about 2,000 more than the previous year. And although open to the public, the expo appears to be drawing the people that exhibitors are there to meet.

  Patrice LaSusa, commercial sales manager for Armonk, N.Y.-based carpet and fabrics specialist Tapis, told AIN, “I saw a good blend of our own customers and a lot of new people from design firms and OEMs that we wanted to reach. It’s global in nature, and the people stopping at our stand were definitely interested specifically in aircraft interior products.”

  April 2003

  2004

  In 2004, the new IFE (In-Flight Entertainment) Zone was launched.

  With more than 340 exhibitors signed up by late February, organizers of the fifth Aircraft Interiors Expo 2004 expected this show to be the biggest yet, “at least 35 percent bigger than last year.” This year’s show will be highlighted by an interior mockup of the Boeing 7E7 cabin.

  March 2004

  2005

  Nearly two dozen leather and fabric vendors displayed at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2005, many of them featuring high-end products appropriate for the private aircraft owner. Tapis introduced a new Tapis suede with 16 percent stretch, more than double that of previously available Tapis suede. The Armonk, N.Y. company also unveiled a new Tapis suede “heather” brand (which has the appearance of flannel) in 12 colors.

  While Aircraft Interiors Expo 2005 had 8,000 pre-registered visitors, a record 10,000 came through the door by the end of the event. It was also noted that with a little more than 400 exhibitors, this year’s show was 20 percent larger than last year’s, and that the total space at Hamburg had doubled since 2002, the first show at the venue.

  April 2005

  2006

  “It’s like opening night on Broadway,” whispered a visitor to the 2006 Aircraft Interiors Expo, as he edged carefully past a showgoer with two bags stuffed with show literature and a waiter balancing a tray of champagne.

  This year was no different, with yet another hall added to accommodate a total of 504 exhibitors. Show organizers had expected a total attendance of more than 11,000 and met that goal with a total attendance of 11,595. In fact, the size of the crowd on the second day prompted many exhibitors to employ “gatekeepers” to take business cards and schedule meetings.

  A new twist to the exhibit placement this year was Hall 9, which was devoted almost exclusively to cabin communication and entertainment systems.

  April 2006

  2007

  In 2007, Reed Exhibitions acquired the show, however UKIP Media & Events managed the 2007 April show. This was also the year of the first Crystal Cabin Awards, donated by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and sponsored by Aircraft Interiors International magazine. The awards were created to celebrate “the very best in cabin innovation and design, with six individual category awards and a single grand prize winner.”

  This year, more than 12,000 visitors attended the three-day show, and more than 500 exhibitors took up three exhibit halls totaling 344,445 sq ft. This year, for the first time, a single hall was dedicated to cabin electronics and held more than 55 exhibitors.

  April 2007

  2008

  2008 was the first year that Reed Exhibitions ran their first Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. There were more than 500 exhibiting companies from 27 countries showcasing the best of what economy, business and first class passengers could be experiencing in the air in months or years to come. With an eye on concerns about the environmental impact of aviation, the interiors sector was developing even lighter and more environmentally friendly fixtures, fittings and components in an attempt to cut down on fuel consumption.

  March 2008

  2009

  The 10th edition of AIX took place with the anniversary party hosting the first live 2009 World Airline Awards, based on Skytrax’s world airline survey.

  To improve on the show and to help shape the future direction of the expo, a steering committee was formed with participants from suppliers and airline buyers with a new Inflight Services Zone and a VIP Airline Lounge also launched the same year. The Airline VIP Lounge was a base exclusively for airline personnel visiting the show.

  Approximately 500 exhibitors from 25 countries presented their aircraft cabin innovations on more than 30,000 sqm of floor space at the Hamburg Messe from 31 March to 2 April. 36 exhibitors also took part for the first time, and representatives from 169 airlines announced their attendance.

  March 2009

  2010

  The debut of the Innovation Lounge took place this year. The Innovation Lounge formed part of an Innovation Zone at the exhibition. The area also included the Crystal Cabin Award gallery.

  Over 7310 visitors went through the front doors at the Hamburg Messe over the three-day run of the exhibition. The number of airline visitors also increased on the previous year with 852 representatives from 200 airlines visiting the show.

  April 2010

  2011

  The 10th edition of the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany happened in 2011 with 500+ exhibitors exhibiting at the expo.

  This year’s event included the first German Pavilion for Young & Innovative Companies. Eleven exhibitors were accredited to exhibit in this special zone on the exhibition floor. Each company received financial support from a scheme run by the German Government that helps young German companies to promote their products and services at accredited trade fairs. This initiative meant that Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (the BMWi) included Aircraft Interiors Expo among its respected list of international trade fairs for the first time.

  April 2011

  2012

  After acquiring the ITCA expo in 2001, Reed Exhibitions launched World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo in 2012 co-located with Aircraft Interiors Expo.

  The Conference also launched the Cabin Innovation & Strategies for the Future Conference on the Monday (in the Hamburg Messe A-Hall Conference rooms).

  Almost 8,000 visitors from 87 countries came to the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2012 , and more than 500 companies exhibited products for "cabin interiors", "in-flight entertainment", "connectivity" and "passenger services".

  April 2012

  2013

  Katie Murphy, Exhibition Director of Aircraft Interiors Expo: “The IFE sector is clearly evolving at a rapid pace, not only in its bid to entertain passengers but also in its adoption of fast-emerging technologies. With the inclusion of these and other new exhibitors, it’s clear that IFE companies – be they hardware or software focused - will take advantage of the highly targeted visitor base that attends Aircraft Interiors Expo to launch innovative products and services.”

  Launches were made at the Conference with a new developed Cabin Innovation & Strategies for the Future Conference with a new Industry Networking Party on the Monday. Also the launch of the Passenger Experience Conference in its own standalone venue at the CCH-Congress Center Hamburg, alongside both AIX and WTCE with morning plenary sessions exploring future trends and three breakout streams examining: IFEC; Hospitality and Service; and Cabin Interiors.

  April 2013

  2014

  The 15th edition of the Aircraft Interiors Expo was held with over 500 exhibitors with a 13% increase in the IFE Zone.

  When the doors opened on Tuesday 8 April there were already expectant crowds waiting to get into the seven halls filled with anyone and everyone in the world of cabin interiors.

  This year a fourth stream was added to the Passenger Experience Conference, entitled ‘Protecting the Brand: Cabin Maintenance’. This stream looked at how airlines can avoid the pitfall of spending too much money fixing poorly designed elements of their cabin. This session considered strategies for ensuring that the cabin product is robust and can be sustained throughout the lifecycle.

  April 2014

  2015

  In 2015, the new “The Airline Club” for VIPs was launched and it was the first year that WTCE (World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo) separated from AIX into their own halls. Aircraft Interiors Expo took over all 7 B halls of the Hamburg Messe as well. The conference also launched two new styles of plenary session: Blue Sky Talks and Leaders in Innovation.

  Senior Event Director, Katie Murphy, said: "This year will see the largest and most comprehensive global passenger experience event ever staged, as Aircraft Interiors Expo expands from five halls to seven. It's clear that exhibiting companies see this event as the ideal showcase to display their latest and innovative technologies to the many visitors and airline representatives who will attend. With the continuing upward trend in air travel, there is no doubt that Aircraft Interiors Expo 2015 will cover the full spectrum of the passenger experience on the show floor with over 500 exhibiting companies."

  April 2015

  2016

  The 2016 edition of Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) broke new records in terms of attendance, and set the industry agenda for the year ahead with more exhibitors than ever showcasing and launching new products. 16,000 attendees are estimated to have attended Passenger Experience Week, from 5th – 7th April, whilst the number of VIP airline attendees rose by 14% - many of whom were senior executives from more than 180 airlines located in 26 markets across the globe. There were more than 530 exhibitors at this year’s AIX –– with 145 companies exhibiting for the first time.

  Another show event celebrating innovation and bringing key industry players together was the 10th annual Crystal Cabin Awards, hosted by Hamburg Aviation and sponsored by AIX which took place on the evening of the opening day of AIX. Eight innovators were honoured for bringing exciting insight into the future of aviation.

  April 2016

• Interested in how our co-located expo, conference or the whole week has evolved? Click on the links below to see more:

  Passenger Experience Conference history      WTCE history      Passenger Experience Week history