Following another year of hosting events that bring together industry leaders, RedCabin ended 2024 by welcoming delegates from around the world to its first Asia event, to discuss the latest innovations in aircraft cabin interiors.
The Aircraft Cabin Innovation Summit, hosted by ANA in Tokyo, Japan, showcased the latest developments in the industry and was attended by engineers, designers and manufacturers. The agenda provided dedicated roundtable and working group sessions where expert speakers and top industry voices could share insights and commentary that reinforced why the aircraft cabin interiors market continues to grow.
The future of the passenger experience was a key theme at the event. Trending topics included sustainability and technological innovations, cabin comfort, and accessibility in airline design. While there are still challenges to overcome and conversations to be had, the summits are designed to enable stakeholders and decision-makers to come together to collaborate, innovate, and identify needs and solutions for ongoing industry pain points.
Passenger experience meets design
While collaboration between suppliers and airlines is an ongoing theme of each RedCabin event, incorporating the design aspect into discussions allows delegates to get creative with their responses and expectations for the future.
Panels included speakers from Cathay Pacific and JPA Design, who introduced the new retrofit Aria Suite business class which integrates various comfort aspects through feature design, material selection and advanced technologies. Another highlight was a presentation titled ‘Defining Luxury for Premium Cabins’, led by Ultrafabrics, Caon Design Office, Tangerine, Designworks and All Nippon Airways (ANA).
These sessions took place alongside roundtables moderated by Designworks on luxury cabin interiors, and a session with experts from Studio TAMA and Lift Aero Design about trends that will influence future cabin designs. Boom Supersonic and Sutter Aviation Consulting also delivered a session on ‘Designing the Supersonic Passenger Experience’.
Reassessing accessibility
Improvements continue to be made on accessibility within the cabin in the interests of people with reduced mobility, or those with visual or auditory impairments. The specific needs and requirements of less able passengers will continue to be a key part of the innovation process.
In order to address such challenges and improve the experience of all passengers, the airline industry continues to reassess how passengers interact with the cabin to make the changes that, overall, make a substantial difference to the passenger experience.
The Tokyo event saw a dedicated panel showcase the importance of inclusive cabin designs, featuring contributions from ANA, Jamco Corporation, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Discussions centred on enhancing accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility, including innovations like JAXA and Jamco’s metamorphic lavatory.
ANA’s commitment to accessibility was later demonstrated during tours of its Blue Base. The site features state-of-the-art training facilities dedicated to enhancing the passenger experience.
Sustainability and technology
The aviation industry has embraced the importance of creating a more sustainable future, with the topic appearing in numerous discussions. Leaders from multiple sectors worked together at the summit and questioned what the critical next steps are, and how best to address them.
Sustainability in the cabin remains a priority, with this year’s RedCabin agenda including a cabin refurbishment focused session by Airbus Commercial Aircraft, and roundtables on how to develop a clear route for cabin sustainability, featuring Trendworks, Studio ID Design, Sekisui Kydex and AVIC Cabin Systems.
Delegates shared their opinions and contributed to discussions, voicing that improvements can continue to be made in cabin sustainability through the increased use of recycled materials and more environmentally friendly design alternatives.
Coming up in 2025
The cabin events will continue this year, with the next RedCabin summits due to be held in Atlanta from 10-12 June (hosted by Delta Flight Products) and Dublin from 2-4 December (hosted by Avolon).
RedCabin is also organising its second Business Jet and VIP Interior Innovation summit, taking place in Vienna in September (hosted by F/List). Building on last year’s success, the event aims to bring together the entire value chain of the business jet interior, including aircraft manufacturers, cabin suppliers, completion centres, designers, charter operators, business jet aircraft management, and business jet owners.
