The Crystal Cabin Award Association – the non-profit organisation that oversees the world’s biggest industry award for innovation in the aircraft cabin – has announced that Ralf Gust, managing director of Hamburg Aviation, has taken on the role of president of the Association. He succeeds Lukas Kaestner, who stepped down as president in September 2023 and will remain involved as an Association member.
“I am very pleased to take on the role of president of the Crystal Cabin Award Association, especially given the long and successful history of the Award and our determination at Hamburg Aviation to further develop the Award to ensure its long-term success as the industry transitions to a decarbonised future,” said Ralf Gust.
“I would also like to thank the outgoing Association president, Lukas Kaestner, for his many years of dedicated work for the Award and its community. We want to build on the highly successful 2023 edition and drive forward innovations such as the new, sustainably produced trophy. We have exciting plans for the Award in 2024 and beyond, and look forward to welcoming the judges, entrants, sponsors and media to the awards ceremony on 28th May 2024, which will be once again held in Hamburg during the Aircraft Interiors Expo at the prestigious Chambers of Commerce venue.”
Hamburg Aviation, the cluster network for the aviation industry in the Hamburg metro region, has managed the Crystal Cabin Award since its inception in 2007. The Crystal Cabin Award has since grown to become the world’s most prestigious prize for innovation in aircraft cabins and passenger comfort. The initiative honours the best concepts and products in the industry, from visionary designs, to practical solutions that enhance the travel experience. The award is a multi-stage process, involving an international jury of nearly 30 independent aviation experts who select the finalists and winners in eight categories. The awards ceremony takes place during the Aircraft Interiors Expo, the world’s largest trade show for cabin interiors, taking place on 28-30 May in Hamburg, Germany.
The Crystal Cabin Award is a unique opportunity for companies, institutions and students to showcase their creativity and excellence in the field of cabin innovations and on-board products. As the organisers say, the award is also a platform for networking and exchange among the key players and decision-makers in the aviation industry: ‘The Crystal Cabin Award is more than just a trophy. It is a symbol of quality, innovation and inspiration for the future of flight’.
Aircraft Interiors International is a Media Partner of The Crystal Cabin Award, and editor Adam Gavine sits on the judging panel.
The future of flight in eight categories
The Crystal Cabin Award is one of the aviation industry’s most coveted and hotly contested international awards. Winners in 2023 included Air New Zealand, Collins Aerospace, Lantal Textiles, Teledyne Controls, Thales Avionics and TU Delft. Together, the winning entries represented a vision of air travel that is more connected, more comfortable and more sustainable.
The eight Crystal Cabin Award categories:
Cabin Concepts
This category rewards holistic cabin concepts. This category features designs already in use or nearing market launch, and also incorporates visionary ideas for the future. The Cabin Concepts category is aimed at cabin manufacturers as well as design companies and airlines.
Cabin Systems
This category collates innovative products that provide operators such as airlines with a significant advantage in operation or efficiency. Examples include galleys, toilet systems, trolleys and air-conditioning systems, as well as seats, primarily defined by efficiency aspects such as weight and space utilisation. Digital solutions for passengers have their own category, ‘IFEC & Digital Services’ (see below).
Health & Safety
This category recognises innovative concepts and products that benefit safety, security, health and hygiene on board the aircraft, or on the physical well-being of aircraft travellers. Entries may focus on passengers, crew or cargo.
IFEC & Digital Services
IFEC is one of the fastest developing arenas in the aviation industry, and entries in this category must demonstrate technological superiority over competing products. Entries can include in-flight entertainment (IFE) solutions, connectivity equipment such as antennas and Wi-Fi, passenger apps, or complete software solutions for a smart, connected cabin.
Material & Components
This category recognises new materials and applications in the cabin that reduce costs and increase usability, and covers an wide variety of different aircraft components. Individual components or materials may be submitted, but not a fully developed product such as a seat.
Passenger Comfort
Entries in this category must demonstrate how they improve passenger comfort in the cabin. Innovations that benefit a large group of people may be rated higher due to their greater impact on airline success. This category can include products such as seats, toilets, storage, partitions, lighting solutions, trims, premium and business hardware, First Class and VIP products, etc.
Sustainable Cabin – presented by Panasonic Avionics Corporation
The aviation industry is committed to decarbonising within the next 30 years. This requires a high level of innovation covering every aspect of aviation, including the cabin and passenger experience. Customers are also becoming increasingly sensitive to travel sustainability issues, requiring operators to take action and provide solutions that are closely aligned to this growing trend. This is reflected in the Sustainable Cabin category of the Crystal Cabin Awards, which rewards contributions with a demonstrable effect on the environmental impact of aviation.
University
The University category gives students the chance to present forward-looking products and ideas for the aircraft cabin and to establish important contacts within the industry. The concepts submitted should make flying more comfortable, intelligent or lessen its ecological footprint.
