PAX International magazine by Paramount Publishing Ltd.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

VOL. 16, NO. 5

www.pax.intl.com

N E W S A N D A N A LY S I S F O R T H E PA S S E N G E R S E R V I C E S E X E C U T I V E

APEX LONG BEACH & AIX SEATTLE

Streaming Content Solutions Satellite Connectivity Cabin Lighting

12-14

AIX/APEX Q&A’s p.

AIRBUS’ FUTURE VISION p.

PASSENGER HEADSETS p.

GALLEY EQUIPMENT p.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

PAX International 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada Tel: (1 905) 821-3344; Fax: (1 905) 821-2777 website: www.pax-intl.com

PUBLISHER Aijaz Khan E-mail: aijaz@globalmarketingcom.ca

EDITORIAL OFFICES

NEW TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

THE

he mobile device is shaping the landscape of the IFEC industry more and more each day. Notebook computers, smartphones, and increasingly tablets and e-readers, are becoming a travel essential for many airline passengers. Coinciding with this undeniable trend are several others that are changing the way the interiors and IFEC industries do business today, and plan for tomorrow. In this, the second installment of the PAX International IFEC/Interiors special issue, light is a recurring theme. We highlight the extraordinary array of LED (light emitting diode) color combinations available with the Boeing Sky Interior, and the strong demand for easy-to-install LED lighting to support a thriving retrofit market. Also in this issue, Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President of Cabin Innovation & Design at Airbus, shares his vision of a future cabin where the galley can be reduced in size to create new space, light (both natural and artificial) creates a relaxing atmosphere and a complete unbundling of services equals a custom experience for passengers of all shapes, sizes and socioeconomic backgrounds. “If we can enable this unbundling or elements to the maximum, would form the basis of a truly individualized travel experience where the passenger can enjoy a tailor made journey. People will be able to invest in what they really want, such as seat width, pitch and services,” he says on page 17. Taking a deeper look at the world of IFE and content, we discovered that the excite-

ment surrounding the idea of streaming content directly to passenger devices is shared by many, despite initial scepticism. Airlines operating narrow-body aircraft on short and medium-haul routes now have cost-effective and lightweight options for providing their passengers with entertainment, while simultaneously opening the door to new branding opportunities. However, we are reminded by many experts that not all who try shall succeed. In fact, Duc Huy Tran, Director of Marketing for Cabin Systems for Rockwell Collins echoed the thoughts of many on page 19 of this issue when he said that “While the market-segment growth resulting from the introduction of cheaper and less complex wireless systems is creating opportunity for new entrants, there will likely be just a handful of wireless IFE suppliers who persevere in the end.” We hope that you enjoy this issue of PAX International and wish you much success at the 2012 Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) annual Expo from September 17-20 in Long Beach, CA, and/or the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) from September 25-27 in Seattle, WA. If you happen to see any of our hard-working staff at either busy event, please be sure to say hello and share with us any of your latest developments. We value every comment, as we strive to grow and innovate - just like this fantastic industry that we are lucky to be part of.

Rick Lundstrom, Editor in Chief PAX International 723 Jefferson Street, NE Minneapolis, MN 55413, USA Tel: (1 612) 378-0862 Fax: (1 612) 378-0852 E-mail: rick@pax-intl.com Maryann Simson, Managing Editor Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x31 E-mail: maryann@pax-intl.com Lauren Brunetti, Associate Editor Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x21 E-mail: lauren@pax-intl.com

A R T D E PA R T M E N T Jeff Zuk, Designer, design.jeffzuk.com E-mail: me@jeffzuk.com

ADVERTISING OFFICES Deepa J, Subscription & Conference Manager Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x35 Fax: (1 905) 821-2777 E-mail: deepa@globalmarketingcom.ca PAX International is published six times a year (January/February, March/April, May, June/July/August, September/October, November/December) by PAX International, 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada. International Distribution. Subscriptions: $200 for one year; $300 for two years; $400 for three years. Art and photographs will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher or editor. September/October 2012, Vol. 16, No. 5. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. © PAX International magazine

Maryann Simson Managing Editor, PAX International www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 3

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

ON THE COVER: Mobile image courtesy of Boeing: Sky Interior

VOL. 16, NO. 5

Contents EVENT COVERAGE

12 AIX TAKES SEATTLE

A standalone event in The Emerald City will bring together more than 100 exhibitors this September. Event coordinator John Hyde is the subject of this issue’s Industry Q & A

14 THE APEX OF IFE

Airline Passenger Experience Association President Chris Babb takes PAX International through the planning process and what to expect at this year’s APEX 2012

AIRFRAMES

16 INTO THE FUTURE

Airbus’s Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President of Cabin Innovation & Design, shares his thoughts on trends that will shape forthcoming cabin designs and passenger services.

IFE AND CONNECTIVITY

18 TO STREAM, OR NOT TO STREAM?

24 BATTLE OF THE BANDWIDTHS

PAX International talks to three major competitors in the inflight connectivity field about satellite networks, mobile roaming agreements, new customers and more

26 NICHE DAY FOR A LAUNCH

InFlight Entertainment Products invites carriers to reap the benefits of its newly developed end-to-end overhead video system, designed to provide a highly capable, yet cost-effective alternative

28 THE WIDE ANGLE

Film studios, distributors, labs and content service providers are all key players in bringing film and television from script to seatback or mobile device. PAX International looks at the various links in the chain of airline content provision

HEADSETS

32 LOUD AND CLEAR

PAX International speaks to a number of headset suppliers about how they manage to find the perfect balance between cost and quality in order to please airline budgets and passengers alike

36 THE FINAL LINK

UK-based Linstol has plugged into a new awareness by the airline industry in the importance of a high-quality headset to supplement an expensive outlay in inflight entertainment

IN THE CABIN

37 LIGHT AND ‘BRITE’

Equipment makers are noting new customers as production ramps up on several groundbreaking lines of galley equipment

39 IN THE MOOD

With a wider array of options the efficiency and the ability to create ambience, LED lighting has become a sought after feature for new cabins and retrofit

42 A BRIGHT IDEA

36 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

NEWS/PEOPLE

ASSOCIATION NEWS

PAX International recently caught up with STG Aerospace to talk about their innovative SafTGlo technology and how it provides ample assistance for passenger safety in a cabin environment

43 SLEEP TIGHT….

4 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

Knowledge and training will keep airlines ahead of the curve in the feud being waged against the bed bugs that have bedeviled homes and hospitality industries

Your cabin’s versatility. Showing daily.

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NEWS EVENT NEWS

Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas seminar program to focus on cabin development Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas 2012 has introduced a series of seminars that will take place throughout the show, which runs in Seattle September 25-27. The seminars will explore three areas of cabin development: the economy cabin and variants such as premium economy; innovations in cabin ambience and real estate; and leveraging the cabin to deliver profitability. The sessions will offer insights into how manufacturers, airlines and suppliers can benefit from contributing to a heightened passenger experience. Opening on September 25 with a session entitled ‘Delighting your passengers’, the program will highlight visionary thinking about how to create that ‘wow’ factor and bring enjoyment back into the flying experience. The second session will debate the best way

to drive extra revenues from the cabin experience, including a review of what facilities and features passengers will and will not pay for inside the cabin. This session will also examine how suppliers can help airlines enhance existing investment. On September 26 the topic for debate is ‘How can you improve satisfaction and comfort in the economy cabin?’ This will look into whether economy passengers are being left to fend for themselves as premium economy becomes more ‘premium’ and consider what comfort actually means to the passenger. Visitors can then attend a related session entitled ‘New visions for delivering a great passenger experience’. The final debate will address the current trend of connectivity within the cabin under the

banner “how can you stack up the economics of the connected cabin?”. Questions to be debated include: whether airlines should forget about revenue and focus on driving savings by making the connected cabin part of the operations network; what impact social media will have on the cabin environment; and the role of ‘bring your own’, looking at whether airlines can extend branding across more touch points in the passenger journey. Each day will also feature in-depth case study sessions revealing behind the scenes stories of recent cabin projects and innovations, looking specifically at how to get the buy-in of senior management, obtain funding, ensure the right people and talent are involved and how to overcome the challenges of implementation.

GuestLogix User Group Conference looks at onboard retail, improving passenger experience In October, Guestlogix will open up its knowledge base to airline, rail and travel customers and partners to host the company’s fourth annual GuestLogix User Group conference October 1-3 in at the InterContinental Toronto Centre. As travelers become more reliant on personal technology (nearly half of U.S. travelers currently own a smartphone and 18% own a tablet device), airlines are looking to seize the critical revenue opportunities presented by new technologies in order to create new ancillary revenue streams and to monetize assets they already have in place. Ranging from new payment capabilities and fraud management tactics, to monetizing passenger interactions through IFE, the 2012 GuestLogix User Group Conference will offer three days of learning, interactive sessions and networking to help customers increase their knowledge of the rapidly evolving world of onboard retailing. Attendees will learn to create successful buy-in-the-sky programs, and learn about burgeoning technology trends and strategies that will merge the management of onboard retail operations with an improved passenger experience. This year’s conference theme, Innovation Through Collaboration, will focus on creating new and greater ancillary revenue streams. Sessions will deal with important issues within the industry such as contactless payments, evolution of payment options utilizing Chip and PIN and Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, and using in-flight connectivity to enable onboard retail transactions through personal electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets.

6 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

Sessions this year include: • Converting Consumer Mobile Devices into Onboard POS Terminals; • Monetizing In-Flight Entertainment – Driving New Revenues Through Self-Service Retailing • Device Management Strategies for Improving Onboard Store Performance; • Buy Onboard Panel: Growing Onboard Sales; • Global Payment Strategies for Reducing Onboard Risk; • Becoming an Analytics-Driven Organization; • Generating Awareness of Destination-Based Content to Drive Onboard Sales; • Capturing New Ancillary Revenues via Kiosk Sales & Advertising; • And many more. As a headline media sponsor, PAX International will be covering the event. For a full listing of sessions, sponsorship opportunities, or further details about the 2012 GuestLogix User Group Conference, please visit www.guestlogixusergroupconference.com or contact kkelly@guestlogix.com.

NEWS ANCILLARY REVENUE

Ancillary revenue increasing and evolving, study finds A study of 50 airlines revealed that they took in more than €18 billion in ancillary revenue in 2011, causing companies conducting the study to conclude that the industry is moving swiftly and seizing opportunities to make extra money with services such as baggage fees, extra legroom and on-board food service. The extensive report, which looks at ancillary revenue from several perspectives, was conducted by Wisconsin consultancy firm IdeaWorks and travel technology company Amadeus. The two collaborated to study financial filings by 108 airlines, 50 of which disclosed ancillary revenue activity. The report, released July 23, showed that ancillary revenue grew 66% to €18.23 billion (US$22.6 billion) in the last two years. “The next wave of innovation in ancillary services will come from those airlines which develop new products that support their brand positioning and deliver value to the traveler by meeting their individual needs and preferences,” said Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution an Amadeus. “A multi-channel approach to the distribution of ancillary services is key to realizing this.” As expected, larger airlines dominated the top 10 (see chart). The top 10 generated ancillary revenue of more than €13.7 billion (US$16.6 billion) which accounted

for 75% of total amount disclosed by airlines for 2011. The newest member of the top 10 for ancillary revenue was Southwest Airlines, a carrier that does not charge for checked baggage. However, Southwest raises money through a number of programs. Among them is a $10 fee for early boarding that raised US$142 million. The airline also has a Business Select product that allows passengers priority screening, early boarding and welcome cocktail. The largest revenue producer at $250 million is Southwest’s revamped Rapid Rewards frequent flier program. Low cost carriers dominate the percent of total revenue raised through ancillary services (see chart). This year, Spirit Airlines replaced Allegiant Air that held the top spot in 2010. The year 2011 also saw Spirit break the 30% barrier for ancillary revenue generated. For the parties conducting the yearly study, the results show an evolution in how services are sold to consumers. “The gold rush mentality of ‘grab every buck, quid or kopek while you can’ from consumers is becoming a relic of the past,” said a summery of the results. “It’s a shortsighted view that invites the scrutiny of regulators and the eventual exit of consumers. Successful companies serve their customers successfully, and that’s a lesson learned by every airline executive.”

US Airways renews partnership with GuestLogix US Airways has renewed its agreement with GuestLogix Inc., and will add the Toronto company’s Onboard Retail Technology Platform for its buy-on-board program. US Airways will be upgrade its handheld point-of-sale devices, and implement the Company’s new Global Payment Services solution. “GuestLogix is extremely proud to continue our relationship with US Airways,” said Patrick O’Neill, Senior Vice President and General Manager, GuestLogix USA. “Our commitment to improving the passenger experience, combined with our innovative onboard retailing technology solutions, has led to US Airways awarding us this new multi-year agreement.” US Airways will deploy the Company’s enhanced version of its onboard retail software and its next-generation XPDA-SP point-ofsale mobile devices, enabling EMV Contactless and NFC/mobile payment options. The deployment will also integrate several services offered through GuestLogix’ Global Payment Services offering, as well as the option to deploy additional products and services onboard the aircraft via GuestLogix, including items such as destination-based entertainment and ground transportation ticketing as well as travelrelevant daily deals to their passengers. “GuestLogix has the right onboard retail solution for US Airways to sustain and grow our in-flight buy-on-board programs across our domestic and international network,” said Hector Adler, Vice President, Inflight Services for US Airways. 8 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

2011 TOP 10 AIRLINES TOTAL ANCILLARY REVENUE (Millions of U.S. Dollars)

$5,171

United/Continental

2,534

Delta

2,113

American

1,418

Qantas

1,180

Southwest

1,105

easyJet

1,100

Ryanair

1,086

US Airways

667

TAM

610

Alaska Air Group

2011 TOP 10 AIRLINES ANCILLARY REVENUE PER PASSENGERS $50.82

Qantas

41.75

Spirit

41.37

Jet2.com

38.25

AirAsia X

36.47

United/Continental

34.00

Allegiant

24.61

Alaska Air Group

23.35

Jetstar

22.02

Aer Lingus

21.92

Flybe

IFE AND CONNECTIVITY

Gogo to upgrade United’s premium fleet with next generation in-air connectivity Gogo announced on July 20 that it has extended its contract with United Airlines and will work with the carrier to upgrade its p.s.® Premium Service fleet to Gogo’s new ATG-4 connectivity solution. Gogo expects to begin installation of the upgraded equipment in early next year. Gogo’s ATG-4 technology will enhance its existing air to ground network and deliver peak speeds from its current performance of up to 3.1 Mbps to up to 9.8 Mbps per aircraft through the addition of directional antenna, dual modem and EV-DO Rev. B technologies. “By upgrading to ATG-4, Gogo will be able to better address the growing demand for Internet access on these flights now and in the future,” said Gogo’s president and CEO Michael Small. United’s p.s.® fleet is composed of 13 757s that operate between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport. Gogo and United have offered connectivity services aboard the p.s.® fleet since January 2009.

NEWS AIRLINES Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron descend from the Malaysia Airlines A380 on display at Farnborough

UK Prime Minister pays visit to Malaysia Airlines’ second A380 Malaysia Airlines’ second Airbus A380 received a VIP visit from U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, as part of his attendance at the opening day of Farnborough International Air Show. Malaysia Airlines’ Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and Fabrice Bregier, President and CEO Airbus, welcomed Cameron on-board the aircraft following the official opening ceremony July 9. Ahmad Jauhari led a tour of the new A380, showcasing the latest in aircraft design and technology. Malaysia Airlines launched its A380 service between London Heathrow and KL International Airport (KLIA) July 2, operating three times a week as part of the double daily service on the route. The second A380 Malaysia Airlines was on display at Farnborough, participating in

the daily aerial show and static display for on-board visits throughout the event. It was put into commercial August 14 and will be used together with the first aircraft to operate daily non-stop A380 service between London Heathrow and KLIA. Malaysia Airlines has six A380 aircraft on order. A number of unique enhancements onboard the Malaysia Airlines’ A380 include the widest seats of any First Class cabin at 40 inches and some of the most spacious cabins in the skies for all passengers, together with access to the latest individual in-flight on-demand entertainment. The Malaysia Airlines A380 has a capacity of 494 seats, with 350 economy and eight fully flat first-class seats on the main (lower) deck, together with 66 fully-flat business-class and 70 economy seats on the upper deck.

Etihad launches three-class 777-300ER Etihad Airways’ first three-cabin Boeing 777300ER departed in July on its maiden EY11 flight, from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow. The new aircraft is configured Etihad CEO James says the 777with eight Dia- Hogan 300ERs have been well received by the mond First Class airline’s passengers. Suites, 40 Pearl Business lie-flat beds, and 282 seats in Coral Economy. The aircraft will be deployed on Etihad Airways’ ‘blue-ribbon’ Abu Dhabi-London route, predominantly the EY11 and EY12 flights, boosting capacity by 13%. The additional business class capacity will cater for the high demand of business travelers taking the early morning flight from Abu Dhabi to London. Etihad Airways will continue to operate its four other flights to and from London – EY17, EY18, EY19 and EY20 – with the airline’s already established three-class Airbus A340-600s. Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: “Our guests on the Abu Dhabi-London route and elsewhere on our network of 87 destinations expect the very best product experience when flying with Etihad Airways, the world’s leading airline. “The existing two-class Boeing 777300ERs first introduced in 2006 have proven themselves to be a favorite with our guests, and as the airline has gradually expanded, it has always been our intention to go threeclass with this magnificent machine. “During the next 18 months, we will take delivery of seven more Boeing 777-300ERs, taking our total number of passenger 777s to 18. Six of these will be three-class, and we look forward to unveiling more routes on which they will be deployed.” For the last two years, Etihad Airways’ Diamond First Class Suite, now available on the Boeing 777-300ER for the first time, has been awarded ‘World’s Best First Class’ in the annual Skytrax awards. www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 9

PEOPLE NEWS

IFP hires IFEC expert for worldwide business development IFP has added Jackie Frimer as Vice-President of Worldwide Business Development to its global team. Frimer will develop the company’s international sales and business plans to leverage the company’s strategy of driving the in-flight industry to adapt to the evolving marketplace. Frimer has more than a decade of experience working in inflight entertainment and connectivity. She has worked at Panasonic Avionics, managing the marketing and public relations efforts. She later moved into content services at Interact where she brought her Latin American expertise to the company. “We are delighted to add Jackie’s expertise to our global sales team. Her wealth of hardware and IFE content knowledge will be instrumental to IFP’s business strategy as we embrace the move towards digital, handheld and connected environments, and push the industry to change the way it markets and delivers content services to today’s airlines,” Rob Hunter, CEO of IFP.

Clearwater Seafoods Inc. appoints Jeff Duffin as Vice President of Marketing Clearwater Seafoods Inc. recently announced that Jeff Duffin would be the company’s new Vice President of Marketing. Duffin will lead the company’s marketing team, while working in Most recently, Jeff Duffin served close collaboration with all as Principal at his facets of the organization own marketing consulting firm to develop and implement Clearwater’s global marketing strategies, said a release from the company. Most recently, Duffin served as Principal at his own marketing consulting firm. Previously, he was Vice President, Marketing and Product Strategy with The Schwan Food Company leading a nine-brand portfolio. He has held various marketing positions with Land O’Lakes Inc., The Pillsbury Company and an international consulting role with the State of Wisconsin. “Jeff is a valuable addition to the Clearwater organization,” said Greg Morency, Chief Commercial Officer of Clearwater Seafoods Inc. in the statement. “His extensive marketing expertise, coupled with his knowledge of the global marketplace makes him ideally suited for this role.”

Ben Fuller fills NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE Sales Director OFFICER AT AVIANOR INC. position at digEcor Ben Fuller has joined the digEcor team as the new Director of Sales for Central and South America. Fuller will also be involved in global business, product and marketing development. With a background in game design, product Fuller spent two development and sales, years in Mexico City Ben Fuller has joined when his employer, the digEcor team as the new Director International Game Tech- of Sales for Central nology, ventured into the and South America country for the first time. He was responsible for directing operations, product management and sales. “I believe that we can be more aggressive in the marketplace and pursue more partnerships as well as differentiate ourselves from the competition with unparalleled service and offerings that our competitors simply won’t have,” Fuller said in a release announcing his appointment. “It won’t be an overnight change, but I firmly believe that we will look back in a year or two and be amazed at the change we’ve created.”

Holland America and Seabourn name two new directors Holland America Line and Seabourn have added Seth Brickman as Director, Onboard Revenue and Analytics, and Gerald Mosslinger as Director, Beverage Services. Brickman will analyze future trends and guide onboard revenue, manage tour operations technical development, and oversee port and shore operations analytics to enhance scheduling and logistics productivity. Most recently, Brickman was at Microsoft Corp. where he held senior business and financial management positions with the Xbox and MSN/Bing groups. As Director of Beverage Services, Mosslinger will manage bar-related beverage operations for the Holland America Line fleet including revenue activities and staff, as well as lend support to Seabourn. Most recently Mosslinger was with Joachim Splichal’s Patina Restaurant Group based in Los Angeles, where he served as regional vice president. In the past, he was Manager, Marine Hotel Operations, for Windstar Cruises. He also spent nine years at Seabourn, both ashore in the Miami, office and aboard the vessels.

10 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

Avianor Inc. has recently named Sylvain Bédard its new President and General Manager. Bédard has spent more than 25 years in aerospace and high-tech industries. “The founders and owners of Avianor, Sylvain Savard and Earl Diamond, are looking forward to the future of the company under Mr. Bédard’s leadership,” said a release from Avianor. “The appointment will highly benefit the future growth of Avianor, due to the combination of a spirit of entrepreneurship and a systematic implementation of technical standards and processes that will allow current and future opportunities to be dealt with effectively and efficiently.” As a result of the appointment, Savard and Diamond will shift focus from day to day activities towards the strategic direction of the company, while providing support to the new President.

Cort named new KYDEX President Plastics manufacturer KYDEX, LLC in July named Ronn Cort President. Cort will lead the company as it continues expansion into new markets and creates solu- Ronn Cort tions that meet its customers’ business challenges. Cort joined KYDEX in 2005 as International Business Manager. Most recently, he was Vice President, Sales and Marketing. He has been instrumental in driving international sales growth, and was a key player in the development of the new designLab™, a collaborative workspace where KYDEX and its clients can work together to create new solutions. Cort also plays an important role in the brand’s ongoing evolution to collaborative solutions provider. In his new role, he will continue to focus his efforts on making KYDEX a source for designers, manufacturers, thermoformers and distributors. Before joining KYDEX, Cort served as Business Manager within the FLM Group, a privately held company with worldwide operations for the development and manufacturing of polyurethane systems, and before that, as Sales Manager at RJF International, a manufacturer of decorative, wall covering and wall protection systems.

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less noise, lifelike sound and a comfortable fit. And our high-quality materials and attention to detail make the Bose QC15 headphones a reliable long-term investment. Try them for yourself and we think you’ll agree…they will enhance the value of your IFE system, delight your passengers and help differentiate your airline brand. For more information, please contact us at your convenience:

EVENT COVERAGE

AIX takes Seattle

A standalone event in The Emerald City will bring together more than 100 exhibitors this September

his year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas is in Seattle, an obviously important city for this segment of the industry. With new aircraft designs taking to the skies, companies involved are busy supplying the latest products are keen to innovate and develop. Among the people who will be walking the aisles is John Hyde, Event Director at Reed Exhibition Services. Hyde talked with PAX International about the planning process and a little about what to expect this year. COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT AIX AMERICAS

PAX International: What goes into planning an event like AIX Americas?

John Hyde - Event Director, Aircraft Interiors Expo: Staging an event like AIX Americas takes over 12 months of careful planning and preparation. Preparations for the 2012 event started well before the 2011 event had even taken place with venue contract negotiations, floor plan design and the production of sales and marketing materiel to take on-site with us to promote the event. The event team consists of 13 people and although the event is based in Seattle, the team is international.

PAX: How many of these exhibitors also attend AIX Hamburg?

Hyde: Working off the current exhibitor list, we have 107 exhibitors and out of these over 60 attend the Hamburg show. PAX: How many exhibitors this year would you say are regulars?

Hyde: With it being only the second edition for Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas as a standalone exhibition, it is hard to say which exhibitors we class as regulars, but referring back to your second question, I think it is safe to say we feel confident that the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas offering is on par with that of the Hamburg show and we see the majority of our exhibitors at that show regularly signing up to exhibit the following year. We have 107 exhibitors occupying 22,000 square feet of floor space. Over 2,000 visitors are expected with over 200 from both regional US, Americas and international airlines. PAX: What mix of buyers do you anticipate to visit this year’s Expo?

Hyde: Last year the show attracted a healthy number of airline visitors, over 200 actually, from 54 airlines including procurement directors, IFE managers, heads of cabin interiors and innovation, VP’s, passenger experience directors and others. Thirty-one countries were represented, covering both international

and Americas regions. We expect similar numbers for the 2012 exhibition.

PAX: You chose to stay in Seattle this year instead of heading back to Long Beach with APEX and IFSA. Can you share the reasoning behind this?

Hyde: This is the first year we will be in Seattle as a stand-alone exhibition. Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas, APEX and IFSA target a different airline audience and therefore we strongly believe that the stand-alone event will continue to attract the audience our exhibitors want to meet. Seattle is the hub of the interiors industry in the Americas region and therefore ideally positioned to attract the right audience of interiors suppliers and airline interior buyers.

PAX: What do you think the general mood will be at this year’s event?

Hyde: Research suggests that the global economy is still in the recovery position, so unfortunately I don’t believe we are out of a global recession. However, according to Boeing’s 2011–2030 Market Outlook, the North American aviation industry can look forward to continued growth, albeit modest. Network carriers are expected to concentrate on capacity discipline, seeking to maximize seat pricing while trying to minimise the number of empty seats being flown around. Competition will be plentiful, with alliances abounding and the low-cost carriers maintaining their aggressive bids for market share, including filling the niches left by the network carriers. PAX: Any hot innovations or trends to watch for at this event?

Hyde: We do have a number of new products being displayed on the exhibition floor. Examples include AIM Aerospace, which will have its new passenger bar concept on display in Seattle. Designed for the business

12 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

class cabin, the bar AUSTRALIA includes multi-use CANADA stowage that proCHINA motes a social area FRANCE without infringing GERMANY on precious cabin IRELAND real estate. ITALY Greenpoint ProdNETHERLANDS ucts and Services NEW ZEALAND will have on display SPAIN its Aeroloft systems SWEDEN specifically designed TAIWAN for the Boeing VIP TURKEY 747-8 aircraft. This UAE system provides UK eight private sleeping USA berths located above the main deck of the aircraft. It allows passengers a private rest area adorned with custom designed interior furnishing. PAX: Overall, what is the most exciting aspect of the programme this year and what advice would you offer to attendees and exhibitors to make the most of the event?

Hyde: This year we are excited to be bringing in an educational element to the exhibition. It was extremely successful in Hamburg. We are running a series of seminars on the exhibition floor for the first time and it will focus on cabin innovations and strategies. On the exhibition floor it always impresses and encourages me that even in times of austerity, innovation still abounds within this sector and Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas never fails to attract these innovative companies. Pre-arranging meetings is always helpful, but I also think that you need to walk around the halls and have your eyes open to each and every exhibitor as there maybe one you have not come across before yet can add a great deal of value to your company.

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EVENT COVERAGE

The APEX of IFE

Airline Passenger Experience Association President Chris Babb takes PAX International through the planning process and what to expect at APEX 2012

ing list of other services available to today’s airline passenger.

PAX: What do you think the general mood will be at this year’s event?

Babb: Throughout the down economy, APEX has provided a forum for exchanging information, ideas and innovations that help our members improve the passenger experience and, in turn, help drive business for the air travel industry. That’s part of the value of being a part of the APEX community. The challenges for our industry do indeed continue, and I expect our members’ mood to continue to be a mixture of optimism and caution. I expect our members to bring the same levels of energy, knowledge, and curiosity to Long Beach that we’ve become known for over the past many years.

PAX: Any hot innovations or trends to watch for at this event?

This year, APEX has reformatted how they host their popular educational sessions in a way that will allow attendees to zero in on the topics most important to them

utting together the “huge undertaking” that is the yearly Airline Passenger Experience Association Expo begins years before the actual start date with many organizers taking their own parts. This year, APEX President Chris Babb, Senior Product Manager of Aircraft Experience at Delta Air Lines, briefs PAX International on the planning process and offers some hints into what visitors might expect to see. PAX International: What goes into planning an event like APEX?

Chris Babb: The annual EXPO is a huge undertaking, and it requires the efforts of a committed and highly talented team. We draw on the support of APEX members who devote their time to ensuring we put on a successful event. Kevin Bremer (Boeing Commercial Airplanes) chairs our Education Committee, which not only works on EXPO but all APEX events. Dominic Green (Spafax) heads up our Events & EXPO committees and this year took charge of our Awards Committee as well, succeeding Linda Palmer (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures), who retired earlier this year. Linda Celestino (Oman Air), the incoming APEX president, leads marketing and communication efforts. We also rely heavily on our APEX staff, which includes experts in event planning, as well as marketing and communications. Onsite at the EXPO itself, a small army of volunteers, staff and service providers are on hand to attend to every detail. PAX: What is the main difference between what AIX offers the IFEC community and what APEX does?

Babb: While there is some overlap in attendance, most APEX members don’t attend the AIX event in Hamburg. In fact, just 30 percent of companies who attend APEX exhibit at both shows. Our mission is unique in that the EXPO is focused exclusively on our APEX members, and exposing them to new products, services, ideas and a worldwide network of professionals dedicated to enhancing the airline passenger experience. The event is appointmentdriven, and one-on-one meetings typically are set up ahead of time and take place during the EXPO.

PAX: How many exhibitors this year would you say are regulars and how many new ones have signed on?

Babb: APEX has seen significant changes in the last few years. As a result, we’ve grown in number and in representation. We’ve expanded our organization from strictly inflight entertainment to include representatives from all industry sectors impacting the overall passenger experience. For that reason, it comes as no surprise that our EXPO is growing in attendance and size. As of mid-July, we are anticipating 123 exhibiting companies will participate, 14 of which are new to the EXPO.

PAX: How many airlines attended last year and how many do you expect this year?

Babb: We’ve had a strong showing over the years, with more than 70 airline companies in attendance last year, and nearly 400 airline employees among them. Buyers include the decision-makers from every aspect of inflight entertainment and connectivity, and a grow-

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Babb: We expect to see still more innovations related to wireless connectivity and technology. It’s becoming more obvious that the trend is to adapt to our passengers rather than forcing them to adapt to us. The iPad and tablet technology continues to explode and our members are very tuned in with an eye toward harnessing that momentum. Keep an eye on passenger trends like social gaming that are changing how we entertain. Attendees will discuss how selecting the right entertainment programs require a level of intuition and savvy. APEX ATTENDEE MIX MANUFACTURERS 27% CONTENT (E.G., TV/MOVIE)

24%

A/V 11% WIRELESS 8% INTERACTIVE CONTENT

PUBLISHING/MEDIA 7% CABIN AMENITY SUPPLIERS

CONSULTANTS 5% AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

IT/SOFTWARE 2%

PAX: What is the most exciting aspect of the program this year and what advice would you offer to attendees and exhibitors to make the most of the event?

Babb: This year, we’ve reformatted how we host our popular educational sessions in a way that will allow attendees to zero in on the topics most important to them. We will begin the day with a series of five speakers from different industries, followed by a moderated panel discussion with the entire group. Whether you’re interested in technological changes, connectivity or other aspects of the passenger experience, we think you’ll find what you’re looking for here. We hope to see you there!

AIRFRAMES

INTO THE Airbus’ Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President of Cabin Innovation & Design, shares his thoughts on trends that will shape forthcoming cabin designs and passenger services by MARYANN SIMSON

t the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow, attended by more than 1,455 exhibitors and 120,000 trade visitors; aircraft manufacturing goliath, Airbus, unveiled a fantastic vision that is still a hot topic of conversation today and will no doubt continue to be so going forward. After surveying thousands of passengers, consulting experts from many disciplines and working through every possible economic, environmental and cultural future scenario – the Concept Cabin made its debut, turning millions of heads. A projection of air travel to come in 20-40 years, the Concept Cabin Vision 2050, and all of its space-age accoutrements might seem like the far-fetched brainchild of daydreaming engineers. However, this cabin was created by Airbus to offer an intriguing model of a possible end product from which they can work backwards - developing first the features that make the most sense in today’s aviation landscape, while keeping the more radical ideas close on the periphery. More importantly, the research methods employed to identify the future needs of this aircraft’s passengers, have led to the discovery of key trends happening all around us right now. “The world is moving faster and becoming more transparent every day,” says Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President, Cabin Innovation & Design at Airbus. “There is almost too much information, so I think it is very important to look into the future and anticipate the right things. The trick is to really filter the important and relevant information and prioritize it effectively, because you can never do everything.” Wuggetzer joined Airbus in 2005 after

nearly ten years with Lufthansa, where he held of course, the Concept Cabin Vision 2050. titles including Senior Manager Corporate “This very long-term vision gives us direcStrategy, General Manager Cabin Develop- tions for research and technology,” he recently ment and Product Innovation for Lufthansa’s told PAX International. “The idea is that we in-flight-products. He has since then, been develop the relevant technology based on responsible for establishing and implement- the consumer needs identified in our market ing the OEM’s increasingly consumer-centric research. We have a handful of these techapproach and nologies already in our portfolio.” initializing And indeed, some innovations featured in extensive trend the Concept Cabin are already under developan d m ar ke t ment. They include self cleaning, self healing research. On materials that Wuggetzer believes will be this basis, he helpful in areas such as lavatories and galleys, set up a cabin and ‘bionic’ components that he feels could product and revolutionize the architecture of aircraft going t e c h n o l o g y forward (see the Vitalising Zone in figure A). strategy as a “We have already developed bionic brackets guideline for that we use to mount crew rests into the This bionic bracket is based future cabin aircraft,” he reveals. “This bionic structure on natural elements and has saved roughly 45% weight i n nov at i ons . is based on natural elements and has saved over traditional compositions Some examples roughly 45% weight over traditional composiof the major innovations he has so far deliv- tions. It also does not waste any raw material, ered are the A350 XWB cabin design and so it is really quite sustainable in several ways.”

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AIRFRAMES This development of transparent composites, which Airbus hopes to one day extend to other parts of the aircraft, possibly even exterior components, are just one part of a light revolution that has already begun, says Wuggetzer. “For me lighting is a big topic. We see full LED lighting now as the standard in the A350 XWB and there are many options impacting spaciousness, mood and even health,” he reveals. “This is just the beginning

Figure A: The Concept Cabin 2050 is a projection of what air travel might look like in 20-40 years

of the rise of lighting. I believe it is quite possible that we could eventually see it lead to virtual or augmented really effects in the end.” Wuggetzer has also identified several trends that he feels will impact forthcoming cabin designs in a way that will affect the role of crew and the behaviours of passengers still in the terminal. He predicts that in the near future, the aircraft galley may become a thing of the past for single aisle, as passengers demand and expect higher quality of food and beverage service that is difficult to offer based on current models. “You see it happening already, especially in North America,” he says. “There are many possibilities for food that can be bought at the gate and this is often of a better quality than what one would pay even more for onboard. A lot of passengers are already bringing their own food purchased in the airport, but this is not managed well because they don’t have purpose-built equipment to put it in, or cover it, or keep it warm and so on. It has

already begun, but the idea is to do it in a two hours, we do not need big IFE system. more professional way – so that we provide If there is sufficient infrastructure where the equipment, moving the logistical chain passengers can connect to clouds, data and from the aircraft to the ground.” other things they want,” says Wuggetzer. A sample procedure has already been “In long range I think these devices and developed by Airbus and is currently being embedded IFE can live in parallel. Second tested in cooperation with caterers, but screen application and integration of mobile additional details are not yet available. The technology with existing systems will be a OEM is optimistic about the benefits of such major trend.” a solution - while understanding that estabUltimately, Wuggetzer envisions a gradual lished standards can be very hard to change. unbundling of inflight product elements that This is evidenced by the cutting-edge SPICE will enable tomorrow’s passengers an unprecGalley concept promising to reduce weight, edented level of customization in the skies. add passenger seating, add variety to cuisine, The rise of economies in China, India, Brazil save time for crewmembers and eliminate and Russia combined with a boom in female trolleys. The system raised eyebrows and travellers, aging baby boomers, health conreceived much attention from the press, but sciousness and conversely, even the growing has not been adopted by any carrier. waistlines of certain populations will all factor What has caught on in every corner of into this phenomenon. For example, Airbus the globe is the proliferation of mobile tech- is already seeing demand for variations in nology and the growing reluctance of many seat sizes throughout the cabin from 17 up passengers to put their PED’s away when to 20 inch widths, something that an airline they settle in for a flight. Where at one time could quite easily turn into an opportunity AVOD IFE systems had little competition for additional revenue generation. He is for the attention of this ‘captive audience’, it also excited to report a handful of airlines must now exist in parallel with smart phones, offering male and female restrooms, a nod tablets and other gadgets, which advance in to this key demographic that he would like quality, affordability and functionality at a to see taken even further with the use of rapid pace. Companies such as OnAir and other features like mood lighting systems or Aeromobile in Europe or Gogo and Row 44 different materials for a feminine aesthetic. in North America have capitalized on this “If we can enable this unbundling or eletrend and become major players in offering ments to the maximum, would form a basis passenger connectivity services. Today, we of a truly individualized travel experience also see a great interest in steaming content where the passenger can enjoy a tailor made directly from a head-end server to such journey,” he says. “People will be able to invest devices as an alternative or a compliment to in what they really want, such as seat width, traditional means of delivery like overhead pitch and services. No more classes. I see or embedded IFE hardware. a future where people can choose features “For short range flights, up to around that appeal to them and pay for exactly what they get.”

The A320 family extra wide seat

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IFE & CONNECTIVITY

TO STREAM OR NOT TO STREAM? TopSeries AVA is currently in trials to address a multitude of areas such as content availability, captive portal design, service and technical streaming

That is the question that many airlines, hardware manufacturers and service providers are now asking. With the hype growing steadily around wireless content delivery solutions, PAX International talks to a handful of providers about how they are handling this new bearing in the industry by MARYANN SIMSON t is necessary, if not a bit redundant, to begin this feature by stating that the modern airline passenger is wellconnected - to their mobile device that is. Thanks to companies like Samsung, RIM and Apple, the notebook computer, smartphone, pod and pad have become as much of a travel essential as a toothbrush or an extra pair of socks. Whether toiling away at proposals, emails and presentations, or sharing minute details of everyday life via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram; the airline passenger of the present and future wants to be “plugged-in”.

Thales “It does make you think about how far technology has come in the past 10 years,” says Lori Krans, Vice President, Communications at Thales, a significant supplier of IFEC solutions to the aviation industry. “Wireless voice, data, and now content streaming are all like history repeating itself in that you start with a basic capability, which matures into something bigger and better due to advancements in technology. Streaming content is part of the technology evolution that will again, in 10 years from now, amaze us once more.” Streaming content for inflight was part of Thales’ early-on initiatives, with a focus on the Boeing 787. At that time a concept of wireless in the cabin was just that, yet it still prompted them to begin to study how it could be realized. Today, by working with forward-thinking airlines (which Thales hopes to name later this year) and technology

partners like Siemens, Thales has developed and launched its first generation wireless content delivery system called TopSeries AVA. The offering is currently in trials to address a multitude of areas such as content availability, captive portal design, service and technical streaming. Ready for AVOD, moving map, surveys, news, e-magazines and airline web content, TopSeries AVA also lets crew members tap in through mobile devices, helping them access passenger information and manage inflight operations. Compatible with more than 20 types of passenger devices, light in weight and boasting 800GB storage of media and system software, AVA has already received orders. “We know that at present, the entire cabin cannot stream at once for technical reasons, but we aim to enable as many devices (seats) as possible,” Krans reveals, adding device compatibility is also a factor. “Streaming content is of no value to the passenger if their device is not compatible to the onboard systems. We are working with industry leaders, such as Siemens, to overcome these technical topics. Working with the major studios is another significant part of our efforts right now, to ensure that all players in the supply chain are onboard.”

Rockwell Collins Duc Huy Tran joined Rockwell Collins as Director of Marketing for Cabin Systems in 2011, bringing with him 15 years of experience and having been previously responsible for Product Planning and Strategy at Bombardier Aerospace.

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We asked Tran if he might have, a decade ago, envisioned streamlining content to passengers’ mobile devices, or even the possibility of a high quality seat-centric solution like his company’s recently launched PAVES™ 3 solution. “Technologies were not mature enough for either wireless or seat-centric solutions to be considered at that time,” he

In addition to the achievement of major milestones regarding the new PAVES 3 embedded system, Rockwell Collins is working with Thomas Cook Group to enable applications and web pages, as well as content streaming

replied. “But now the focus goes far beyond a linear viewing experience, or the streaming of a movie; consumers routinely expect ondemand, multi-functional solutions, which are now relatively affordable.” In addition to the achievement of major milestones regarding the new PAVES 3 embedded system unveiled in 2011 (namely the development of an HTML5 user interface and the successful testing of proof of concept

IFE & CONNECTIVITY units utilising the underlying OS), Rockwell Collins is now working with Thomas Cook Group to develop its own wireless solution to enable applications and web pages, as well as content streaming. “The challenges originally anticipated by the industry at large are being overcome,” said Tran, adding that Rockwell’s product should be ready in the second part of 2013. “We are currently testing our solution in an aircraft environment, proving out our studies regarding bandwidth and the ability to stream to a variety of personal services and operating systems. At Rockwell Collins we are fortunate to have a premier internal technology partner – Rockwell Collins’ Advanced Technology Center (ATC). Our ATC is at the forefront of a e ro s p a c e technology,

working on avionics and electronic communication solutions that are many years ahead of their time.” While the market-segment growth resulting from the introduction of cheaper and less complex wireless systems is creating opportunity for new entrants, Tran essentially believes that as with embedded solutions, there will likely be just a handful of wireless IFE suppliers who persevere in the end. Naturally, Rockwell Collins is his favourite candidate.

Panasonic On July 19th, after a successful testing period, Australia’s flagship carrier Qantas announced

Panasonic’s streaming solution, eXW, weighs approximately 40 lbs.

that it was set to launch Qstreaming in partnership with Panasonic, using the IFEC provider’s eXW solution. Beginning in Q4 this year, passengers travelling onboard the carrier’s B767 fleet will be entertained by content streaming directly to iPads at every seat. “Our streaming solution eXW weighs about 40 pounds total and it can be installed in a matter of days,” explains Neil James, Executive Director of Corporate Sales and Product Management for Panasonic Avionics. “With the eXW system, passengers will be able to access a massive library of onboard movies, music, news and in-cabin services – all through a personalized portal on their own WiFi enabled device. The portal can be configured to airline requirements, and when combined with Panasonic’s in-flight connectivity solution, eXConnect, eXW will be able to offer broadband-enhanced applications such as high speed internet access, social media services, email and even live television programming through our eXTV service.” As early as six years ago, in 2008, the firm began to look at the streaming of wireless content with streaming IFEC solutions for the Boeing 787. Even today, after the successful introduction of eXConnect (2008),

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IFE & CONNECTIVITY eXTV (2009) and eXW (2011), Panasonic continues on in its endeavour to perfect, integrate, analyze and then improve all of these services further. “In the near term, we will continue to enhance eXW with features including food and beverage ordering and payment, dutyfree shopping, games, moving maps, tail camera display, connecting gate information and more,” says James. James added, “For eXConnect, we have

tem, Cline says that WiPAX is differentiated from competitors’ wireless products in offering a turnkey solution already proven from end to end. Intended to provide ancillary revenue opportunities for carriers operating short-haul, narrow body aircraft, or as a back cabin compliment to HDTV over fiber in First and Business class, WiPAX makes content available through a variety of Wi-Fi enabled consumer devices. “Since we are starting from zero, and the technology is well proven, sales of lowcost wireless delivery “ Sales of low-cost systems like WiPAX wireless delivery can only grow subsystems like WiPAX stantially upward,” can only grow Cline reveals. “But, substantially upward.” airlines may find there are more challenges than they were initially promised and, moreover, cost continued to add capacity and coverage to of content will become a much more influenoptimize our global broadband in-flight tial cost element than they probably expected. connectivity network, which is evident with Separately, I think that, to once again paraour recent announcement with Intelsat for phrase Mark Twain, rumors of the death of capacity on their EpicNG satellite platform. embedded IFE are being grossly overstated. Unlike competitive solutions, this capacity is My prediction is actually for increasing solely dedicated to Panasonic’s aeronautical deliveries of quality embedded systems liken network, and will not be shared with any FTTS, with its substantially higher reliability maritime, government, military or other and concomitantly lower cost of ownership.” service not affiliated with the company.” Lumexis expects its first WiPAX customers to take flight with the solution in early Lumexis 2013. A number are currently in advanced For Lumexis, one of the main competitors in negotiation for fleet installation. the seat-centric IFE trade and the only one working with high bandwidth fiber optic The IMS Company networks, next year will mark one decade Of all the embedded IFE providers we talked since its start-up team first came together, to for this report, the only one not actively in an attempt to predict and fulfill the IFE developing a wireless content delivery offerindustry’s future wants and needs. ing was The IMS Company. While one Admittedly, says Doug Cline, Lumexis’ company after another tosses its cap into the CEO and long-time industry personality, this ring, The IMS Company is taking a moment team wasn’t all too convinced at the time that to observe. And for now, watching from the streaming content to passenger devices would ever be sanctioned. “We did attempt to foresee and assess other future technologies. Wireless streaming technology was being widely pursued even then, but I think we felt it would be resisted by regulatory bodies for some time for applications in commercial air transport as potentially interfering with flight deck avionics.” Nevertheless, in January of this year, Lumexis heralded the arrival of WiPAX™. Derived from the The IMS Company wants to keep its head down and focus all resources into fulfilling Lumexis Fiber to the Screen®(FTTS®) its current commitments for RAVE head-end server and aircraft interface sys-

Doug Cline, CEO, Lumexis

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sidelines doesn’t seem to bother them in the slightest. For now, Harry Gray, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at the IMS Company, tells PAX International that The IMS Company wants to keep its head down and focus all resources into fulfilling its current commitments for RAVE, which add up to a 2.5 year backlog of more than 160 aircraft. The makers of RAVE, the most commercially successful seat-centric IFE solution to date, have also commenced certification of the system on two new aircraft types; the Boeing 767 and 777. They expect this certification to come through in September. “We understand connectivity and we understand wireless applications. We’ve got wireless capability on RAVE and our previous Terminal Data Loader (TDL) and we have done since the 2004-2005 timeframe,” Gray concedes. “Quite honestly, technology is moving so quickly, and we might just be taking a look to see where it’s going for a second-generation system.”

digEcor plans to launch its answer to the content streaming craze on the exhibition floor of APEX this September in Long Beach

digEcor According to Ben Fuller, recently appointed Director of Sales (Latin America) & Marketing at digEcor, steaming is “a natural progression” for the Utah-based provider of handheld IFE solutions and ancillary revenue programs to the commercial aviation industry. The company plans to launch its answer to the content streaming craze on the exhibition floor of APEX this September in Long Beach. “We have been developing a robust streaming application over the past year or so,” Fuller explains. “Two of the major challenges when we look at wireless content distribution are getting early window studio content available for streaming, and creating a solution that is userfriendly. There are a lot of different CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

IFE & CONNECTIVITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

devices out there, and many different types of folks using them. We have to cater to everyone. We have spent a lot of time on the details, testing and re-testing and testing again to get where we are today. We are pretty excited about our solution.” Building upon a solid customer base, digEcor has landed six new airline contacts for the digEplayer family of handheld devices in 2012. Each of these new airline customers has shown measured interest in streaming, says Fuller, adding that for some, discussions are now progressing nicely towards a possible deal. The firm is hopeful that a proprietary encryption protocol (designed to maintain the safety and integrity of content) will help in securing early window content for this application, making its offering even more attractive in this competitive market. “I see streaming as a growth area, but not becoming exclusive any time soon,” Fuller says. “Recent data suggests less than two in 10 people have a personal tablet device and that less than half of passengers have a smartphone. There will be room for portables, streaming and embedded IFE for a long time to come.”

BlueBox BlueBox Joint Managing Director, David Brown believes that a hybrid system of streamed content service to passenger devices combined with his company’s specially customized iPad devices (for premium passengers or for rent) featuring both preloaded early window content and access to the streaming server, will offer the best total IFE solution for those airlines not wishing to implement a fully embedded seat back solution. “We are working on a deployable streaming solution and expect to bring this to market in the near future with a launch customer,” Brown recently told PAX International. “This is a very exciting area for us and the industry generally. It will bring the provision of IFE to many more airlines and aircraft at a reasonable price. It is still early days, but the technology is very promising and will be a great complimentary service available to passengers using their own devices.” BlueBox was in fact the first IFE provider to launch a semi-embedded wireless IFE system in 2008. Prior to that, the UK-based outfit formed in 2006 as a joint venture

entertainment product for air travelers and today we enable our airline partners to provide their travelers with the most advanced inflight device-based experience available today,” says Travis Christ, Chief Marketing & Sales officer at Row 44. In the beginning, Row 44 and satellite partner Hughes, came together to provide wireless services such as talk, text and data in the cabin. However, as mobile device technology progressed and passengers began using them as a source of entertainment, it became apparent to Row 44 that they could offer even more. “We started focusing on our product pipeline in 2010. This included streaming BlueBox’s custom-designed iPad inflight entertainment products,” says Christ. case disables loudspeakers and protects against damage “Our satellite partner is Hughes, which allows us to deliver more bandwidth to the plane between specialist aviation software solu- than other WiFi providers. Given the power tions provider AviIT and Phantom Media, of the Broadband signal, we were able to (a long-established content service provider leverage the system to expand the amount for the aviation industry) deployed successful of content to the aircraft. The result is that portable systems using Windows-based tablet passengers can now opt to utilize the WiFi devices with airlines such as bmi, El Al and to get on the Internet and/or obtain a variety Jet2.com. Things really took off for BlueBox of other content.” a bit later when it became the first company Enter Row 44’s latest technology partner to win early window content (EWC) approval Major League Baseball Advanced Media for the iPad. BlueBox now has nearly 6,000 of (MLBAM). Don’t be fooled by the name; it the devices flying with a number of airlines isn’t just about sports with this company . including Jetstar, British Airways, Scoot, Thai MLBAM is one of the world’s leading providAirways and others. ers of technical infrastructure for streaming “Our success has been based on our media and manager of video streams for experience in understanding the security thousands of major events each year. requirements rightly demanded by the major “One of MLBAM’s strengths is digital rights Hollywood studios before they will provide management (DRM),” says Christ. MBLAM EWC on any portable platform,” says Brown. handles DRM for its own large catalog of con“We applied these design principles to the tent as well as for its many customers providiPad and iOS environment. We have also ing both sports and non-sports video content. developed a custom case to further protect They will be managing the security of all of the content in Row 44’s inflight “ We started focusing on portal for our product pipeline in our airline 2010. This included and content streaming inflight partners.” As a entertainment products.” provider of wireless content distribution that is not against damage and theft, to disable the a developer of hardware, Row 44, perhaps loudspeakers and to provide a 20-plus hour much more than most other competitors battery life.” in this emerging market segment, would be happy in a tomorrow where wireless is king. Row 44 However, like most in this business, they Since its inception, Row 44 has kept both anticipate a significant transitional time eyes on the broadband prize. “Row 44 has frame characterized by the coexistence of always focused its efforts on device-based wireless, handheld, and embedded IFE.

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Travis Christ, Chief Marketing & Sales officer at Row 44

IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Battle OF THE bandwidths PAX International talks to three major competitors in the inflight connectivity field about satellite networks, mobile roaming agreements, new customers and more by

MARYANN SIMSON

he race for supremacy amongst providers of satellite broadband solutions is heating up as the number of airlines that deem the service essential reaches critical mass. Still, the answer to questions like what constitutes essential bandwidth, which satellite or ground-based signal is ideal and what passengers will actually take advantage of - are still very much a matter of opinion.

The pace of partnership Tuesday March 27 was a busy day for the press at the 2012 Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. As they do every year, the storytellers of the interiors industry arrived in droves in the early morning, hoping to be the first to learn of and share the day’s most important announcements. Of particular interest to many journalists was a briefing scheduled for 10:00am at the always impressive Panasonic booth, where the IFE giant announced it had officially taken a 51% majority stake in its inflight mobile connectivity partner, AeroMobile. “For several years, Panasonic has been one of our top business partners with a formal agreement in which we were benefitting from their sales resources, production capabilities and worldwide service organization,” said Pal Bjordal, CEO of the UK-based former Telenor subsidiary and leader in high bandwidth mobile data services onboard. “Prior to the acquisition, Panasonic executives represented members of my Board of Directors and we had a very close, mutually beneficial relationship.” AeroMobile has been deeply involved in the development and execution of eXPhone, a key element of Panasonic’s full suite of

AeroMobile has been deeply involved in the development and execution of Panasonic’s full suite of connectivity offerings, including eXConnect, eXTV and eXPhone

connectivity offerings which also include eXConnect and eXTV. Airline partners frequently install all three, highlighting the great synergies between the two organizations and the reason they were so compelled to further integrate their resources. Despite this newly strengthened relationship, AeroMobile will continue to operate as an entity separate from Panasonic. “We are currently installed on Emirates, which was our first and still our largest customer. We are also installed on Gulf Air, SAS, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysian and Turkish Airlines,” says Bjordal, adding that some, but not all, of these customers are waiting for additional aircraft to be installed before going live with the services. “Over the next few months we will begin installation with a number of other carriers, so I think a very real benefit of being part of the Pana-

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sonic group is the pace of installation that they are able to support for us.” At this time, Bjordal tells PAX International, the bulk of revenue generated by onboard networks still stems from the use of SMS and voice calling supported by L-band streams. He predicts this to change in the short to mid-tem as more aircraft are installed with KU-band equipment, allowing for mobile data and full connectivity. “I would assume that by the end of this year, we will probably see mobile data overtake voice and SMS as a revenue source.” Currently, AeroMobile is working on the development of 3G and 4G technology using Ku-band technology, which will be on display at Panasonic’s APEX Expo stand. Testing is expected to begin in 2013 and the first 3G operational flight is anticipated for next summer. According to Bjordal, all technologies

IFE & CONNECTIVITY currently being established will be deployable on future satellite technologies, including Inmarsat’s highly anticipated Global Express.

Call me maybe Agreements with more than 350 mobile network operators around the world put OnAir in a great position within the cabin connectivity sector. Add to this, the fact that the Swiss-based inflight communications provider is backed by Airbus, partnered with technology leaders like TriaGnoSys and has made more than a half-dozen customer announcements in the past 12 months, and one might have grounds to argue that this position is better than great. “We are the only provider currently operating both Wi-Fi and GSM together, the option selected by more than two thirds of our customers,” says Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir, adding that recent customer announcements include important deals with All Nippon Airways, Cebu Pacific, Thai Airways, Qantas, Etihad and even TAM in South America. “Those announcements encompass a wide range of aircraft, with our products now being available either as line fit or retrofit for all commercial aircraft types. Not only does this show our technical abilities, but it also shows our SwiftBroadband-based products are suitable for even the biggest aircraft.” One of OnAir’s key objectives in the near-term is to work with mobile network operators to reduce the price of its services, something that directly correlates to increased usage, says Dawkins. The company would ultimately like to see inflight prices in line with terrestrial prices. ViaSat launched Exede Internet on January 16

“We have spent the past six years building our network of roaming agreements. It is certainly a complex process and a real asset for OnAir as a service provider,” Dawkins explains. “Inflight connectivity provided by OnAir is the last mile the MNO needs to be able to offer the full range of mobility products to complete their roaming portfolio with easy access to the full set of GSM services, even in the air.” In line with comments from AeroMobile, Dawkins says that at present, passengers overwhelmingly prefer to tap

“This high speed link represents an unmatched level of data transfer in satellite broadband for consumers. The ViaSat-1 system has been designed to significantly outperform previous satellite systems for commercial and government services,” explains Robin Salem, Director of business development for Commercial Mobile Services at ViaSat, adding that JetBlue with its popular LiveTV offering will soon become the first North American carrier to utilize this technology, which ViaSat has named Exede. “JetBlue is scheduled to launch a

“ Over the next few months we will begin installation with a number of other carriers, so I think a very real benefit of being part of the Panasonic group is the pace of installation that they are able to support for us.”

Pal Bjordal, CEO, AeroMobile into email, SMS and voice calls when using Mobile OnAir, the inflight GSM service. Calling, he says, is more popular than some early critics predicted and makes up for more than 10% of usage, without being disruptive to other travelers. “We expect these patterns to continue for now, though they will of course change in the future,” he concludes. “What is clear is that there will be increasing demand for more bandwidth. To meet that demand, OnAir is a distribution partner for Inmarsat’s global Ka-band network, Global Xpress, which will provide users with transmission speeds at least double those of existing Ku-band offerings at a price 30% lower.”

Speed for Exede For more than five years, ViaSat has been delivering its mobile broadband service, branded Yonder, to aviation industry customers around the world. In fact, more than 350 business and government aircraft have taken advantage of this Ku-band service. In October of last year, ViaSat put into orbit the highest capacity telecom satellite launched to date. On January 16, 2012, ViaSat-1 began providing commercial services over North America. On the same day ViaSat launched Exede Internet, a celebrated milestone, which also marked the company’s intended entry into a new business segment – commercial aviation.

commercial service later this year. The ViaSat system will provide an in-flight Internet service to airline passengers similar to that experienced by them at home or in a business environment.” According to Salem, ViaSat-1 delivers bandwidth at a cost that is roughly oneeighth the cost of Ku-band, and has more capacity for throughput (at 140Gbps total) than all of the other Ku-, Ka-, and C-band satellites in operation over North America, combined. To offer similar bandwidth and speed to customers in Europe and the Middle East, ViaSat has partnered with Eutelsat and Yahsat, each of whom have also deployed the company’s Ka-band technology for potential use by commercial airlines in these regions. “We are in discussions with other regional airlines to provide in-flight Internet service, initially over the Yonder network, and in the mid-term over the high-capacity Exede network should the projected growth in demand for capacity materialize,” Salem reveals. “ViaSat is well-positioned to be the high-quality in-flight connectivity provider in North America and overseas. Both of the leading competitors are focused on providing mobile phone and SMS services onboard aircraft. These operators also deliver satellitebased service onboard, but their service offers limited bandwidth to each passenger and the price per megabyte of data is quite expensive.” www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 25

IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Niche day

FOR A LAUNCH InFlight Entertainment Products invites carriers to reap the benefits of its newly developed end-to-end overhead video system, designed to provide a highly capable, yet cost-effective alternative by MARYANN SIMSON

t is with much confidence, not to mention a few airlines ready to stand up as a launch partner, that InFlight Entertainment Products (IFE Products) will unveil its first complete overhead video system at APEX in Long Beach. The system is touted by the Illinois-based designer and manufacturer of “plug and play” in-flight entertainment equipment and lighting products as being high-quality, inexpensive and easy to install. The company also claims that this system, developed intensively over the past 18 months, offers a low cost of ownership throughout its lifetime in the cabin. “The major components of the system are derivatives from our already tried-andtrue product line,” explains Chris Colgrove, Cabin Electronics Manager at IFE Products. “Our performance record is fantastic, and as it relates to this product launch, we have multiple existing airline customers around the world interested in being our launch partner. After a successful debut at the APEX Expo in Long Beach, we will be ready to begin installations.” Believing that the embedded IFE segment has become somewhat oversaturated, IFE Products has turned its focus back towards a group of aircraft and airlines, and a niche market, that have been for the most part forgotten by all but two other hardware suppliers. According to Colgrove, Panasonic and Rockwell Collins are the only IFE systems providers still making up-to-date, single aisle, retractable overhead solutions widely available to narrow-body jets and the many airlines operating older aircraft on short to medium-haul routes.

“Rockwell Collins and Panasonic make great products, and their industry success is a testament to that,” Colgrove admits, adding that IFE Products believe in healthy competition as a means to stimulate hard work and innovation. “By providing a cost-effective alternative, while maintaining the highest standard of quality and reliability, we are satisfying an industry need. Our products speak for themselves, and we are happy to be held to the same high standard that our industry’s largest players are.” Established in 2002 as an FAA approved service center, IFE Products’ core business today is equal parts IFE retrofit projects and IFE repair services. Also PMA approved, the company focuses primarily on developing new technologies that work within existing aircraft infrastructures. It also provides its many services to airlines large and small from every corner of the globe, applying an extensive knowledge of IFE systems across all major manufacturers and platforms. While Colgrove declined to comment on the location of the yet-to-be-named system’s first installation until after formal launch, he revealed that IFE Products has recently opened an expanded facility to accommodate strong growth, and that the company

Basic program features of the new system include 10.4 inch retractable LED backlit monitors, touch screen cabin crew interface and a standard solid state drive of 128gb, which can be upgraded to 256gb if desired

26 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

will continue to open additional facilities as necessary. Basic program features include 10.4 inch retractable LED backlit monitors (offering more display for less investment for retrofit projects, as these fit into the same envelope as the older 9 inch Panasonic units), touch screen cabin crew interface and a standard solid state drive of 128gb, which can be upgraded to 256gb if desired. “We work hard to make installation as easy and painless as possible,” says Colgrove. “On aircraft that currently have little or no IFE, the installation process can be completed during a C-check, which, as many people know, is a 2-3 day maintenance check (also known as a heavy maintenance visit). For aircraft with existing IFE systems, there is a great variation depending on what those planes are flying with and how quickly it can be removed. Our goal is to always minimize aircraft downtime on every project.” Ultimately, IFE Products will work with airframe manufacturers for line fit approval.

IFE & CONNECTIVITY

the wide angle Film studios, distributors, labs and content service providers are all key players in bringing film and television from script to seatback or mobile device. PAX International looks at the various links in the chain of airline content provision by

MARYANN SIMSON

The Sapphires is a story of four young Australian Aboriginal girls who learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertain the US troops in 1968 Vietnam

gone from a staff of two full-time and three part-time employees, to four full-time and two part time employees. We have become the airline distributor for several large film sales companies in the industry.” Hamlin tells PAX International that her particular role in the IFE game is to acquire airline rights from movie sales agents and producers, then offer those screening rights to various airlines. Often, she will acquire the rights to films at a very early phase in the project, which she especially enjoys because it has allowed her to help certain films get funding for production. “I will read the script once the cast is attached. If I’m interested in the film, I then work out the pricing agreement,” she says. “Often we are one of the territories that the Independent appeal sales agent or producer submits to the banks CineSky Pictures is a great example of a com- as a pre-sale to help them in the securing of pany that becomes involved in airline content funding to make the film. In fact, there is a provision at the very early stages. “I originally film coming out this fall called “The Sapstarted the company as Jetstream Pictures phires”, which Cinesky was the first territory in the spring of 2005 with two partners to commit to the film.” and myself,” explains Betsy Hamlin, Sales The film eventually made it to the Cannes and Acquisitions at CineSky Pictures. “We Film Festival where it became a small sensabecame CineSky Pictures in 2009. We have tion. Hamlin has been told that the airline

any airline passengers take it for granted that they will be able to board their flight, settle in, and get caught up on a few Hollywood blockbusters, television box sets or independent films as they travel. However, there is a vast network of players that come into view when we shine a spotlight on this critical part of the passenger experience. Every day, deals are made with film studios, head-end servers are loaded with new and current content, and a multitude of specialists work diligently in-between to edit, format, caption, dub, promote and deliver popular entertainment options to thousands of aircraft worldwide.

28 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

deal got the ball rolling on the entire project, and the filmmakers invited her to walk the festival’s red carpet with the cast and producers out of appreciation. It’s not all evening wear and flashbulbs though, there are ups and down in this business as with any other. Hamlin’s biggest struggle comes in the form of pricing. Thanks to rocky economies and tough competition, airlines are demanding lower prices for content. At the same time, the cost to purchase films from source is on the rise. “I’ve definitely had to adapt and more carefully select which films I take chances on,” she reveals. “But overall I am very proud of the companies that I have strong relationships with in my purchasing of films.”

Large and in charge Joan Filippini is a vibrant and well known figure in the IFE sector. As Senior Vice President of Non Theatrical Distribution at Paramount Pictures and acting Treasurer for the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), she has been around the industry for more than a decade and worked with all manner of companies which call the airline content distribution arena home. Although her team’s footprint, in terms of dedicated staff, is small in comparison to other parts of a major motion picture group like Paramount, Filippini reveals that the Non Theatrical Distribution channel is actually quite an important source of revenue for the company.

IFE & CONNECTIVITY From the studio’s perspective, the typical film has about a ten year lifespan and several windows of distribution which come into play at different intervals throughout. Naturally, theatrical release is the first and most important window of distribution for a Hollywood film. This takes place in the critical first year of the lifespan where the bulk of a film’s budget and sizeable promotional spend is (hopefully) recovered. “Most of the money is earned in the first year and we are part of that revenue stream,” says Filippini. “So when we charge our airline licensing fees, we are part of that critical upper line.” Filippini admits that security of content is always a major concern for studios, but that everyone involved, including more than 200 airline customers and a slew of labs and CSP’s, typically do an excellent job keeping it safe. Even providers of consumer off-the-shelf (COTS) devices for use onboard have been diligent in securing these devices to ensure it is virtually impossible to remove anything from them. China, she says, is pretty

Paramount has high hopes for the new Tom Cruise franchise ‘Jack Reacher’ in the non theatrical markets

procurement and integration can be a daunting task. And with more than 70 clients worldwide (including a host of airlines like Air Canada, Virgin America, Qantas, Emirates and many more) and dozens of years in the business, Spafax is well equipped to help airline customers handle the intricacies of establishing and maintaining a top-notch entertainment offering. “We try to be very system agnostic because

Spafax engineer Mitchell Kohen adjusts audio streams for IFE content

much the last frontier when it comes to securing content and the only global region where Paramount does not have an airline customer.

Bringing it all together After an airline has committed to a means of delivering IFE to passengers (be it embedded IFE, handheld devices, wireless streaming or a combination of these) and decided to some extent the type of content and language options that it wants to offer, the time comes to put all this together in a way that makes sense. Spafax is a leading specialist in custom IFE services and branding. For an airline focused mainly on selling tickets and operating flights, navigating the world of content

for us it is not so much about the (hardware) system as it is about the whole IFE experience we are creating and what your IFE brand is about,” explains Al St. Germain, VicePresident of Spafax USA. “Do you need an IFE brand? That’s often question number one. It is true that the bigger you are, the bigger an investment IFE is - and the bigger a mistake it is if you get it wrong.” At any one time, a Spafax client team is managing up to five different ‘cycles’ of content for an airline customer. This could be guiding airlines through content screening, ordering titles from studio partners, securely delivering video files, performing quality control standards, completing payments or deleting expired files from aircraft servers. All of these efforts take the guesswork out of IFE

programming for airlines, while offsetting costs through media sales and increasing brand awareness with passengers. St. Germain tells PAX International that to him; the prospect of fast and consistent connectivity in the cabin isa very exciting opportunity for a number of reasons, even if , “Having a high-speed pipe to the aircraft could really change things,” he reveals. “That starts to introduce external content, which is exciting because it could eliminate a lot of time lag in content and possibly shorten the traditional 90-day content selection and packaging cycle that we all deal with.” A packaging cycle shortened by the possibility of streaming even fresher content to the aircraft could also benefit airlines in terms of ancillary revenue generation. According to St. Germain, one of the greatest hurdles in terms of landing major ad campaigns for IFE systems is that advertiser copy must be ready to go 90 days prior to viewing onboard. “A lot of them look at that schedule and decline,” says St. Germain. “I have worked in that business and copy is almost always ready about 4 minutes before the print deadline. It is difficult to ask somebody who is working on a campaign to know what that is going to be 920 days out. This is why you see a lot of evergreen stuff in the inflight media environment. With ongoing advancements in how we update hardwired systems and the potential for streaming to head-end units, you have a chance to really open up the advertising landscape.”

A poke in the right direction Pokeware, a pioneering young firm working in the space of content and advertising, was originally conceived of back in 1997 when founder and CEO, Maryse Thomas wanted to buy a dress that she saw a popular actress wearing on television. Thomas snapped a photo of the TV and then used it to scour catalogues and magazines, trying to find www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 29

IFE & CONNECTIVITY and buy the frock. Frustrated at not being able to locate the item she desired, she began thinking about ways to effectively search video content. Today, after many years of research and development, that idea has blossomed into what is now Pokeware, and many airline passengers around the world have already had a chance to try it out. “We are now monetizing content by enabling visual search results from objects in video,” explains Thomas. “We take video content and give people watching it the opportunity to learn more about anything they see within the experience. If you are watching a decorating show and want to know where a coffee table, pillow or lamp is from – you literally just scroll over (or poke it on a touch screen device) and find out where you can get it.” Touch screen IFE systems seemed like a natural venue for this type of software to Thomas, who knew that airlines are always looking for means by which to generate ancillary revenue. What better way to do this, she

United Airlines and Sun Country Airlines have had a chance to try out Pokeware on while en route to their destination. Response has been good and Thomas reports roughly 11 pokes per person, per video. The content used for Pokeware is typically ‘evergreen’ content such as home improvement Pokeware offers free content and ancillary revenue or cooking shows and possibilities to airlines, while allowing passengers to learn more about products in the programs they view tutorials, which hold their relevance much thought, than by offering them content longer than other genres. that was not only free to them (it is paid Pokeware’s propriety software automatifor by the advertisers), but also offers them cally scans content to identify products and the chance to collect revenue on a per ‘poke’ determine their manufacturers. A symbol basis. By working closely with Toronto-based large enough to be seen, yet small enough payment solutions expert GuestLogix and to not be disruptive to the viewer, can be Utah-based portable IFE provider digEcor, incorporated to urge him or her to poke the she fine tuned her solution for airline cus- item when paused and learn more. On a contomers, which can generally expect to keep nected aircraft, passengers could potentially about one third of all revenue generated by complete a purchase of the item through the system. GuestLogix payment processing technology, Passengers flying with American Airlines, bringing the experience full-circle.

AZUSA CORPORATION LTD

Airlineheadphones.net FACTORY DIRECT

30 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

sit

Add to thEir EntErtAinmEnt EXPEriEncE, not your EXPEnsEs. inflight entertainment expectations are going up, while tape supplies are running out. the good news is you don’t have to replace your entire system to provide passengers a digital iFE experience. Update your current tape system with a digital video reproducer unit (VRU) from Goodrich for the system capabilities you want: • Dual-language output of MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 video • Encrypted video (early window content) for playing Hollywood movies before cable and commercial DVD distribution • Content downloads via removable hard-disk drive or compact flash memory, or • Inexpensive support of DVD and HD discs via disc-based VRU System retrofits with Goodrich VRUs help you minimize equipment cost, downtime and training. Join the airlines that have trusted Goodrich IFE systems for over 20 years. For more information about Goodrich systems, contact us at ife@goodrich.com.

right attitude/right approach/right alongside www.goodrich.com

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HEADSETS

Loud and clear PAX International speaks to a number of headset suppliers about how they manage to find the perfect balance between cost and quality in order to please airline budgets and passengers alike by LAUREN BRUNETTI

hey are today’s most essential travel accessory and they have the power to shape a passenger’s entire inflight experience. As airlines investment more and more in IFE technology, headset suppliers are left with the challenge of providing high quality products, while dealing with neverending budget pressures. Over the years, as technology has continued to evolve, the headset has gone though several transformations. PAX International caught up with a number of front runners within the industry, to discuss the evolution of their product offering, the history of their company, and what lies ahead.

AVID AVID Airline Products was the first headphone manufacturer to work within the airline industry; their first customer was

TWA back in 1963, which was the first airline to provide passengers with their own inflight headset. “We were the first company to put headsets on planes and we still remain a leader in this industry. We have learned to adapt to changing trends and the changes with technology,” said Emily Steere, Key Account Executive at AVID. “Starting back in the 1960’s, we had the pneumatic style headsets. Headsets evolved in the 80’s with the addition of the Walkman and with our experience in speaker technology we were able to readily adapt to this by “shrinking” our speaker size into a smaller electronic headset.” AVID maintains a tight quality control throughout their entire production process. The company also makes regular quality control audits to their partner factories, to ensure the same levels of quality are consistently maintained.

32 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

At the present time, with the demand of disposable headsets on the rise, AVID is pleased to have partnered with a local electronic recycling facility; the company will gladly take back any used headsets from their customers for recycling, to help minimize waste to the environment.

InflightDirect Thomas G Mockler, President and CEO of InflightDirect, has been involved with the production of IFE headsets for almost 30 years and within this time frame, he has seen the many changes that have taken place within the industry, first hand.

HEADSETS InflightDirect carries over 400 different headset models and produces countless styles and designs for their customers. To name a few, their range includes disposable ear buds and ear clips, over-the-head styles, and ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) headphones. At InfightDirect, all headphones can also be custom produced from 32 to 300 ohm impedances with the single, dual, folding, and all ARINC specific plugs. “I have seen the evolution of the yoke style pneumatic headphones to the “muff ” style pneumatics to the current disposable electronic models. The manufacturing of the majority of IFE headsets is actually quite simple so the processes have become more efficient. The biggest change was moving forth from the pneumatic type to the electronic models. The style and appearance of the headphones typically follow the popular retail styles,” Mockler said. He also noted that airline model headsets are normally similar in style, but a handful of customers still use the pneumatic style. When it comes to their manufacturing process and the fluctuation of commodity prices, Mockler says that each component of their products can easily be affected by world events, which in turn can affect commodity prices. “In fact, recently copper has sharply increased pricing and with the continuous fluctuation in petroleum, the actual manufacturing costs are always affected. The majority of the manufacturing for IFE headsets is automated which has greatly improved the efficiency and made it less expensive. The increased quality control measure has also reduced waste which, in turn, leads to lower pricing.”

InflightDirect carries over 400 different headset models and produces countless styles and designs for their customers

According to Mockler, typically the pro- tional that the focus of the company has duction time for their logoed products is six always been on safety, in addition to increasto seven weeks, with up to four weeks transit ing the durability of the product and making time depending on the destination. “This can it more comfortable, while keeping it in style. be a long time if our customers have a short- “For example, this is the year of color and we age, so this is why we maintain a large variety will have a variety of new bright and brilof headphones in our US warehouses,” he explains.

Kidz Gear All fliers, regardless of their age, are susceptible to the harmful effects of noise when it’s delivered at a high volume. Unlike adults, children are sometimes unable to manage their ear protection without assistance. To fit this demand, and also meet the unique needs of children, there are companies like Kidz Gear. Founded in 2002 by Laurie Peterson, Kidz Gear produces reliable, high quality audio products and accessories, specifically for children. They have also received many awards for their design and audio quality. “A child’s ability to be quiet and calm is directly related to comfort and sound quality when it comes to listening to music or watching a DVD on a long trip. Our unique design and high quality audio make for a very pleasant trip – all parties included. Not to mention, they are the safest product for children while listening to entertainment, on the road or in the air,” said Jack Peterson, VP of Sales and Marketing at Kidz Gear. The design of Kidz Gear’s headphones contain several key points, including smaller fully padded ear-cups for a better seal around the ear and to prevent ear fatigue, a smaller, adjustable headband and most significant is the KidzControl Volume Limit Technology. This innovative technology allows Kidz Gear to be the safest headphones on the market, with the volume being “capped” between 80 dB – 90dB (roughly a 20% reduction in the maximum volume). Peterson told PAX Inter na -

Not to be confused with toys, Kidz Gear headsets are adult featured products with KidzControl Volume Limit Technology

liant colors to choose from,” he said. Each product also comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty. “We felt that the best way to stand behind our product was to ‘stand behind it for life,’” he said. Kidz Gear headphones are sold at all Apple stores and inMotion Airport stores. By Christmas time, Peterson said that they will also be in a new major US retailer as well.

Shanghai Haoliwen Airline Appliance Co. Founded in 1998, Shanghai Haoliwen specializes in a wide variety of aviation supplies, including headphones, textiles, and amenity kits. At the present time, the company is supplying to over 30 airlines around the world. In 2011, Haoliwen was proudly awarded with the EY headphone supplying contract for Turkish Airlines and EgyptAir. The company was also awarded with an FC headphone contract from EgyptAir in 2012 as well. According to Victor Tian, VP of Sales, Haoliwen’s headsets are specially designed according to Ergonomics, resulting in more CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 33

World Travel Catering & Onboard Services 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11 April 2013

Hamburg Messe , Germany

The event for travel catering & onboard services Save the Date 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11 April 2013 World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo provides a dedicated business platform for those responsible for catering operations, passenger comfort and buy-onboard items during air and rail travel. To book a stand contact: Daniel Kazimierczak Tel + 44 (0) 208 910 7132 Email daniel.kazimierczak@reedexpo.co.uk Enquire about visiting at: www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/enquiry

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HEADSETS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

gest our customers to use recyclable headsets instead, since they can easily be cleaned and re-packaged. In fact, usually we only need to change the sponge. Also the cost is much cheaper,” he explains.

comfort for passengers to enjoy. Their design also involves a neoteric design, which attracts a lot of their customers, he said. “All the materials we use are sourced in China, the worlds biggest and cheapest raw Malton Infllight material market. We have a long term con- PAX International also caught up with Malton tract with our raw material supplier, so the Inflight, which was founded nearly a quarter raw material cost floating does not affect our of a century ago in 1989. The company was supplies much” he told PAX International. formed in a small home office with just According to Tian, Shanghai Haoliwen’s a handful of employees and now, Malton headsets have evolved considerably; some Inflight proudly has regional head offices in of the latest features that passengers and London, Dubai and Shanghai, with staff all airlines are demanding at the present time over the world. include bright and colorful styles, along with With a wide range of base model headsets stereophonic and noise cancellation features, available, Alex Oakley, Sales and Marketing which help to improve passenger’s inflight Executive said these particular products experience while onboard. conveniently cover the whole spectrum Overwhelmingly, carriers are also from economy, all the way to premium class. demanding one-time use, lightweight and “Airline purchasers generally tend to be both disposable ear buds for economy class pas- creative and decisive,” he said. “I love to help sengers, and even though Shanghai Haoliwen nurture their ideas and contribute parts of my is able to deliver, it is not something that, own to come up with the perfect, original, according to Tian, the company encourages. solution for their inflight entertainment “Well, from an environmental consideration, equipment.” we don’t encourage our customers to use Even though, naturally, certain comdisposable headsets. As usual, we would sug- modity prices can be somewhat volatile and

Mills Textiles Mills Textiles have been supplying travel textiles to the airline, train & cruise sectors for more than 25 years & our associated supply & joint venture relationships in China extend back more than 90 years. Our key products include: Hot & Cold Towels, Tablelinen (Napkins, Tablecloths, Tray mats), Headrest Covers, Pillows & Pillow Covers, Duvets & Duvet Covers, Sleep Items & Blankets. Mills Textiles offer customers flexible supply solutions ranging from factory direct pricing/supply through to full warehousing & distribution worldwide.

tend to fluctuate greatly, Oakley said that the company still consistently tries to secure material prices for as long as possible - due to the fact that some of their contracts run for years at a time. “Suppliers such as ourselves have to be very wary of this risk; working in an industry as competitive as this one means that our prices must always remain low in order to win new business. It could be very detrimental to enter a long-term contract and suddenly have all of your margin wiped out by commodity price increases. However, that is the risk we have to manage in order to remain ahead of the game, and we feel as though we do it very well,” he said. Despite the fact that, according to Oakley, it might not necessarily make great business sense, he personally prefers to sell headsets that are designed for rotable use. “Obviously it’s great for business if we keep getting repeat orders for new batches of headsets but unfortunately there is no escaping the fact that the airline industry does have a very detrimental impact on the environment. If we as a company can help to reduce our environmental footprint, in the form of providing re-usable products wherever possible, then I think it is in the best interests of everyone long-term.”

InflightDirect

InflightDirect has been partnering with the world’s leading manufacturing facilities for the past 26 years. These facilities have proven to be the most reliable factories that have supplying the airline industry world-wide with IFE headphones, Amenity Kits, Blankets, Pillows, Pillow covers and other inflight products. InflightDirect represents these factories in order to give our valuable airline customers factory direct pricing. We provide all of the production, communication, logistical and warehousing needs while giving our customer the option of being invoiced by InflightDirect or the factory. This ensures the most competitive pricing in the industry for these high volume items.

Mills Textiles PO Box 67, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY111WD, UK tel: + 44 (0)1691 656092 sales@millstextiles.com www.millstextiles.com InflightDirect 125 Compton View Drive, Middletown, RI 02842, USA Tel: +1-401-714-4190 Skype: thomas.mockler10 sales@InflightDirect.com www.InflightDirect.com

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 35

HEADSETS

the

final link

Linstol has plugged into the airline industry’s growing awareness of the importance of a high-quality headset to supplement an airline’s expensive outlay in inflight entertainment by

RICK LUNDSTROM & MARYANN SIMSON

n example of big sound in a small package is the first things a viewer sees when tapping into the Linstol website. There, gleaming in slightly soft focus is the red textured body of wooden earbuds with silicone earpads. The warm colors and simple, elegant look contrasts greatly with the style of headsets that company officials say had been seen all to often in recent years. Airlines are seeing “the final link” that connects the entertainment to the passenger is as important as content, technology and any other aspect of the IFE experience. It has been a goal of headset manufacturers for years -- to convince airlines that the millions that are spent on complicated inflight entertainment systems lose much of their value when the passengers cannot hear the content over the cabin noise due to a poor-quality headset. The key benefit of using the rotable headsets are the savings an airline can see through a decreased cost per usage. Linstol estimates that even the company’s line of inexpensive rotable headsets can last an average of 10 rotations. Usage goes up to 15 turns for a moderately priced headset and more than 20 for a premium product. The headsets find new life at the company’s refurbishing centers where components are replaced or sanitized. If silicone is part of the headset’s design, a new-to-market antibacterial additive can also be applied. Often, the headset distributed to passengers in economy class was destined for one-time use. Now, Linstol has found success with a headset product that is refurbished. Its silicone earpads are cleaned or replaced and the entire set is used again. Recently, the company announced Linstol has the means to offer vibrant, four color artwork on a paper cup

Linstol has a network of 27 factories, 11 of which are dedicated to headset and earbud production

a contract with a U.S. carrier that is more than happy to participate in the cost/benefit of this concept. “I think the significance of that is they (the airlines) have clearly made a decision to go with better sound performance, higher quality, rotable type of products, that are lightweight and more comfortable for the passenger,” said Mark Russell, Vice President of Linstol at the company’s offices in Naples, Florida. “That desire for quality is running from the front and the back of the cabin. Airlines are investigating making an investment in noise canceling headsets, even in Economy Class. Hopefully we’ll see that following through with a variety of airlines as well,” added Craig Mitchell, Sales Manager, Linstol UK. The stylish-looking headset that graces the Linstol website is part of a concerted company effort to differentiate itself in a crowded and competitive field of not just headsets, but amenities, comfort items and even ancillary revenue products that are becoming more and more important. “One of the things that has started to distinguish Linstol from other suppliers in our industry is that we have made an investment in our own Linstol

36 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

desig ne d products,” said Mitchell. “Whereas a lot of public tooling type products all look the same and behave the same, we have started to distinguish based on unique Linstol designs and performance.” That effort runs throughout the company’s line of products that are now finding their way to airline customers by the dozens, in some cases. Linstol uses both internal and external design teams and has a network of 27 factories, 11 of which are dedicated to headset and earbud production. Another product that the company is eager to discuss is a double wall-hot cup. The cup is made exceptional by a four-color photo printing process. Linstol now has the means to offer vibrant, four-color artwork on a paper cup. This translates to vivid, photo quality printing which enables airlines to use the service item as a marketing tool. Scenic destinations and other compelling services can be advertised on the cups at an additional cost that Russell describes as “negligible”. An enhanced model of quality control procedure has also become a key selling point for Linstol. Every order leaving a factory in China is subjected to both an outbound and inbound quality control check. Over the last year, the inflight product supplier has worked closely with airline partners to define each customer’s specific quality control tolerances. This means that each time a new item is introduced to the cabin a unique quality control procedure is designed for that product, based on that carrier’s specific requirements.

IN THE CABIN

Light and‘Brite’ Equipment makers are noting new customers as production ramps up on several groundbreaking lines of galley equipment Sell’s new line of galley inserts is the market leader for the A380

eeping customer and industry requirements at the top of mind, galley equipment makers are touting their newest releases for an airline industry that continues to count kilograms, one by one. The year 2012 has been a busy one for companies such as Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace Group, its many subsidiaries and Norduyn, a Canadian firm whose all composite trolley now has more than 4,000 units in the air, as the company increases its fall production and tests its product with several large potential European customers. Visitors to this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas in Seattle should expect to see a series of sharp, elegant designs developed with a goal of integrating a cabin to an airline’s desire for customization. Also the products are designed to offer a practical solution for carriers seeking to cope with an oil industry where prices continue to seesaw with uncertainty. “There is a clear focus on weight,” said Sonja Naumann, a spokesperson for Sell GmbH a Zodiac Aerospace Group subsidiary that will be showing its newest line of galley inserts, launched at the AIX Expo in Hamburg. “Which naturally leads to savings in fuel costs for operators.” Sell has also added a number of features designed for safety and ease of use. The new steam oven was designed to control internal overpressure. Serving pots are securely insulated. Doors have double latches but can be operated only using one hand. The company has even incorporated noise reduction features into the components. The Sell Interiors line of galley inserts is

designed to cut up to 75 kilograms out of aircraft in a standard wide-body configuration. Ovens, coffee makers, beverage makers, water boilers and bun warmers are all designed to enhance the look of the cabin while delivering the weight savings important to airlines. Another Zodiac Aerospace Group subsidiary, Monogram Systems will be showing the Symphony™ suite of galley inserts now in development and certification. Sell touts the company’s “made in Germany” ethic that stresses the country’s engineering skills and stringent internal testing that gives the products “lifetime value,” said Naumann. Sell has a 70% share of the A380 market for galley inserts. With such a large market, Sell products are on the front lines in an environment where airlines are keen to show their best. “Elliptical and curved forms, as well as the integration of lighting configuration are only two examples of the increasing customization in this sector,” said Naumann. Sell GmbH was purchased in 2010 by Zodiac Aerospace Group. With the purchase, the company now has access to a pool of experience from the company’s group of subsidiaries. The addition also gives Zodiac one more supplier to offer airline customers an integrated line of products. “Several investments improving competitiveness and infrastructure are planned for the future and Zodiac Aerospace Group is a strategic partners who is interested in investing in Sell and with whom we can realize our strategic projects,” said Axel Rodenberg, CEO of Sell, who joined the company in its 56th year of operation.

by RICK

LUNDSTROM

Driessen-Zodiac introduced a line of containers on the heels of the company’s Hybrite line of trolleys

The Hybrite Hybrid Customization can also be found in another Zodiac Group subsidiary with its Driessen line of Hybrite full and half-sized trolleys designed to meet airline demand for a trolley with less weight, but also lower costs. This year, Zodiac Group also added a line of containers of the same name. Both incorporate the company’s hybrid design that combines aluminum and composite components. The easy access locking mechanisms in the new containers are designed for crew safety and easy opening even at temperatures topping 270 degrees Celsius. Among the most recent customers for the Hybrite trolley were Air Berlin, Emirates, Gulf Air, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Bangkok Airways and Iberia Airlines. At Hamburg, Driessen-Zodiac also announced that the Hybrite would be part of the line fit on the A350 XWB aircraft. In addition, the company’s new Hybrite container line is now aboard Iberia and Air Dolomiti. With the expanded line, the company is seeking to find customers anxious to take www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 37

IN THE CABIN

Norduyn ramps up production for Quantum customers Patrick Phillips, Director of Business Development at Norduyn in Montreal was looking forward to this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo, not only for the chance to speak again on the company’s success with its Quantum line of trolleys, but also to rub shoulders with visitors at another event scheduled for the same time. The CompositesWorld High-Performance Composites for Aircraft Interiors will be co-located with the AIX, September 25-26. During the two days, Phillips will find some kindred spirits among the attendees that are looking to move composite development ahead. The effective use of composites in the construction of the Norduyn Quantum trolleys and the customer list that Norduyn has achieved thus far has been in some ways a vindication for the company, says Phillips. “Last year, being a new product entirely made of composites, eyebrows were being raised,” Phillips tells PAX International. “Is it going to perform? Is it going to deliver savings?” The Quantum is now flying, more than 4,000 units strong, on Transavia, Condor and Lufthansa German Airlines. By the time the industry gathers in Seattle, Phillips says that the company’s plant in Montreal will be churning out Quantum trolleys at a rate of 1,000 per month. The units are also in testing on several airlines in Europe. Lufthansa has initially ordered 30,000 units for its international fleet. Since then, Phillips says Norduyn has been getting important information on usage and reliability levels for the Quantum. “For us, it was the best airline to start with, and we’re getting all this feedback,” said Phillips. “It’s really helping us continue in the right direction.” ShanghaiHaoliwen_ad_Layout 1 12-08-23 10:18 AM Page 1

advantage of weight savings in several parts of the aircraft. “Multiple sales initiatives are worked on, most often in combination with Hybrite trolleys since airlines see this as an opportunity to completely change their galley equipment fleet,” said Michiel Maris, Sales and Marketing Director at Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace. With the new customers, Driessen is focusing on expanding the line. The Hybrite foldable trolley is already offered via the A350 SFE program and will be offered via the BFE market soon, said Kegel. The foldable addition weighs in at 9 kilograms.

Up next, a Symphony The newest addition to the Zodiac Group gallery will be the seven-component suite of products that is currently in testing and designed to enhance the flavor of airline catering. The Monogram Systems Symphony™ line was being prepared for a launch at the Aircraft Interiors Americas. The company plans to show visitors a line that meets the requisite demands for weight savings, less power consumption and greater efficiency. In addition, Monogram has built into Symphony™ steam/convection oven features that simplify meal preparation. Meals can be cooked unpressurized and a built-in venting system eliminates the billowing steam. A fan system moves air at 250 cubic feet per minute, which, the company says is 2.5 times the industry standard. With this ability, Monogram says the new line is quiet and energy efficient. Features that allow for uniform heat distribution and cooking temperature consistency are also part of the new Symphony™ line. “The Symphony™ galley insert suite is a direct response from the industry’s move from a BFE (buyer furnished equipment) to a SFE (supplier furnished equipment) design approach,” said a release from Monogram. The company has added a number of other features to Symphony™, including full color displays and plug and use controls. Components will be available in both ARINC and ATLAS standard sizes for commercial aircraft.

Monogram’s Symphony™ line has seven components

38 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

IN THE CABIN

In the mood

The 300th copy of the Boeing Sky Interior was delivered to Garuda Indonesia Airlines in April. Photo Courtesy Boeing

subtle interplay of light, color and shape that can be accomplished with the flip of a few switches at the right time of the day holds the promise of not only saving airlines money and time, but easing the stress of harried travelers the world over. That goal is being accomplished in the narrow-body cabin of what has been a workhorse aircraft in commercial airline fleet for nearly 40 years. In April, Boeing noted the delivery of the 300th 737 Next Generation delivered with its Sky Interior. The light-emitting diodes (LED) of the Boeing Sky Interior on the 737-800 enhances the décor of sculpted sidewalls and larger windows. When passengers settle into the cabin of Jet Airways 737-800 on a flight from Delhi to Doha, Qater the airline has the ability to treat them to a vast array of color schemes “such as a soft blue sky or a relaxing pallet of sunset colors” said a release from the carrier. Jet Airways took delivery of its first Sky Interior aircraft in September of last year. The new look has become enough of an industry buzz that it is fueling a retrofit market. A competitive group of companies are offering easy-to-install LED lighting for older aircraft that look dull next to the Sky Interior.

With a wider array, of options, efficiency and the ability to create ambience, LED lighting has become a sought after feature for new cabins and retrofit by RICK LUNDSTROM Whether an individual passenger notices demanding more of a aircraft’s power resources. the changes or not is anyone’s guess. Wash At an estimated 50,000 hours, LED lighting has lighting, white lighting, or red-green-blue five times the life of incandescent products. (RGB) lighting in seemingly endless color “Studies have provided conclusive evicombinations can often be “lighting felt and dence that cabin illumination enhances pasnot seen” said Steve Scover, Vice President an senger comfort,” said the 2009 release from General Manager at B/E Aerospace Lighting B/E Aerospace touting the company’s new Systems, the supplier of LED’s for the Boeing cabin lighting contract the next generation Sky Interior since 2009. First delivery of the 737. Since then Scover said LED lighting has new Sky Interior cabin the B/E’s LED lighting “turned the corner in terms of acceptance.” system was in the fall of 2010. In addition to line-fitting the 737NG, B/E B/E Aerospace has been in the cabin lighting Aerospace, like many other companies is givbusiness 1998 with the company’s acquisition ing airline the chance to tailor their retrofit Aerospace Lighting Corporation (ALC). For the with LED lighting that can start in the front Sky Interior B/E supplies lighting in full spec- cabin and later expanded to economy class. trum capabilities in both white and color. Digital While few would argue that new aircraft controls allow users to shift lighting through cabins in the future will be outfitted with LED more than 16 million color palette combinations. lighting, this leaves a dilemma for what airlines Wash lighting shifts cabin color temperature, can do for its aircraft that certainly show their measured in Kelvin from warm to cool. Other age next to the spacious, airy cabins of next advantages are more practical than decorative. generation Boeing and Airbus aircraft. This has LED lighting gives the airline the opportunity led to many carriers making the business case to to reduce weight in the aircraft and cut power outfit older aircraft with LED lighting systems. consumption for aircraft cabins where onboard It is companies like New Berlin-Wisconsin technology designed for passenger comfort is EMTEQ that seek to make the transition

40 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

IN THE CABIN quick and painless as possible. This has caused people like Matt Davis, LED Product Manager for Emteq’s Air Transport Group to transition from his role in the company’s VIP jet market into a rapidly growing demand from commercial jet operators. Airlines are looking for a way to make an impact in the cabin of older aircraft that doesn’t take the aircraft out of service. The company’s eFIT™ line of products is designed as true plugand-play solution ideal for aircraft coming in for a C-check or D-check to come out with an enhanced lighting system. Like any new technology, more players and moretime have driven down the prices of LED installation. “The systems are low enough cost now that the expense can be justified for marketing purposes as well as maintenance,” said Davis. “Since they are already pulling an aircraft out of service, they can save on future maintenance with this highly reliable LED lighting system. There is a lot of benefit in doing it and there is a consistency in the lighting system they get.” Since 2010, EMTEQ began offering a lighting refresh program upgrading the cabin lighting including dome, reading and ceiling and sidewall lights on the 767. At this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, visitors to the company’s stand were filled in on the company’s eFIT(TM) program, targeted for those airlines with Next Generation 737s. A number of projects are in development for EMTEQ and Davis said announcements are planned in the next six months.In Florida, Bigorre Aerospace Corporation represents a number of lighting companies among them, another French company, S.E.L.A. Bigorre has

Another view of the Sky Interior in business class configuration with LED lighting, larger bins and extra legroom. Photo Courtesy Boeing

many of its sales in the VIP Aircraft market outfitting Dassault and Gulfstream aircraft with LED lighting. However, Pierre Schmitt of the Bigorre offices in Florida, says the company also has the capability of outfitting larger aircraft, among them 737s and 757s. Like the others in this growing and competitive group of suppliers, Schmitt said Bigorre can offer a tailored approach with options of wash, white and RGB lighting.

An LED for emergencies Though airlines are seeking to impress passengers with the versatility and beauty of the newest LED lighting systems, there’s another new LED feature in a growing number of airline cabins that carriers hope the traveling public never has to see. By the thousands, the incandescent emergency flashlights of the past are being replaced with a new LED model by the same company, Astronics, which has been far and away the market leader. In July of this year, Carl Hooper, Sales and Marketing Manager for the Aircraft Emergency and Survival Products division of Astronics in Fort Lauderdale, Florida said that sales of the company’s Air Lite™ LED emergency flashlight topped more than 10,000 units around the world. Like other pieces of LED equipment in the cabin the Air Lite™ in its .26 kilogram

1E (emergency) and .28 kilogram 2R (rechargeable) models offers airlines weight savings which can amount to anywhere from US$75 to $500 per pound per year in fuel costs. The emergency lights are more compact than the company’s forerunner EF-1 emergency lights and can easily mount in the same footprint as the existing brackets located throughout the aircraft. The product was first used on A318 and A321s, however Air Lite™ is part of the catalogs of the latest jets rolling off the line including the 787 and A350. Anywhere from 22 to 24 flashlights are needed to satisfy the safety requirements of the A380. Lighting power is measured in foot candles with the 1E generating 35.5 FC while the 2R outputs 25 FC. Operating time with

Schmitt say cabin lighting can accomplish more than merely help airlines save money. He said the future holds aircraft cabins filled with calmer, more comfortable passengers with the help of lighting products. Even as aviation industry outfits cabins with the latest LED lighting, the future could bring an evolution to organic LED lighting or OLED which are thinner than LED products that are currently on the market.

The Astronics Air Lite is available in two models and is black or beige

fresh battery packs can be anywhere from four to five hours. Standard colors include grey or beige (1E) and black (2R). One of the most unique features is the Pushto-Test monitoring system that allows cabin crews to quickly determine if the battery is good in a pre-flight check. A green flash of the LED means a GO, a red flash of the LED means the battery should be replaced. www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 41

IN THE CABIN

he majority of airline passengers, young and old alike, usually share at least a small thread of fear or anxiety while flying high in the sky. Thankfully there are companies like STG Aerospace, which has developed an innovative technology to assist in passenger safety. As a matter of fact, all a passenger has to do is look up, or look down while in an aircraft, and they will most likely notice the workings of this company. In 1985, a small company called Saf-T-Glo, operating in rural Norfolk, UK, started to make industrial and commercial signs using photoluminescent (PL) materials. From this point on, the company began to develop the concept of using PL as a means of guidance for transport passengers towards appropriate exits. In 1995, the company filed for - and was subsequently awarded - patents for PL emergency floorpath marking systems in aerospace. From here, the rest is history; a new corporate entity, STG Aerospace, and a new brand called, SafTGlo was formed. At the present time, SafTGlo systems are now installed in over 8,000 aircraft worldwide and are the preferred choice of Boeing, Embraer and all new regional jet programs.

SafTGlo PL floor path marking systems ‘store’ and simultaneously emit light, giving highly visible emergency exit guidance for up to 16 hours in darkness

the potential annual saving achieved by installing SafTGlo is estimated at $67,834. SafTGlo also produces a range of exit and emergency signs using the same high quality PL technology contained in their floor path marking systems. SafTGlo signs offer similar benefits to the floor path, including a long life span, no risk of failure, no-power needed and no operating costs.

The road ahead

PL signs are climbing in popularity – in fact, they are also destined to become the approved technology for other areas of the cabin emergency lighting system as well, Moore said. “PL is already being used to provide an alternative to the radioluminescent Tritium signs, which are common on older aircraft. SafTGlo TR (Tritium Replacement) PL signs are a popular maintenance-free and extremely cost-effective alternative, reaching out to military as well as civilian aviation markets. PL options will increasingly challenge the accepted wisdom that primary exit signs must be powered electrically,” he told PAX International. In 2012, STG Aerospace revealed the first in a planned PAX International recently caught range of new lighting solutions, an aftermarket LED up with STG Aerospace to talk about cabin lighting system for their innovative SafTGlo technology Safety and Avro RJ 100 aircraft. The and how it provides ample assistance innovation long-life LED units directly SafTGlo PL floorpath markreplace conventional fluofor passenger safety in a cabin ing systems uniquely ‘store’ rescent tubes which have to environment by LAUREN BRUNETTI and simultaneously emit be renewed frequently. STG’s light, giving highly visible new WhiteHawk™ lighting emergency exit guidance for offers the first ever ‘swap-out/ up to 16 hours in darkness, after only a tors, including lower maintenance costs and swap-in’ solution for a light-emitting diode short period of ‘charging’ with normal cabin improved dispatch reliability. The replace- (LED) system which, until now, has proven lighting. “Our vision is to reduce the cost of ment of parts or broken units are also issues of expensive to retrofit. Swiss International operating aircraft and to make flying safer. the past; once the SaftGlo system is installed, Airlines has become the first customer. Our success is based on delivering products no more maintenance of electrical parts or STG Aerospace systems are now installed that do just this,” explains Richard Moore, functional check is necessary. To summarize by hundreds of regional, low-cost and flag CEO at STG Aerospace. SafTGlo’s reliability, Moore couldn’t have said carriers across the world including SouthUnlike electrical systems, SafTGlo has no it better: “If it’s there, it works.” According to west Airlines, Air Canada, Air Alaska and wires, bulbs or batteries – meaning that there Moore, a typical return on investment for car- long-term OEM customers Boeing and is a significant cost-saving benefit for opera- riers is between 300%-400%. On a B747-400 Embraer.

A BRIGHT IDEA

42 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

IN THE CABIN

Sleep tight... Knowledge and training will keep airlines ahead of the curve in the feud being waged against the bedbugs that have bedeviled homes and hospitality industries by RICK LUNDSTROM

hen Carl Money began his first year at a local branch of the pest control company Terminix in 2002, he recalls only one reported outbreak of bedbugs that required dispatching a team to flush out the tiny insects. As the long hot summer of 2012 came to a close, crews at Terminix had been handling an average of 1,045 calls per month. And bedbug activity has changed such that 70% A Terminix/ ServiceMaster technician treats a chair with the company’s RapidFreeze

of the company’s business is now devoted to commercial locations, while 30% is in residential areas. Unfortunately, the travel industry is far from immune, and in many ways highly susceptible to an infestation of the insect genus Cimex lectularius, which are less elegantly known as “chinches,” “red coats” or “mahogany flats.” The reasons for the outbreak are unclear, complicated and possibly societal in nature. But with vast amounts of people now on the move, and possibly hosts for the bugs, travel modes have had to confront the problem. Thus, Terminix has been called on to deal with bedbug outbreaks in airports, cruise lines and airlines. Money, Terminix’s Director of National Accounts, Sales, at the company’s

headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee says that airlines have a good chance to limit their exposure. “They have had a lot of time to learn from what everyone else is going through,” said Money. “So with our customers, we have already got protocols in place. So, for example, when they contact us with a potential bedbug sighting, sometimes the plane is actually in the air. An airborne outbreak creates its own set of unique challenges. So we have to arrange to be there when the plane lands.” Once there, and the situation is assessed and the area is treated with the company’s RapidFreeze product which is largely made up of liquid carbon dioxide and comes out of the container at -80 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only does RapidFreeze kill the living bugs, but it will also penetrate and break down any eggs that the bugs have laid, while leaving behind no residual chemicals and can be used on virtually any surface. An effective assault on the bedbugs can take anywhere from one to three hours which is followed by a second inspection. With airlines, this often takes place at the next city the aircraft lands. To date, Money says that Terminix has not had to carry a second treatment on any aircraft, though the company does carry out subsequent inspections. On cruise ships, which may be at sea for long periods, Terminix does extensive crew training to deal any outbreak. The company is also under contract with 33 airports, where the large number of travelers presents potentially new risks for outbreaks. “What we’re finding now is some airports have sleeping areas,” said Money. “We are basically sitting on a ticking time bomb.” Large hosts like sleeping or sitting humans, who are sedentary for long periods of time are the prime target of bedbug feeding. This would make long-haul flights an obvious place. However, Money says that short-haul presents its own set of problems since many passengers opt for carry-on baggage where stowaway bugs may get into the cabin. As important as treating the problem once an infestation is found, crew must know how to deal with passengers who may spot what

2012 Most Bedbug Infested U.S. Cities 1 Philadelphia 2 Cincinnati 3 New York 4 Chicago 5 Detroit 6 Washington, D.C. 7 Columbus, Ohio 8 San Francisco Source: Terminix

9 Denver 10 New Haven, CT 11 Dallas 12 Houston 13 Indianapolis 14 Miami 15 Cleveland

they think is a bedbug. Money says that oftentimes passengers have pointed out beetles, roaches and even innocuous pieces of lint or fuzz. No matter the source or the actual problem, Terminix recommends a trained crew that can look for signs of infestation, be quick and responsive and, as important, work effectively with passengers. “It is really essential to have staff understand how to respond to customers if there is a threat or fear,” said Money.

Adult bedbugs with nymphs and eggs

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 43

WHAT’S HOT!

WHAT’S

Interior Cleaner Complete wipes

Company Name: Celeste Industries Corp. Company Location: Easton, MD Description: The outstanding performance of Celeste’s, Interior Cleaner Complete multipurpose cleaner is now available in presaturated wipes. Introduced earlier this year, the wipes come in a re-sealable pouch that contain 20 durable, high quality, non woven wipes saturated with the Interior Cleaner Complete formula, offering a convenient, easy-to-use option for crew or passengers.

HOT! Brand awareness across the cabin

Company Name: Aviation Business Consultants International Company Location: Naples, Italy Description: ABC International presents their innovative Decorative Crests, a unique product which allows operators to show their corporate brand logo throughout the cabin. Made of lightweight materials to replicate any type of company logo, the crests can be installed on partitions, bulkheads, galleys or lavatories. They are also available in several different designs, styles, shapes, and finishing’s.

One-stop-shop for in-flight entertainment

Company Name: Terry Steiner International Inc. Company Location: New York, NY Description: Terry Steiner International is a leading distributor of feature films and television programming in non-theatrical markets. Upcoming films include, “The Master”, “Looper”, Killing Them Softly”, “Cloud Atlas”, “Django Unchained”, “The Silver Linings Playbook”, “Lay The Favorite”. TV product includes “The Walking Dead”, “Hell on Wheels”, Nickelodeon, etc. Documentaries, Foreign Language films and endless Classics are also available.

Innovative aisle widening seats

Company Name: Molon Lab Designs Company Location: Denver, Colorado Description: Molon Lab Designs, an aircraft interiors design house which focuses on improving airline profitability, introduces their newly innovative aisle widening seats. A unique concept, these seats provide airline operators with a valuable solution for wasting time, fuel and money while sitting on the ground, waiting for passengers to board. The unique design allows the seat to slide away from the aisle, resulting in more space within the aisle width. The average increase is 19” – 43.” This allows passengers to move freely and have more space within a cabin environment.

Range of in-flight headphones

Company Name: Shanghai Haoliwen Airline Appliance Co. Company Location: Shanghai, China Description: Shanghai Haoliwen specializes in a wide variety of aviation supplies, including headsets, textiles, and amenity kits. Haoliwen’s headsets are specially designed according to ergonomics, resulting in more comfort for passengers to enjoy. Their headsets also involve a neoteric design. At the present time, the company is supplying to over 30 airlines around the world.

44 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

Monogram Systems’ Symphony Suite

Company Name: Monogram Systems Company Location: Carson, California Description: Monogram Systems, a division of Zodiac Aerospace, has developed the new Symphony™ line of galley inserts. Offering a fully synchronized solution, Symphony breaks new ground in weight savings, reduced power consumption and overall operational efficiency. All system components, from the steam and convection ovens, to the microwave, coffee maker, beverage chiller, trash compactor and water heater, work in perfect harmony with each other to create an entirely new in-flight dining experience.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

IATA traffic figures reveal growth pockets, uncertain economies The summer of 2012 kicked off with slowing growth in passenger traffic system-wide, reflecting what the International Air Transport Association (IATA) saw as a weakness in business and consumer confidence. IATA said that year-on-year demand for air travel grew by 6.2% in the month of June. Capacity was up 4.5%, while load factors across the system were 81%. The figures were much higher for earlier times of this year but not as encouraging as the previous year. Traffic from February to June this year grew 2%, compared to an 8% growth that took placed from the middle of 2011 to January of this year. “The uncertainty that we see in the global economic situation is being reflected in air transport’s performance,” said IATA Director General Tony Tyler. “Although there are some pockets of strong performance, it is difficult to detect a strong trend – positive or negative – at the global level.” The strong performance Tyler referenced came from the usual emerging areas. Middle East carriers continued to show the greatest

“ The uncertainty that we see in the global economic situation is being reflected in air transport’s performance,”

IATA Director General Tony Tyler strength in June with demand growing 18.2%. Load factors were 78.6% for the month. Second were the airlines of Latin America, which grew 11.2% percent on load factors of 77.4%. Out the top three markets were African airlines that also recorded double-digit growth at 10.6% with load factors 65%. The mature markets showed much slower growth for June. European airlines logged a 7.3% growth. “Given the continuing economic uncertainty centered on Europe, the strong June performance is more likely a result of volatility in weak market conditions,” said IATA. In Asia-Pacific, demand for June grew at a rate of 6% on load factors of 79.5%. The

weakest growth in the world came from the North American airlines that only logged a 1.6% growth with load factors of 86.9%. The report, released in early August, was banking on a number of trends to spur traffic demand forward. Tyler was encouraged that governments around the world were recognizing the importance in international tourist traffic, more than half of whom arrive by air. “To benefit from the most from tourism, governments need comprehensive and internally coordinated policies,” Tyler concluded. “In many parts of the world, aviation suffers from high taxes, insufficient infrastructure and cumbersome regulations.”

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