pax international magazine

Satellite Connectivity

Cabin Lighting

StreamingContent

Solutions

APEX LONG BEACH & AIX SEATTLEN E W S A N D A N A LY S I S F O R T H E P A S S E N G E R S E R V I C E S E X E C U T I V E

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R | V O L . 1 6 , N O . 5 | w w w . p a x . i n t l . c o m

GALLEY EQUIPMENT p.37PASSENGER

HEADSETS p.32AIRBUS’ FUTURE VISION p.16AIX/APEX

Q&A’s p.12-14

Contact usNorth America: 1 514 334-3210 ext. 111World: +1 514 334-3210 ext :111

[email protected]

FLY LIGHT, FLY GREEN

Come and meet us :Guest speaker at Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas

September 25-27, 2012Seattle, WA, USA

* Developed in partnership with

*

The Trolley.In use around the world,

the Norduyn galley carts offer the market’s best return on investment.

They are the lightest certified galley carts in the industry.

For fleet-wide replacements you can depend on Norduyn for performance and value.Recipient of the Crystal Cabin Award

Contact usNorth America: 1 514 334-3210 ext. 111World: +1 514 334-3210 ext :111

[email protected]

FLY LIGHT, FLY GREEN

Come and meet us :Guest speaker at Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas

September 25-27, 2012Seattle, WA, USA

* Developed in partnership with

*

The Trolley.In use around the world,

the Norduyn galley carts offer the market’s best return on investment.

They are the lightest certified galley carts in the industry.

For fleet-wide replacements you can depend on Norduyn for performance and value.Recipient of the Crystal Cabin Award

The mobile device is shaping the land-scape 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. Coin-ciding 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 relax-ing atmosphere and a complete unbundling of services equals a custom experience for passengers of all shapes, sizes and socio-economic backgrounds.

“If we can enable this unbundling or ele-ments 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 con-tent 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 simul-taneously 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 Asso-ciation (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.

Maryann SimsonManaging Editor, PAX International

PAX International

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PAX International is published six times a year (Janu-

ary/February, March/April, May, June/July/August,

September/October, November/December) by PAX

International, 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario

L5M 1X2, Canada. International Distribution.

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may be reprinted in whole or in part without written

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THE NEW TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 3

EDITOR’S LETTER

ContentsEVENT COVERAGE12 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 IFEAirline Passenger Experience Association President Chris Babb takes PAX International through the planning process and what to expect at this year’s APEX 2012

AIRFRAMES16 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 CONNECTIVITY18 TO STREAM, OR NOT TO STREAM?

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

24 BATTLE OF THE BANDWIDTHSPAX 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 LAUNCHInFlight 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 ANGLEFilm 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

HEADSETS32 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 CABIN37 LIGHT AND ‘BRITE’

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

39 IN THE MOODWith 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 IDEAPAX 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….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 industries3 EDITOR’S NOTE

6 NEWS/PEOPLE

46 ASSOCIATION NEWS

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

4 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R | V O L . 1 6 , N O . 5

18

28

36

rockwellcollins.com

Your cabin’sversatility.Showing daily.

Introducing PAVES™ 3. The industry’s most versatile in-fl ight entertainment system from Rockwell Collins now delivers an overhead broadcast solution, a full on-demand in-seat entertainment solution or any confi guration in between. With all content cached at the seat, single-point system failures are eliminated, giving users a smooth entertainment and fl ight information experience. Easy upgradability provides system owners with cost-effective options. Enjoy the performance.

For a personal demonstration of PAVES 3, visit us during APEX, booth 445.

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© 2012 Rockwell Collins. All rights reserved.

RC_PAVES3_2012v6_210x297_A4.indd 1 7/27/12 10:57 AM

Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas seminar program to focus on cabin developmentAircraft 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 pas-senger experience.

Opening on September 25 with a ses-sion 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 experi-ence, 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 exist-ing investment.

On September 26 the topic for debate is ‘How can you improve satisfaction and com-fort 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. Visi-tors 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 opera-tions 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 innova-tions, looking specifically at how to get the buy-in of senior management, obtain fund-ing, ensure the right people and talent are involved and how to overcome the challenges of implementation.

EVENT NEWS

GuestLogix User Group Conference looks at onboard retail, improving passenger experienceIn 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 manage-ment 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 Collabo-ration, 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.

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 cover-ing the event.

For a full listing of sessions, sponsorship opportunities, or further details about the 2012 GuestLogix User Group Confer-ence, please visit www.guestlogixusergroupconference.com or contact [email protected].


NEWS

Ancillary revenue increasing and evolving, study findsA 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 com-pany 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 prod-ucts 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 rev-enue 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 com-panies serve their customers successfully, and that’s a lesson learned by every airline executive.”

ANCILLARY REVENUE

IFE AND CONNECTIVITYUS 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 pas-senger 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-of-sale 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 travel-relevant 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.

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 perfor-mance 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.

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


NEWS

UK Prime Minister pays visit to Malaysia Airlines’ second A380Malaysia 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 Interna-tional Air Show.

Malaysia Airlines’ Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and Fabrice Bregier, Presi-dent 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 ser-vice 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 oper-ate 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 spa-cious 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 777-300EREtihad Airways’ first three-cabin Boe i ng 777-300ER departed in July on its maiden EY11 flight, from Abu Dhabi to Lon-don Heathrow.

The new air-craft is configured with eight Dia-mond First Class Suites, 40 Pearl Business lie-flat beds, and 282 seats in Coral Economy.

The aircraft will be deployed on Etihad Air-ways’ ‘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 Air-bus 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 777-300ERs 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 three-class 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.

AIRLINES

Etihad CEO James Hogan says the 777-300ERs have been well received by the airline’s passengers.


NEWS

Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and U.K. Prime Minister David

Cameron descend from the Malaysia Airlines A380 on

display at Farnborough

IFP hires IFEC expert for worldwide business developmentIFP has added Jackie Frimer as Vice-Pres-ident 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 experi-ence working in inflight entertainment and connectivity. She has worked at Panasonic Avionics, managing the marketing and public relations efforts. She later moved into con-tent services at Interact where she brought her Latin American expertise to the company.

“We are delighted to add Jackie’s exper-tise 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 MarketingClearwater 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 close collaboration with all facets of the organization 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 Presi-dent, 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 organi-zation,” 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 Sales Director position at digEcorBen 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.

Fuller spent two years in Mexico City when his employer, International Game Tech-nology, ventured into the 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 announc-ing 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 directorsHolland America Line and Seabourn have added Seth Brickman as Director, Onboard Revenue and Analytics, and Gerald Moss-linger as Director, Beverage Services.

Brickman will analyze future trends and guide onboard revenue, manage tour opera-tions 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, Moss-linger 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 Wind-star Cruises. He also spent nine years at Seabourn, both ashore in the Miami, office and aboard the vessels.

NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT AVIANOR INC.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, Syl-vain 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 ben-efit 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 cur-rent 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 PresidentPlastics manufacturer KYDEX, LLC in July named Ronn Cort President.

Cort will lead the company as it con-tinues expansion into new markets and creates solu-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 develop-ment 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 Busi-ness Manager within the FLM Group, a privately held company with worldwide operations for the development and manufacturing of poly-urethane systems, and before that, as Sales Manager at RJF International, a manufacturer of decorative, wall covering and wall protec-tion systems.

Most recently, Jeff Duffin served as Principal at his own marketing consulting firm

Ronn Cort

With a background in game design, product development and sales, Ben Fuller has joined the digEcor team as the new Director of Sales for Central and South America


PEOPLE NEWS

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For more information, please contact us at your convenience:

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BOS76954A_94205.indd 1 7/20/12 10:20 AM

T his year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo Ameri-cas is in Seattle, an obviously important city for this segment of the industry. With

new aircraft designs taking to the skies, com-panies 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.

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 regu-larly 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 direc-tors, 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 Boe-ing’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 capac-ity discipline, seeking to maximize seat pric-ing 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 prod-ucts 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

class cabin, the bar includes multi-use stowage that pro-motes a social area without infringing on precious cabin real estate.

Greenpoint Prod-ucts and Services will have on display its Aeroloft systems specifically designed for the Boeing VIP 747-8 aircraft. This system provides eight private sleeping berths located above the main deck of the aircraft. It allows passen-gers 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 com-panies. 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.


EVENT COVERAGE

AIX takes SeattleA standalone event in The Emerald City will bring together more than 100 exhibitors this September

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

AT AIX AMERICAS

AUSTRALIA

CANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANY

IRELAND

ITALY

NETHERLANDS

NEW ZEALAND

SPAIN

SWEDEN

TAIWAN

TURKEY

UAE

UK

USA

The IMS Company2929 East Imperial Highway

Brea, CA 928211.714.854.8600 www.imsco-us.comThe new standard in IFE.

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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 informa-tion, ideas and innovations that help our mem-bers 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?Babb: We expect to see still more innova-tions 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.

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 mod-erated 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!

P 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 plan-ning 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, suc-ceeding Linda Palmer (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures), who retired earlier this year. Linda Celestino (Oman Air), the incoming APEX president, leads marketing and com-munication 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 atten-dance, 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 exclu-sively on our APEX members, and expos-ing them to new products, services, ideas and a worldwide network of professionals dedicated to enhancing the airline passen-ger experience. The event is appointment-driven, 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 represen-tatives 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-

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

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


EVENT COVERAGE

APEX ATTENDEE MIX

MANUFACTURERS 27%

CONTENT (E.G., TV/MOVIE) 24%

A/V 11%

WIRELESS 8%

INTERACTIVE CONTENT 8%

PUBLISHING/MEDIA 7%

CABIN AMENITY SUPPLIERS 6%

CONSULTANTS 5%

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS 2%

IT/SOFTWARE 2%

RacketGroup_ad_Layout 1 12-08-22 10:28 AM Page 1

At the 2010 Farnborough Inter-national 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 conversa-tion today and will no doubt con-tinue to be so going forward. After surveying thousands of passengers, consulting experts from many dis-ciplines 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 daydream-ing 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 rel-evant 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 titles including Senior Manager Corporate Strategy, General Manager Cabin Develop-ment and Product Innovation for Lufthansa’s in-flight-products. He has since then, been responsible for establishing and implement-ing the OEM’s increasingly consumer-centric

approach and i n i t i a l i z i n g extensive trend and marke t research. On this basis, he set up a cabin product and t e c h n o l o g y strategy as a guideline for future cabin innovat ions . Some examples

of the major innovations he has so far deliv-ered are the A350 XWB cabin design and

of course, the Concept Cabin Vision 2050.“This very long-term vision gives us direc-

tions for research and technology,” he recently told PAX International. “The idea is that we develop the relevant technology based on the consumer needs identified in our market research. We have a handful of these tech-nologies already in our portfolio.”

And indeed, some innovations featured in the Concept Cabin are already under develop-ment. They include self cleaning, self healing materials that Wuggetzer believes will be helpful in areas such as lavatories and galleys, and ‘bionic’ components that he feels could revolutionize the architecture of aircraft going forward (see the Vitalising Zone in figure A).

“We have already developed bionic brackets that we use to mount crew rests into the aircraft,” he reveals. “This bionic structure is based on natural elements and has saved roughly 45% weight over traditional composi-tions. It also does not waste any raw material, so it is really quite sustainable in several ways.”

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

This bionic bracket is based on natural elements and has saved roughly 45% weight over traditional compositions


AIRFRAMES

This development of transparent compos-ites, 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

of the rise of lighting. I believe it is quite pos-sible 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 more professional way – so that we provide the equipment, moving the logistical chain from the aircraft to the ground.”

A sample procedure has already been developed by Airbus and is currently being tested in cooperation with caterers, but additional details are not yet available. The OEM is optimistic about the benefits of such a solution - while understanding that estab-lished standards can be very hard to change. This is evidenced by the cutting-edge SPICE Galley concept promising to reduce weight, add passenger seating, add variety to cuisine, save time for crewmembers and eliminate trolleys. The system raised eyebrows and received much attention from the press, but has not been adopted by any carrier.

What has caught on in every corner of the globe is the proliferation of mobile tech-nology and the growing reluctance of many passengers to put their PED’s away when they settle in for a flight. Where at one time AVOD IFE systems had little competition for the attention of this ‘captive audience’, it must now exist in parallel with smart phones, tablets and other gadgets, which advance in quality, affordability and functionality at a rapid pace. Companies such as OnAir and Aeromobile in Europe or Gogo and Row 44 in North America have capitalized on this trend and become major players in offering passenger connectivity services. Today, we also see a great interest in steaming content directly from a head-end server to such devices as an alternative or a compliment to traditional means of delivery like overhead or embedded IFE hardware.

“For short range flights, up to around

two hours, we do not need big IFE system. If there is sufficient infrastructure where passengers can connect to clouds, data and other things they want,” says Wuggetzer.

“In long range I think these devices and embedded IFE can live in parallel. Second screen application and integration of mobile technology with existing systems will be a major trend.”

Ultimately, Wuggetzer envisions a gradual unbundling of inflight product elements that will enable tomorrow’s passengers an unprec-edented level of customization in the skies. The rise of economies in China, India, Brazil and Russia combined with a boom in female travellers, aging baby boomers, health con-sciousness and conversely, even the growing waistlines of certain populations will all factor into this phenomenon. For example, Airbus is already seeing demand for variations in seat sizes throughout the cabin from 17 up to 20 inch widths, something that an airline could quite easily turn into an opportunity for additional revenue generation. He is also excited to report a handful of airlines offering male and female restrooms, a nod to this key demographic that he would like to see taken even further with the use of other features like mood lighting systems or different materials for a feminine aesthetic.

“If we can enable this unbundling or ele-ments to the maximum, would form a basis of a truly individualized travel experience where the passenger can enjoy a tailor made journey,” he says. “People will be able to invest in what they really want, such as seat width, pitch and services. No more classes. I see a future where people can choose features

that appeal to them and pay for exactly what they get.”

The A320 family extra wide seat


AIRFRAMES

Figure A: The Concept

Cabin 2050 is a projection of what air travel might look like in 20-40 years

t is necessary, if not a bit redundant, to begin this feature by stating that the modern airline passenger is well-

connected - 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 shar-ing 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 tech-nology has come in the past 10 years,” says Lori Krans, Vice President, Communications at Thales, a significant supplier of IFEC solu-tions 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 some-thing 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 con-tent 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 sys-tem 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 com-patibility 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 CollinsDuc Huy Tran joined Rockwell Collins as Director of Marketing for Cabin Systems in 2011, bringing with him 15 years of experi-ence and having been previously responsible for Product Planning and Strategy at Bom-bardier Aerospace.

We asked Tran if he might have, a decade ago, envisioned streamlining content to passengers’ mobile devices, or even the pos-sibility 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

replied. “But now the focus goes far beyond a linear viewing experience, or the streaming of a movie; consumers routinely expect on-demand, 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

TopSeries AVA is currently in trials to address a multitude

of areas such as content availability, captive portal design, service and technical streaming

TO STREAMOR NOT

TO STREAM?

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


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

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

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 aerosp ac e technology,

working on avionics and electronic com-munication solutions that are many years ahead of their time.”

While the market-segment growth result-ing from the introduction of cheaper and less complex wireless systems is creating opportu-nity for new entrants, Tran essentially believes that as with embedded solutions, there will likely be just a handful of wireless IFE sup-pliers who persevere in the end. Naturally, Rockwell Collins is his favourite candidate.

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

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 con-tent 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 Avion-ics. “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 connec-tivity 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 suc-cessful introduction of eXConnect (2008), Panasonic’s streaming solution, eXW, weighs approximately 40 lbs.


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, duty-free shopping, games, moving maps, tail camera display, connecting gate information and more,” says James.

James added, “For eXConnect, we have

continued to add capacity and coverage to optimize our global broadband in-flight connectivity network, which is evident with our recent announcement with Intelsat for capacity on their EpicNG satellite platform. Unlike competitive solutions, this capacity is solely dedicated to Panasonic’s aeronautical network, and will not be shared with any maritime, government, military or other service not affiliated with the company.”

LumexisFor Lumexis, one of the main competitors in the seat-centric IFE trade and the only one working with high bandwidth fiber optic networks, next year will mark one decade since its start-up team first came together, in an attempt to predict and fulfill the IFE industry’s future wants and needs.

Admittedly, says Doug Cline, Lumexis’ CEO and long-time industry personality, this team wasn’t all too convinced at the time that 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 Lumexis Fiber to the Screen®(FTTS®) head-end server and aircraft interface sys-

tem, Cline says that WiPAX is differentiated from competitors’ wireless products in offer-ing a turnkey solution already proven from end to end. Intended to provide ancillary revenue opportunities for carriers operat-ing 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 low-cost wireless delivery systems like WiPAX can only grow sub-stantially upward,” Cline reveals. “But, airlines may find there are more chal-lenges than they were initially promised and, moreover, cost

of content will become a much more influen-tial cost element than they probably expected. Separately, I think that, to once again para-phrase Mark Twain, rumors of the death of embedded IFE are being grossly overstated. My prediction is actually for increasing deliveries of quality embedded systems liken FTTS, with its substantially higher reliability and concomitantly lower cost of ownership.”

Lumexis expects its first WiPAX custom-ers to take flight with the solution in early 2013. A number are currently in advanced negotiation for fleet installation.

The IMS CompanyOf all the embedded IFE providers we talked to for this report, the only one not actively developing a wireless content delivery offer-ing was The IMS Company. While one company after another tosses its cap into the ring, The IMS Company is taking a moment to observe. And for now, watching from the

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 commit-ments 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 previ-ous 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.”

digEcorAccording to Ben Fuller, recently appointed Director of Sales (Latin America) & Mar-keting at digEcor, steaming is “a natural progression” for the Utah-based provider of handheld IFE solutions and ancillary revenue programs to the commercial avia-

tion industry. The company plans to launch

its answer to the content stream-ing 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 distribu-tion are getting early window studio content available for streaming, and creating a solution that is user-

friendly. There are a lot of different

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

“ Sales of low-cost wireless delivery systems like WiPAX can only grow substantially upward.”

Doug Cline, CEO, Lumexis

The IMS Company wants to keep its head down and focus all resources into fulfilling its current commitments for RAVE

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


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

ARINC_CabinConnect_PAX_July2012.pdf 1 10/08/2012 10:01

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 cus-tomer 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 pro-tocol (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 por-tables, streaming and embedded IFE for a long time to come.”

BlueBoxBlueBox Joint Managing Director, David Brown believes that a hybrid system of streamed content service to passenger devices combined with his company’s spe-cially customized iPad devices (for premium passengers or for rent) featuring both pre-loaded 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 com-plimentary 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

between specialist aviation software solu-tions provider AviIT and Phantom Media, (a long-established content service provider for the aviation industry) deployed successful portable systems using Windows-based tablet devices with airlines such as bmi, El Al and Jet2.com. Things really took off for BlueBox a bit later when it became the first company to win early window content (EWC) approval for the iPad. BlueBox now has nearly 6,000 of the devices flying with a number of airlines including Jetstar, British Airways, Scoot, Thai Airways and others.

“Our success has been based on our experience in understanding the security requirements rightly demanded by the major Hollywood studios before they will provide EWC on any portable platform,” says Brown.

“We applied these design principles to the iPad and iOS environment. We have also developed a custom case to further protect

against damage and theft, to disable the loudspeakers and to provide a 20-plus hour battery life.”

Row 44Since its inception, Row 44 has kept both eyes on the broadband prize. “Row 44 has always focused its efforts on device-based

entertainment product for air travelers and today we enable our airline partners to pro-vide 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 satel-

lite 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 inflight entertainment products,” says Christ.

“Our satellite partner is Hughes, which allows us to deliver more bandwidth to the plane than other WiFi providers. Given the power of the Broadband signal, we were able to leverage the system to expand the amount of content to the aircraft. The result is that passengers can now opt to utilize the WiFi to get on the Internet and/or obtain a variety of other content.”

Enter Row 44’s latest technology partner Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM). Don’t be fooled by the name; it isn’t just about sports with this company . MLBAM is one of the world’s leading provid-ers of technical infrastructure for streaming media and manager of video streams for thousands of major events each year.

“One of MLBAM’s strengths is digital rights management (DRM),” says Christ. MBLAM handles DRM for its own large catalog of con-tent as well as for its many customers provid-ing both sports and non-sports video content. They will be managing the security of all

of the con-tent in Row 44’s inflight portal for our airline and content partners.”

A s a p r o v i d e r of wireless content dis-t r i b u t i o n that is not

a developer of hardware, Row 44, perhaps much more than most other competitors in this emerging market segment, would be happy in a tomorrow where wireless is king. However, like most in this business, they anticipate a significant transitional time frame characterized by the coexistence of wireless, handheld, and embedded IFE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

“ We started focusing on our product pipeline in 2010. This included streaming inflight entertainment products.”

Travis Christ, Chief Marketing & Sales officer at Row 44


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

BlueBox’s custom-designed iPad case disables loudspeakers and protects against damage

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2012 - August PAX - Print.pdf 1 8/16/12 12:03 AM

T he race for supremacy amongst pro-viders of satellite broadband solu-tions 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 actu-ally take advantage of - are still very much a matter of opinion.

The pace of partnershipTuesday March 27 was a busy day for the press at the 2012 Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. As they do every year, the storytell-ers 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 band-width mobile data services onboard. “Prior to the acquisition, Panasonic executives rep-resented 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

connectivity offerings which also include eXConnect and eXTV. Airline partners fre-quently 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-

sonic group is the pace of installation that they are able to support for us.”

At this time, Bjordal tells PAX Inter-national, 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, allow-ing 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 sum-mer. According to Bjordal, all technologies

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

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


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

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

Call me maybeAgreements 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 operat-ing 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 ser-vices, something that directly correlates to increased usage, says Dawkins. The company would ultimately like to see inflight prices in line with terrestrial prices.

“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 prod-ucts to complete their roaming portfolio with easy access to the full set of GSM services, even in the air.”

In line with comments from AeroMo-bile, Dawkins says that at present, pas-sengers overwhelmingly prefer to tap

into email, SMS and voice calls when using Mobile OnAir, the inflight GSM ser-vice. 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 ExedeFor more than five years, ViaSat has been delivering its mobile broadband service, branded Yonder, to aviation industry custom-ers 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 satel-lite launched to date. On January 16, 2012, ViaSat-1 began providing commercial ser-vices 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.

“This high speed link represents an unmatched level of data transfer in satel-lite 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 Ser-vices 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

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 busi-ness environment.”

According to Salem, ViaSat-1 delivers bandwidth at a cost that is roughly one-eighth 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 provid-ing mobile phone and SMS services onboard aircraft. These operators also deliver satellite-based service onboard, but their service offers limited bandwidth to each passenger and the price per megabyte of data is quite expensive.”

“ 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

ViaSat launched Exede Internet on January 16


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

It is with much confidence, not to men-tion a few airlines ready to stand up as a launch partner, that InFlight Entertain-ment 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-and-true 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 sup-pliers. 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 competi-tion 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 accommo-date strong growth, and that the company

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.

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

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

FOR A LAUNCHNiche day


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Many 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 air-craft worldwide.

Independent appealCineSky Pictures is a great example of a com-pany that becomes involved in airline content provision at the very early stages. “I originally started the company as Jetstream Pictures in the spring of 2005 with two partners and myself,” explains Betsy Hamlin, Sales and Acquisitions at CineSky Pictures. “We became CineSky Pictures in 2009. We have

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 sales agent or producer submits to the banks as a pre-sale to help them in the securing of funding to make the film. In fact, there is a film coming out this fall called “The Sap-phires”, which Cinesky was the first territory to commit to the film.”

The film eventually made it to the Cannes Film Festival where it became a small sensa-tion. Hamlin has been told that the airline

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 produc-ers 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 pur-chase 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 chargeJoan 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.

the wide angleFilm 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


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 inter-vals 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

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 togetherAfter 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 lan-guage 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 operat-ing flights, navigating the world of content

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, Emir-ates 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

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, Vice-President 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 con-tent 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 pos-sibility 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 directionPokeware, 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


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Paramount has high hopes for the new Tom Cruise

franchise ‘Jack Reacher’ in the non theatrical markets

Spafax engineer Mitchell Kohen

adjusts audio streams for IFE content

Airlineheadphones.netFACTORY DIRECT

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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 monetiz-ing 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 decorat-ing 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 ancil-lary revenue. What better way to do this, she

thought, than by offering them content that was not only free to them (it is paid for by the advertisers), but also offers them the chance to collect revenue on a per ‘poke’ basis. By working closely with Toronto-based payment solutions expert GuestLogix and Utah-based portable IFE provider digEcor, she fine tuned her solution for airline cus-tomers, which can generally expect to keep about one third of all revenue generated by the system.

Passengers flying with American Airlines,

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 or cooking shows and tutorials, which hold their relevance much longer than other genres.

Pokeware’s propriety software automati-cally scans content to identify products and determine their manufacturers. A symbol large enough to be seen, yet small enough to not be disruptive to the viewer, can be incorporated to urge him or her to poke the item when paused and learn more. On a con-nected aircraft, passengers could potentially complete a purchase of the item through GuestLogix payment processing technology, bringing the experience full-circle.


IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Pokeware offers free content and ancillary revenue possibilities to airlines, while allowing passengers to

learn more about products in the programs they view

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GDR-133.indd 1 8/9/12 4:30 PM

HEADSETS

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

Loud and clear

T 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 never-ending budget pressures. Over the years, as technology has continued to evolve, the headset has gone though several transforma-tions. 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.

AVIDAVID Airline Products was the first head-phone 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 consis-tently maintained.

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

InflightDirectThomas 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.


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 elec-tronic 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 continu-ous 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.”

According to Mockler, typically the pro-duction time for their logoed products is six to seven weeks, with up to four weeks transit time depending on the destination. “This can be a long time if our customers have a short-age, so this is why we maintain a large variety of headphones in our US warehouses,” he explains.

Kidz GearAll 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 pro-duces reliable, high quality audio products and accesso-ries, 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 Mar-

keting at Kidz Gear. The design of

Kidz Gear’s head-phones contain s e v e r a l k e y points, includ-ing 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 Interna-

tional that the focus of the company has always been on safety, in addition to increas-ing the durability of the product and making it more comfortable, while keeping it in style.

“For example, this is the year of color and we will have a variety of new bright and bril-

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 special-izes in a wide variety of aviation supplies, including headphones, textiles, and amenity kits. At the present time, the company is sup-plying to over 30 airlines around the world. In 2011, Haoliwen was proudly awarded with the EY headphone supplying contract for Turk-ish 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

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

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

HEADSETS

CONTINUED ON PAGE 35


World Travel Catering& Onboard Services

9 – 11 April 2013Hamburg Messe , Germany

www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/pax

Organised by:Co-located with:

Contact us now to book your stand 9-11 April 2013 Hamburg Messe, Germany

The event for travel catering & onboard servicesSave the Date 9 – 11 April 2013World 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 [email protected]

Enquire about visiting at:www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/enquiry

PAX_297x210_v3.indd 1 15/08/2012 13:12

Mills TextilesMills 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.

Mills TextilesPO Box 67, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY111WD, UK

tel: + 44 (0)1691 [email protected]

InflightDirect

125 Compton View Drive, Middletown, RI 02842, USA

Tel: +1-401-714-4190 Skype: [email protected] www.InflightDirect.com

InflightDirectInflightDirect 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.

World Travel Catering& Onboard Services

9 – 11 April 2013Hamburg Messe , Germany

www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/pax

Organised by:Co-located with:

Contact us now to book your stand 9-11 April 2013 Hamburg Messe, Germany

The event for travel catering & onboard servicesSave the Date 9 – 11 April 2013World 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 [email protected]

Enquire about visiting at:www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/enquiry

PAX_297x210_v3.indd 1 15/08/2012 13:12

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 material market. We have a long term con-tract with our raw material supplier, so the raw material cost floating does not affect our supplies much” he told PAX International.

According to Tian, Shanghai Haoliwen’s headsets have evolved considerably; some of the latest features that passengers and airlines are demanding at the present time include bright and colorful styles, along with stereophonic and noise cancellation features, which help to improve passenger’s inflight experience while onboard.

Overwhelmingly, carriers are also demanding one-time use, lightweight and disposable ear buds for economy class pas-sengers, and even though Shanghai Haoliwen is able to deliver, it is not something that, according to Tian, the company encourages.

“Well, from an environmental consideration, we don’t encourage our customers to use disposable headsets. As usual, we would sug-

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.

Malton InfllightPAX International also caught up with Malton Inflight, which was founded nearly a quarter of a century ago in 1989. The company was formed in a small home office with just a handful of employees and now, Malton Inflight proudly has regional head offices in London, Dubai and Shanghai, with staff all over the world.

With a wide range of base model headsets available, Alex Oakley, Sales and Marketing Executive said these particular products conveniently cover the whole spectrum - from economy, all the way to premium class.

“Airline purchasers generally tend to be both creative and decisive,” he said. “I love to help nurture their ideas and contribute parts of my own to come up with the perfect, original, solution for their inflight entertainment equipment.”

Even though, naturally, certain com-modity prices can be somewhat volatile and

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 unfor-tunately 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.”

HEADSETS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33


An 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 entertain-ment 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 pre-mium product. The headsets find new life at the company’s refurbishing centers where com-ponents 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 pas-sengers 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

a contract with a U.S. carrier that is more than happy to par-ticipate 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 com-pany 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 dis-tinguish Linstol from other suppliers in our industry is that we have made an investment

in our own Linstol

des igned 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.

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

the final linkLinstol 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 entertainmentby RICK LUNDSTROM & MARYANN SIMSON


HEADSETS

Keeping customer and industry require-ments at the top of mind, galley equip-ment makers are touting their newest releases for an airline industry that con-tinues to count kilograms, one by one.

The year 2012 has been a busy one for com-panies 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 carri-ers 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 subsid-iary 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 insu-lated. Doors have double latches but can be operated only using one hand. The company has even incorporated noise reduction fea-tures into the components.

The Sell Interiors line of galley inserts is

designed to cut up to 75 kilograms out of air-craft 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 deliver-ing 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 environ-ment 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 competi-tiveness and infrastructure are planned for the future and Zodiac Aerospace Group is a strategic partners who is interested in invest-ing 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.

The Hybrite HybridCustomization 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 con-tainers 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 addi-tion, 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

Sell’s new line of galley inserts is the market leader for the A380

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

Light and ‘Brite’

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


IN THE CABIN

ShanghaiHaoliwen_ad_Layout 1 12-08-23 10:18 AM Page 1

Norduyn ramps up production for Quantum customersPatrick 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.”

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 SymphonyThe 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 pre-pared 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


IN THE CABIN

A 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 sav-ing 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 work-horse 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 mar-ket. A competitive group of companies are offering easy-to-install LED lighting for older aircraft that look dull next to the Sky Interior.

Whether an individual passenger notices the changes or not is anyone’s guess. Wash lighting, white lighting, or red-green-blue (RGB) lighting in seemingly endless color combinations can often be “lighting felt and not seen” said Steve Scover, Vice President an General Manager at B/E Aerospace Lighting Systems, the supplier of LED’s for the Boeing Sky Interior since 2009. First delivery of the new Sky Interior cabin the B/E’s LED lighting system was in the fall of 2010.

B/E Aerospace has been in the cabin lighting business 1998 with the company’s acquisition Aerospace Lighting Corporation (ALC). For the Sky Interior B/E supplies lighting in full spec-trum capabilities in both white and color. Digital controls allow users to shift lighting through more than 16 million color palette combinations. Wash lighting shifts cabin color temperature, measured in Kelvin from warm to cool. Other advantages are more practical than decorative. LED lighting gives the airline the opportunity to reduce weight in the aircraft and cut power consumption for aircraft cabins where onboard technology designed for passenger comfort is

demanding more of a aircraft’s power resources. At an estimated 50,000 hours, LED lighting has five times the life of incandescent products.

“Studies have provided conclusive evi-dence that cabin illumination enhances pas-senger comfort,” said the 2009 release from B/E Aerospace touting the company’s new cabin lighting contract the next generation 737. Since then Scover said LED lighting has “turned the corner in terms of acceptance.”

In addition to line-fitting the 737NG, B/E Aerospace, like many other companies is giv-ing airline the chance to tailor their retrofit with LED lighting that can start in the front cabin and later expanded to economy class.

While few would argue that new aircraft cabins in the future will be outfitted with LED lighting, this leaves a dilemma for what airlines can do for its aircraft that certainly show their age next to the spacious, airy cabins of next generation Boeing and Airbus aircraft. This has led to many carriers making the business case to outfit older aircraft with LED lighting systems.

It is companies like New Berlin-Wisconsin EMTEQ that seek to make the transition

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

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

In the mood


IN THE CABIN

An LED for emergenciesThough airlines are seeking to impress pas-sengers 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 Prod-ucts 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 kilo-gram 2R (rechargeable) mod-els 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 com-pact 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 can-dles with the 1E generating 35.5 FC while the 2R outputs 25 FC. Operating time with

fresh bat-tery 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 Push-to-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.

The Astronics Air Lite is available in two models and

is black or beige

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 plug-and-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

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 com-pany 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.

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 lat-est 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.

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


IN THE CABIN

The majority of airline passengers, young and old alike, usu-ally share at least a

small thread of fear or anxiety while flying high in the sky. Thankfully there are com-panies like STG Aerospace, which has developed an inno-vative 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, operat-ing 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 corpo-rate entity, STG Aerospace, and a new brand called, SafT-Glo was formed. At the pres-ent time, SafTGlo systems are now installed in over 8,000 aircraft worldwide and are the preferred choice of Boe-ing, Embraer and all new regional jet programs.

Safety and innovationSafTGlo PL floorpath mark-ing systems uniquely ‘store’ and simultaneously emit light, giving highly visible emergency exit guidance for up to 16 hours in darkness, after only a short period of ‘charging’ with normal cabin lighting. “Our vision is to reduce the cost of operating aircraft and to make flying safer. Our success is based on delivering products that do just this,” explains Richard Moore, CEO at STG Aerospace.

Unlike electrical systems, SafTGlo has no wires, bulbs or batteries – meaning that there is a significant cost-saving benefit for opera-

tors, including lower maintenance costs and improved dispatch reliability. The replace-ment of parts or broken units are also issues of the past; once the SaftGlo system is installed, no more maintenance of electrical parts or functional check is necessary. To summarize SafTGlo’s reliability, Moore couldn’t have said it better: “If it’s there, it works.” According to Moore, a typical return on investment for car-riers is between 300%-400%. On a B747-400

the potential annual saving achieved by installing SafT-Glo is estimated at $67,834.

SafTGlo also produces a range of exit and emergency signs using the same high quality PL technology con-tained 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 aheadPL 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 radio-luminescent 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 range of new lighting solu-tions, an aftermarket LED cabin lighting system for Avro RJ 100 aircraft. The long-life LED units directly replace conventional fluo-rescent tubes which have to be renewed frequently. STG’s new WhiteHawk™ lighting offers the first ever ‘swap-out/

swap-in’ solution for a light-emitting diode (LED) system which, until now, has proven expensive to retrofit. Swiss International Airlines has become the first customer.

STG Aerospace systems are now installed by hundreds of regional, low-cost and flag carriers across the world including South-west Airlines, Air Canada, Air Alaska and long-term OEM customers Boeing and Embraer.

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 by LAUREN BRUNETTI

ABRIGHTIDEA

SafTGlo PL floor path marking systems ‘store’ and simultaneously emit light, giving highly visible emergency exit

guidance for up to 16 hours in darkness


IN THE CABIN

W 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%

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 exam-ple, when they contact us with a potential bedbug sighting, sometimes the plane is actu-ally 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 com-pany 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 poten-tially 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

they think is a bedbug. Money says that often-times 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 under-stand how to respond to customers if there is a threat or fear,” said Money.

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

2012 Most Bedbug Infested U.S. Cities1 Philadelphia2 Cincinnati3 New York4 Chicago5 Detroit6 Washington, D.C.7 Columbus, Ohio8 San Francisco

9 Denver10 New Haven, CT11 Dallas12 Houston13 Indianapolis14 Miami 15 Cleveland

Source: TerminixA Terminix/

ServiceMaster technician treats

a chair with the company’s

RapidFreeze

Adult bedbugs with nymphs and eggs


IN THE CABIN

WHAT’SHOT!

Innovative aisle widening seatsCompany Name: Molon Lab DesignsCompany Location: Denver, ColoradoDescription: 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.

Monogram Systems’ Symphony Suite Company Name: Monogram SystemsCompany 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.

Brand awareness across the cabinCompany Name: Aviation Business Consultants InternationalCompany Location: Naples, ItalyDescription: 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.

Interior Cleaner Complete wipesCompany Name: Celeste Industries Corp.Company Location: Easton, MDDescription: The outstanding performance of Celeste’s, Interior Cleaner Complete multi-purpose cleaner is now available in pre-saturated 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.

One-stop-shop for in-flight entertainmentCompany Name: Terry Steiner International Inc.

Company Location: New York, NYDescription: 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.

Range of in-flight headphones Company Name: Shanghai Haoliwen Airline Appliance Co.

Company Location: Shanghai, ChinaDescription: 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.


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Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas 25 - 27 September 2012, taking place in Seattle, the hub of aviation is the only dedicated aircraft interiors event in the Americas region, showcasing the latest trends, designs and innovations.

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- Disposable Headphones- Active Noise Cancellation Headsets- Amenity, RON, Baby, & Child Kits

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IATA traffic figures reveal growth pockets, uncertain economiesThe 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 nega-tive – at the global level.”

The strong performance Tyler referenced came from the usual emerging areas. Middle East carriers continued to show the greatest

strength in June with demand growing 18.2%. Load factors were 78.6% for the month. Sec-ond were the airlines of Latin America, which grew 11.2% percent on load factors of 77.4%. Out the top three markets were African air-lines 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 recog-nizing 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 inter-nally coordinated policies,” Tyler concluded.

“In many parts of the world, aviation suffers from high taxes, insufficient infrastructure and cumbersome regulations.”

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

IATA Director General Tony Tyler


ASSOCIATION NEWS

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TIMESEE

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Every year, more than 500 million passengers enjoy an amazing passenger experience on Panasonic Avionics-

equipped aircraft. The time your passengers spend engaged with your in-flight entertainment and communications

(IFEC) system is unique, and with a connected seatback, the opportunities to deliver your brand or drive ancillary

revenue to a captive audience are limitless.

At Panasonic, we combine systems and software, global broadband connectivity, and proactive technical support to

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By connecting passengers to an immersive in-flight experience, by providing advertisers and merchants with new

business opportunities, and by connecting passengers to your airline and the IFEC system to the maintenance

organization, Panasonic helps you meet your airline’s business goals.

CONNECTING THE BUSINESS AND PLEASURE OF FLYING

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