If we talk about advances in aviation, what kinds of images come to mind? The next futuristic concept of a jumbo jet? Flying taxis? Aerial backpacks?
The Crystal Cabin Award for 2018 already has its winners and craziest ideas set to revolutionise air travel around the world. The awards ceremony which began in 2007, and held each year at the Aircraft Interiors Expo is considered one of the most important in the world of aviation.
Last April, 91 entries were shortlisted in Hamburg, but only a few picked up the coveted awards. As more and more people are travelling and competition is growing among airlines, leading innovations are seldom the most glamorous. On the contrary, it’s usually behind the scenes improvements that increase the comfort of the passengers and the airline’s efficiency, while also projecting a modern image.
The annual Crystal Cabin Awards value inventors and designers who come up with clever ideas to improve the experience for both passengers and crew inside the cabin.
Qatar Airways and its model for effective meetings
In the future, the airline could include an idea allowing passengers to hold meetings above the clouds with all the necessary amenities to make them more effective. The introduction of cameras, the possibility to turn the chairs 180 degrees and including screens to preserve privacy could be some of the measures the airline would choose.
As you can see in the photo, tools like Wi-Fi will be a priority to ensure passengers can surf online during the journey. Similarly, folding and adjustable seats in various positions would make it possible to be in closer contact with other people at meetings.
However, this option would base its main differentiation on the arrangement of separators that would allow for greater privacy at the touch of a button.
Within reach of the sky
Can you imagine stars shining all over the cabin as night falls during the flight? This was, undoubtedly, one of the entries that attracted most attention at the event organised in Hamburg.
One of the principal advantages of this system is that, if needed, it could be programmed with all kinds of images and colour tones, where appropriate, depending on the time of day and circumstances. That said, are we looking at a potential system that could be an advertising device?
Knowing how some low-cost airlines act, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them include advertisements in the future. Although the visual effect is remarkable, for the moment, it doesn’t look to be popular enough among builders and operators.
Seat screen quality to finally improve
If you had a seat screen the last time you travelled by plane, then you surely noticed the screen technology is of dubious quality. In the future, with the gradual reduction in the price of technology, screens with improved resolution will be included, and high definition screens will become the norm in the air travel market.
In-flight entertainment for visually impaired passengers
For the first time, a Crystal Cabin Award was awarded for Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC). Bluebox Aviation Systems picked up the award in this category for developing an IFE platform with onboard flight entertainment for the visually impaired.
