Hamburg, Germany. 28 May 2024. The Crystal Cabin Award – the most prestigious award in the fields of cabin technology and passenger experience – has been presented at a gala dinner in Hamburg. The Crystal Cabin Award 2024 goes to Safran Cabin, Accenture GmbH, Thales Avionics, Factorydesign, Collins Aerospace and Tongji University. Diehl Aviation received the Crystal Cabin Award in two categories – “Passenger Comfort” and “Sustainable Cabin”.
A jury of 28 industry experts selected the eight most innovative products from a wide range of submissions. Overall, the award-winning entries represent a vision of air travel that is more connected, more comfortable, more sustainable and more accessible than ever before.
“This year’s submissions included many outstanding innovations that set new standards for the passenger experience by better recognising and responding to the individual needs of passengers – across all ticket classes,” commented Ralf Gust, President of the Crystal Cabin Awards Association. “The Crystal Cabin Awards 2024 have once again shown that innovation in the aviation industry continues unabated. It is impressive to see so many creative solutions developed to make travelling more comfortable, safer and more environmentally friendly. We are proud to recognise these ground-breaking developments and look forward to seeing the impact these innovations will have on the future of flying,” continued Gust.
Winner Cabin Concepts: Factorydesign, Coop. BermudAir “The BermudAir Aisle Class Suite”
The BermudAir Aisle Class Suite is a business class passenger seat for single-aisle aircraft flying from the USA to Bermuda. It was created by converting 2-2 economy seats into a 1-1 suite. This solution is extremely cost-efficient and sustainable, as over 70 per cent of the existing seats are reused. Instead of designing new seats, the existing seats were remodelled to provide more comfort and additional storage space.
Winner Material and Components: Collins Aerospace “STARLight”
STARLight by Collins Aerospace is a structural technology that uses advanced composite designs, robotic manufacturing, and sustainable materials to reduce the weight of aircraft components while also lowering manufacturing costs. This technology enables airlines to efficiently design their cabin spaces without adding extra weight, and offers enhanced thermal and acoustic insulation properties.
Winner Cabin Systems: Safran Cabin “theCUBE”
Safran‘s galley waste disposal unit theCUBE can be easily integrated into any unused space in the galley and is automatically flushed by simply closing the door, making it easier for the cabin crew to operate. With a plug-and-play concept and utilising the standard ARINC rail, it is easy to install and remove, simplifying maintenance and adding flexibility for the airline. The CUBE uses 30 per cent less water per flush than conventional disposal units and automatically activates UV light for odour control and bacteria prevention when closed. This ensures a leaner, more efficient and more hygienic waste disposal system on board.
Winner Health & Safety: Accenture GmbH “Accenture PED safety bag”
Lithium-Ion battery fires pose a potentially catastrophic risk to flight safety. The Accenture Personal Electronic Device (PED) safety bag is the first to meet the highest standard UL 5800 Performance Level 1, which ensures complete containment of fire, smoke and toxic gases in the event of lithium battery failure. With increasing use of personal electronic devices and rising reports of lithium battery fires in aircraft, this bag offers double protection: the inner bag keeps out flames and heat, while the outer bag prevents smoke from entering the cabin. The intelligent insulation ensures that the outer temperature of the bag does not exceed 85°C. The jury was impressed by the fact that in the event of a burning PED, an aircraft can continue to fly safely for up to six hours before reaching an airport.
Winner Passenger Comfort: Diehl Aviation, Coop. Qantas Airways Ltd “The Wellbeing Zone”
With “Project Sunrise”, Qantas plans to redefine the historic Kangaroo route from London to Sydney by flying passengers non-stop in less than a day. These direct flights from Sydney to London and New York will set new standards for ultra-long flights, with particular emphasis on passenger comfort and health. The innovative Wellbeing Zone offers science-based wellness products, biorhythm-optimised lighting and real glass doors. This area is accessible to all passengers, supports healthy eating and offers space for physical activity. The jury praised the Wellbeing Zone in its refreshing approach to ultra-long-haul comfort.
Winner IFEC and Digital Services: Thales Avionics “FlytEdge”
Thales Avionics‘ FlytEdge is the first cloud-based and natively digital in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution. This platform enables the rapid integration of any web application, including streaming services, and offers fully remote operation, software and content updates anytime, anywhere. FlytEdge offers full autonomy for airlines and continuous evolution, supported by innovative technologies such as edge caching and cross-content recommendations. This ground-breaking solution optimises airline operations while enhancing the passenger experience.
Winner Sustainable Cabin: Diehl Aviation “ECO Sidewall”
With the ECO Sidewall, Diehl Aviation presents an innovative, eco-efficient sidewall concept that sets new standards in sustainable aviation. Through the use of lightweight materials and innovative design, the weight of the sidewall has been reduced by 10 per cent, which reduces the CO2 footprint in the production phase by 19 per cent and CO2 emissions during operation by 10 per cent. Advanced technologies also reduce waste from prepreg blanks by more than a third. This holistic approach makes the ECO Sidewall a particularly environmentally friendly solution that fulfils customer expectations for sustainable products and processes. This achievement was honoured by the jury with the Crystal Cabin Award 2024.
University winners: Tongji University, Coop. Dupont “Flexifold”
The “University” category is one of the most innovative areas of the Crystal Cabin Awards and is intended to provide a forum for particularly creative designs. This year, the award goes to a team from Tongji University in Shanghai for the “Flexifold” concept. The innovative economy seat offers airlines more flexibility and new revenue opportunities. A folding and snapping mechanism provides efficient body support. The design combines lightweight and comfort with three cushions for customisable privacy, recline angle and footrest that can be easily attached to existing seats.
Meet the winners at the Aircraft Interiors Expo on 29 May in Hamburg
The winners of the Crystal Cabin Award 2024 will present their concepts at the Aircraft Interiors Expo at Cabin Space Live on 29 May at 2pm in Cabin Space Live, Hall B1 (lower). The Crystal Cabin Award also has its own stand in Hall 6 (6E90).
