Last month’s Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2026, which was the 25th edition of the event, drew more than 12,500 attendees and nearly 500 exhibiting companies over the three days of the show in Hamburg Messe.
The show’s organisers, RX, report that attendance at the event increased year-on-year, which they believe reflects the continued globalisation of the aircraft cabin sector and the importance of aircraft interiors as a driver of differentiation across the aviation industry. The visitor numbers included representatives from 185 airlines.
“AIX 2026 has been as good as ever. Even after attending for many years, I still feel like a kid in a candy store,” said Shankar Prasad Mandagere, cabin vendor manager at Airbus, during the expo.
RX quotes another visitor, Mingchuan Xiao, deputy manager at Fellat Air Lease Co, who said, “AIX is a high-quality event, both in terms of its exhibitors and the calibre of attendees it attracts. It is a key destination for us to explore the next generation of innovation in the industry, as well as an important opportunity to connect with OEM partners. It’s always a valuable experience and a great place to attend to stay at the forefront of what’s coming next.”
RX also reports that exhibitors enjoyed strong engagement throughout the three-day event. “This has been our best show to date,” said Kevin Crowder, new product development manager at Mirus Aircraft Seating. “The quality of airline enquiries has been particularly strong this year, and there’s a real sense that the event continues to elevate across every aspect: bigger, better, and more dynamic each time.”
The theme of this year’s expo was its 25th celebration, and eight companies exhibited for the 25th time: Collins Aerospace (formerly B/E Aerospace), Belgraver, Botany Weaving Mill, Celso, Lantal Textiles, Rohi Stoffe, Tex Tech Industries, and Percival Aviation.
As Chris Bench, managing director of Percival Aviation said, “AIX and Percival have grown alongside each other over the last 25 years. AIX started small 25 years ago in Cannes, and it is now the biggest event we attend, and a truly massive opportunity for networking. We take part in a wide range of industry shows, but this one stands out as the best for us. The scale, the connections, and the quality of conversations make it invaluable every year.”
“In such a dynamic market shaped by so many factors, particularly the evolving situation in the Middle East, this event is an essential touchpoint for understanding how suppliers and manufacturers are responding,” added Andrew Doyle, senior consultant at the Cirium consultancy. “There’s no better place to read the market and gather real-time insight than being immersed in the full cabin ecosystem at AIX”.
Debuts and themes
Alongside the veterans of AIX, 93 companies made their debut at the 2026 show, supported by an influx of first-time visitors.
The hundreds of exhibitors delivered a wave of announcements during AIX 2026, which spanned the cabin ecosystem. Themes included the continued momentum in ‘premiumisation’, lightweight design, modular cabin architecture, and certification-driven retrofit strategies.
Among the major airline announcements, Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier Flyadeal confirmed its two-class Airbus A330-900neo cabin strategy ahead of entry into service from 2027, marking the carrier’s long-haul debut. Flyadeal announced orders for seating with Geven and Jiatai during the show.
Geven made several announcements during the show. Aircraft Interiors International joined Alberto Veneruso, managing director of Geven, to discuss the company’s expansion, its latest innovations in premium economy and economy seating, and its work with PriestmanGoode and Stellantis. Alberto shares his views in THIS VIDEO.
Seat innovation was a key theme of AIX. Thompson Aero Seating, Unum Aircraft Seating and Geven unveiled new premium seating concepts focused on greater privacy, flexibility and configurable cabin layouts, while Mirus Aircraft Seating and Zim Aircraft Seating showcased lighter-weight seating platforms designed to improve efficiency and recyclability. Mirus also announced a commercial win, with easyJet selecting its Kestrel seat for 237 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft.
Geven also expanded its partnership with Simona Boltaron for materials across multiple aircraft applications, while Aloft AeroArchitects announced a new Boeing 737 retrofit STC programme under its MOSAIC concept, supporting modular and scalable cabin upgrades.
AIX 2026 also echoed the growing geographical diversification of cabin innovation, with APAC and MENA regions accounting for 17% and 14% of attendees, respectively. AIX released a series of Global Cabin Concept Lab reports on the APAC and Indian markets to coincide with the event, with a Middle East-focused edition due to follow.
Business jet interior zone
A new feature of the show was the BizJet Interiors Zone, which brought together 24 exhibitors focused on VVIP and corporate aviation.
“It’s great to see the increased focus on business aviation at AIX this year. I’m hoping to see that momentum continue, particularly when it comes to the luxury touches that make business aviation truly next-level,” said Antares Reis, senior adviser at Seabury Securities, while visiting the zone.
Aloft AeroArchitects marked its 50th anniversary during the show, highlighting five decades of engineering expertise alongside continued expansion in VVIP and Head of State completions, and growing investment in its innovation lab and engineering capabilities. Meanwhile F/List announced the expansion of its luxury finish capabilities into corporate helicopter interiors.
The IFEC zone
The IFEC zone featured 77 exhibitors, spanning inflight entertainment and connectivity, and onboard digital solutions. “With in-flight connectivity now becoming a given across much of the aviation industry, the discussion has shifted from ‘how do we get passengers connected?’ to ‘what do we do now that they are?’,” said Colin Carter, CEO of CineSend, an exhibitor in the zone. “Being part of the IFEC Zone has been valuable, placing us right at the centre of the inflight entertainment and connectivity ecosystem.”
Major IFEC announcements at the show included ZipAir Tokyo revealing a fleet-wide deployment of the Apple MacBook Pro as its inflight server platform, integrated with Starlink connectivity. In other news, Thales introduced its FlytEDGE Aura seatback IFE system featuring next-generation display and connectivity capabilities, while Burrana and Seamless Digital showcased a concept using e-paper seatbacks as dynamic advertising surfaces, and IdeaNova launched an offline-first AI platform designed to deliver personalised entertainment and shopping experiences onboard.
Archana Dharni, event director of AIX, reflected on the strength of the community behind the show. “The event was truly a celebration of everything the aircraft interiors industry has to offer, but what stood out most was the strength of the community coming together to shape the next 25 years.
“It was fantastic to see the industry’s momentum on full display, with so many brand-new product launches, significant airline representation, and the very latest innovations on show. We look forward to welcoming the aviation interiors community back to Hamburg in 2027.”
