Following a round of voting by the judging panel, the 24 finalists in the Crystal Cabin Award 2026 have been decided. Established in 2007, the Crystal Cabin Award is a highly regarded international awards scheme backed by Hamburg Aviation, which recognises innovation in aircraft cabin products and concepts.
The international judging panel of 27 experts from the cabin industry selected the finalists in eight categories, having considered 85 shortlisted submissions from airlines, manufacturers, suppliers, design studios, and startups from around the world.
The 24 finalists represent all aspects of aircraft cabin and passenger experience innovation, from comfort, accessibility and sustainability, to digitalisation, efficiency, and onboard safety. The competing entries span everything from new cabin layouts and luxurious premium suites, to digital services and robotics, circular materials, and optimised crew processes.
The judging panel will convene in Hamburg in April to see presentations from the 24 finalists and decide the winners of the eight categories. The winners will be announced and presented with their trophies at a ceremony at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on 14th April, as part of Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX). So what innovations have made it to the final voting round?
Category: Cabin Concepts
The Cabin Concepts category recognises visionary, end-to-end solutions for the cabin of tomorrow. The finalists have presented holistic concepts that redefine space, design, technology, and the passenger experience, from suites and shared spaces, to entirely new layouts.
The finalists:
All Nippon Airways (ANA), in cooperation with Acumen Design Associates, is a finalist with THE Room FX business-class suite for the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The design combines two seats into a single compact structure, saving weight and space to enable higher seating capacity. This space efficiency is enabled by an innovative mechanism whereby the backrest remains fixed while only the legrest moves to create a continuous lie-flat surface.
Design Investment, in cooperation with Air France and Stelia Aerospace, is competing with its La Premiere first-class suite for the Boeing 777. The suites (in a four-abreast arrangement) offer separate areas for sitting and sleeping.
The seat and bed zones each feature a 32-inch IFE screen, and the bed includes a split mattress for flexible sleeping positions. A “ribbon” design connects the zones and integrates curtains for privacy, and all functions can be controlled via the tablet device provided.
Thompson Aero Seating made the finals with VantageNOVA First, a flexible seating platform for the front row of the business-class cabin that can be transformed from a single seat into a double or four-seat configuration with a ‘Star’ arrangement that enables four travellers to sit directly facing each other for shared dining and social interaction. The concept creates a premium, first-class-style experience without reducing seat density in the forward business-class cabin.
Category: Accessibility
The Accessibility category recognises ideas that help enable on barrier-free and inclusive travel for all passengers, including wheelchair users. The 2026 finalists have developed innovations that improve mobility, independence, and comfort on board aircraft, ranging from transfer solutions and flexible seating concepts, to digital assistance systems that guide passengers safely, independently, and comfortably through all areas of the cabin.
The finalists:
Airbus, in cooperation with Ipeco Holdings and AMF-Bruns, is competing with a universal cabin concept. The Airspace U Suite, billed as a ‘Universal Space for Everybody’, enables wheelchair users to travel in their own wheelchair without the need for manual transfers. A secure restraint system and flexible seating configurations allow semi-private seating, face-to-face arrangements, and premium areas for all passenger groups.
Diehl Aviation has developed AURS (Adaptive User Routing System), an inclusive cabin concept that makes aircraft lavatories navigable for blind and deaf passengers. The solution combines an accessible layout with a digital interface that adapts to individual needs, provides visual safety announcements, and offers tactile orientation aids.
RAVE Aerospace (formerly Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI)) presents Live Transcription and Translations, a system it says represents an industry first. Cabin announcements are displayed in real time as text on the seatback IFE monitor. Passengers can select their language, so announcements are not only transcribed but also translated. The feature is available in RAVE Standard and RAVE Accessible Mode and is part of the standard RAVE IFE system offering.
Category: Passenger Comfort
Increasingly differentiated passenger expectations are driving the development of new ideas to enhance comfort in the aircraft cabin. The finalists in this category are demonstrating how ergonomics, space utilisation, flexibility, and connectivity are being advanced across the different cabin classes.
The finalists:
Airbus is in the running with its Airspace A350 First Class cabin concept, an evolution of the A350-1000 cabin for an exclusive first-class experience. The new centre module features a private master suite with a double bed, and its own private lavatory area and bar. Virtual panoramic windows further enhance the sense of spaciousness in the suite.
Spaceframe, developed by BMW Designworks, is a concept for a modular economy-class seat system that combines lightweight design, ergonomic support, and sustainable materials. The concept enables a space-efficient, flexible seating layout with an ergonomic mesh backrest, modular equipment, and integrated infrastructure for power, lighting, and wireless charging. Even better, the seat is fully recyclable.
Collins Aerospace made the finals with SkyNook, a semi-private zone designed for the aft cabin of widebody aircraft. The solution uses the previously unused space between the sidewall and reduced economy seat rows to create flexible ‘retreat’ areas that offer privacy, safety and calm for families, passengers with special needs, or travellers with pets, service dogs, or bulky carry-on items.
Category: Cabin Technologies
This category focuses on technological and conceptual innovations for systems, components, and processes. The finalists have shown how AI, sensors, robotics, and user-centred design can increase operational efficiency, enhance safety, and improve both crew workflows and the passenger journey.
The finalists:
AviusULD, in cooperation with Eloc8, is a finalist with the AviusULD SmartULD fire tag. This tracking device for cargo containers and baggage bins detects early overheating of lithium-ion batteries up to two hours before a fire occurs. It can be installed both in cabin overhead bins and on containers in the cargo hold, improving safety in passenger and cargo aircraft.
Jamco and JAXA have developed the C-Galley, a cabin crew centred galley concept for the aft cabin that is designed to support workflows for cabin crew. Separate work zones for food, beverages, and sales reduce walking distances and cross-traffic. A central work surface with storage on both sides increases efficiency and serves as a snack area outside service times, without changing the overall footprint and stowage volume.
ZAL Centre of Applied Aeronautical Research, in cooperation with 3D.aero and Hamburg University of Technology, is a finalist with its Automated Quality Inspection system. The robotics- and AI-based system automates cabin inspections, detects visual deviations quickly and objectively, and generates a detailed 3D model. The system can be flexibly deployed for OEMs, airlines, and maintenance operations. As a proof of concept, ZAL says that 100% of deviations were detected in just 30 minutes.
Category: IFEC & Digital Services
Digital services are becoming increasingly important to the in-flight experience. The finalists in this category present solutions for inflight connectivity (IFC), inflight entertainment (IFE), personalised services, and Cloud-based platforms that advance both operational processes and the passenger experience on board.
The finalists:
Delta Air Lines is a finalist with the Connected Onboard Platform, a digital onboard architecture that consolidates operational, connectivity and passenger data. The platform-agnostic solution provides a technological foundation for reliable, personalised service and a connected onboard experience across the entire Delta fleet.
Veyond Metaverse‘s FlyMD 5D XR In-Flight Medical Assistance Platform is a solution for medical emergencies on board, which enables real-time spatial participation of physicians on the ground directly into the cabin. The system transmits a three-dimensional live view of the cabin, supporting more precise situation assessment and improved crew guidance via existing onboard connectivity systems.
United Airlines’ entry, ‘Delivering the First Connected, Omni-Channel Passenger Experience’, is a Cloud-based onboard architecture designed to deliver a consistent, connected passenger experience across its fleet. In collaboration with Starlink, Axinom, and Spotify, the system integrates connectivity, inflight entertainment, and personal devices, providing the technological foundation for a scalable, low-maintenance, and customisable passenger experience.
Category: Sustainable Cabin
Sustainability is a key innovation field in aviation. The finalists in this category demonstrate how lightweight design, recycled and bio-based materials, and circular design approaches can reduce weight, emissions, and environmental impact while meeting functional and aesthetic requirements.
The finalists:
Recaro Aircraft Seating has developed the R Sphere, a modular aircraft seat concept that saves around 1.5 kg per passenger and can reduce CO₂ by approximately 55 tons of per year per single-aisle aircraft. The sustainable seat is made from recyclable materials, maintenance-friendly modular components, and optimised surfaces for cleaning and upkeep, supporting a sustainable and flexible cabin design.
Testori 1904’s Plant-based Fibre Textile System has been developed for seat covers, curtains, and vertical surfaces in aircraft cabins. The materials meet the same technical, aesthetic, and flame-retardant standards as synthetic or animal-based fibres, and contribute to product circularity while reducing the environmental footprint.
ZIM Aircraft Seating is a finalist with The Frame, a new generation of seats featuring modular, repairable wood components designed for durability and low maintenance. Laminated wood elements reduce the use of synthetic materials, reduce weight and fuel consumption, and enable recycling at end-of-life.
Category: Breakthrough Start-ups
The new Breakthrough Start-ups category focuses on fresh perspectives and disruptive ideas in the cabin sector. The finalists have created novel cabin concepts and digital solutions that challenge established structures and have the potential to reshape the industry sustainably.
The finalists:
GMI has reached the finals with its Green Mobility Interior, designed to help build a more sustainable future for the aircraft cabin interior industry through novel material solutions. Founded in 2021, the company reduces plastic waste through a closed material loop for aviation-certified plastics.
Production waste is recycled and reintegrated into the supply chain with full traceability. With the Zero-Waste Countertop for the A320 family, GMI has demonstrated that a circular economy strategy in the cabin is industrially feasible today.
Quvia is vying for the prize with ‘Building the Backbone of In-Flight Digital Experiences’, an AI-powered platform that can analyse the digital onboard experience. The solution provides real-time transparency into inflight connectivity, inflight entertainment, and system performance. Through optimised analytics, fault diagnosis, and traffic control, Quvia helps airlines resolve issues faster, prevent outages, and improve the reliability of digital cabin systems across fleets.
Smair, in cooperation with EK Engineering, is in the finals with smairGO, a digital system for aircraft cabin appearance and lifecycle management. The system standardises and documents the repair of cosmetic damage and replaces costly replacement measures. Through validated procedures, digital workflows, and full traceability, smairGO makes cabin repairs predictable, repeatable, and sustainable across the entire lifecycle.
Category: University
Visionary ideas from academia and research once again round out the Crystal Cabin Award competition in 2026. Students and research institutions from around the world have demonstrated how creative approaches, new technologies, and interdisciplinary collaboration can shape the aircraft cabin of tomorrow.
The finalists:
The Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, USA, in cooperation with Airbus and Delta Air Lines, was selected as a finalist with the Closed-Loop Cabin Catering Data System Redesign, a cabin catering data system with a closed data loop. The system connects passenger preferences, inflight consumption, and feedback with catering planning to improve forecasting, personalise meals, and reduce food waste. This creates a data-driven foundation for more efficient and sustainable inflight catering.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is also in the finals with the SMARTrack Optimized Cabin Cleaning Dispatching System, created in cooperation with Airbus, Delta Air Lines, and TU Delft. The system is designed to optimise Delta’s cabin cleaning dispatching system to reduce delays between landing and readiness for departure, and to support the Net Zero 2050 target. Centralised information, filters, colour coding, and real-time communication better connect crews, cleaning teams, and dispatchers. Fewer delays mean less fuel burn, lower CO₂ emissions, and higher aircraft utilisation.
The third finalist is Guangdong University of Technology in southern China, with its AeroMorph Seat. This seat concept adapts to changing cabin pressure conditions without electronics. Pressure-dependent air cushions in the neck, back and pelvic areas automatically change shape during flight to provide support and comfort.
When cabin pressure decreases, the cushions expand to stabilise the neck and torso; when pressure increases, they contract. The low-energy, low-maintenance system is designed to reduce muscle fatigue and circulatory issues on long-haul flights, and is based on a simple, lightweight construction.
So who will be the ultimate winners across the eight categories of the Crystal Cabin Award 2026? Like the winners, you can find out at (or following) the formal awards ceremony at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on 14th April.
