PAX International AIME/MRO Dubai 2016

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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VOL. 23, NO. 1

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www.pax.intl.com

N E W S A N D A N A LY S I S F O R T H E I F E C & I N T E R I O R S E X E C U T I V E

AIME/MRO DUBAI ISSUE

REGIONAL REPAIRS

AND REFURBISHMENTS MRO & Interiors News Cabin Refurbishment

11

QANTAS IFE p.

FOR KIDS

28

MRO MIDDLE EAST UPDATE p.

34

COMPANY PROFILE: DIEHL p.

EDITOR’S LETTER

PAX International 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada Tel: (1 905) 821-3344; Fax: (1 905) 821-2777 website: www.pax-intl.com

CHALLENGES WITH SUCCESS

PUBLISHER Aijaz Khan E-mail: aijaz@globalmarketingcom.ca

EDITORIAL OFFICES Rick Lundstrom, Editor-in-Chief PAX International 723 Jefferson Street, NE Minneapolis, MN 55413, USA Tel: (1 612) 378-0862 Fax: (1 612) 378-0852 E-mail: rick@pax-intl.com

A

s Secretary General of the Arab Air Carrier’s Organization, it is Abdul Wahab Teffaha’s job to cast his eye across the Middle Eastern commercial aviation scene, which has revealed eternal challenges and compelling opportunities.

The organization has evolved beyond being a voice for the its membership to a group that embraces large issues, he said, in a recent mailout to attendees of the Aircraft Interiors Middle East and MRO event where this issue is being distributed.

The most pressing issues facing air carriers in the region include dealing with the constant presence of political and security uncertainties, and finding the best way to harness technology for airline customers throughout the region. As the growing industry is very tech savvy, Teffaha said the “de-commoditization” of airline products would put greater pressure on airlines to differentiate their products.

A third challenge appears much thornier: how to expand opportunity for growth within the regulatory environment present in many Middle Eastern countries. For that, Taffaha said governing would need to encourage competition through policy.

“Competition already exists in a regulated market, but the market itself is suppressed. In order to expand the market beyond its organic growth we need liberalization of highly regulated markets,” he said, in a discussion with Aviation Week magazine.

Some steps are already being taken.

In the discussion, Teffaha said airlines in Europe have forged strong ties with carriers of the region, which will benefit the airlines involved in the process and the traveling public throughout the Middle East. More competition drives down fare costs for the passengers. Growth does not take place fast enough organically for airlines, he said, but can happen by “expanding the scale and scope of operations.”

Mr. Teffaha’s comments paint the picture of a region with a business community anxious to reach out to the world. With the diverse collection of delegates that are gathering in Dubai, it is plain to see that that chance exists in many ways.

Melissa Silva, Editor

Rick Lundstrom Editor-in-Chief, PAX International

tor. January/February 2016, Vol. 23, No. 1. Printed in

Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x21 E-mail: melissa@pax-intl.com CONTRIBUTORS Mary Jane Pittilla

A R T D E PA R T M E N T Jessica Hearn E-mail: jessica@globalmarketingcom.ca

ADVERTISING OFFICES Kevin Greene, Advertising Sales Executive Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x31 E-mail: kevin@pax-intl.com PAX International is published six times a year (January/February, March/April, May, June/July/August, September/October, November/December) by PAX International, 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada. International Distribution.

Subscriptions: $200 for one year; $300 for two years; $400 for three years. Art and photographs will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher or ediCanada. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. © PAX International magazine

ISSN 1206-5714 Key title: Pax International

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

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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VOL. 23, NO. 1

12

Contents IFE AND CONNECTIVITY REPORT 11 KID-FRIENDLY ON QANTAS

The airline is pleasing restless youngsters with a new suite of inflight games along with a number of other initiatives in the aircraft cabin and airport terminal

12 MAKING MEDIA WORK

Print media is taking on many forms as the digital age nears its peak in the cabin and two European airlines join a group that are reshaping the medium consumption inflight

SEATING REPORT

15 ENGINEERED ELEGANCE

18

The slim-line seats of Acro Aircraft Seating have found their way into the U.S. fleet in big numbers this year, and the company’s CEO says Americans can welcome the comfort

EVENT COVERAGE

18 THE MERCURYS MARCH ON

Companies from far and wide claim Mercury Awards

30

20 RETAIL IN THE ZONE

Important demographics discussions and attractive products will be part of an area dedicated to onboard sales at this year’s WTCE

32 FRANCE FLYING HIGH

This will be the fifth year companies have been gathering under a single national banner at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Middle East and MRO event in Dubai, promoting French technology and innovation in aerospace

TROLLEYS, GALLEYS AND INSERTS 21 THINKING SMART

Mary Jane Pittilla reports on the latest product developments in trolleys and galley systems by two companies, for airlines seeking more efficient, superlightweight solutions

CABIN REFURBISHMENT

24 REDUCE, REUSE, REFURBISH

When the time comes for a cabin retrofit, airlines are looking for unique, costeffective methods for revamping their fleet’s interiors and suppliers are getting creative with solutions

COMPANY PROFILES

26 HIGH TECH, HIGH IMPACT

HEICO Aerospace Corporation aims to save its customers millions of dollars each year using the group’s parts and repairs, and offers a range of products for passenger comfort

34 READY FOR MORE

DEPARTMENTS 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

6

NEWS

10

PEOPLE NEWS

36

WHAT’S HOT

38

ASSOCIATION NEWS

4 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Looking to expand its product and service offering and increase its activity in the retrofit market, Diehl is securing partnerships and planning for the future

MRO MARKET REPORT 28 STEADY CLIMB

Impressive facilities, forward-looking airlines and commitments are shaping the MRO landscape in the Middle East, but questions of its future remain

REGIONAL REPORT

30 DESTINATION DUBAI

The host city of this year’s Aircraft Interiors Middle East and MRO has set ambitious visitor goals and is on track to open a new airport terminal, with one of the big tests coming in early February

Less Repairing.

More Relaxing.

Multi-size PED holder

MEET VECTOR –Y ™ The durability and easy maintenance you expect from world-class pros in design, manufacturing and MRO. The comfort and amenities you’d never expect from an economy seat.

www.haeco.aero ©2015 HAECO Americas. Vector and Vector-Y are trademarks of HAECO Americas. ™

™

NEWS CRUISE NEWS

Etihad offers onsite airline check-in at new cruise terminal Etihad Airways celebrated the official opening of Abu Dhabi’s new cruise terminal, flying in more than 650 guests for the inaugural voyage from the facility in Zayed Port in mid-December.

The terminal covers 8,000 square meters and houses all key passenger facilities, retail outlets and a café. The architectural design of the new terminal is based on the UAE’s heritage and identity with a view of the Louvre Museum.

Etihad has created a special Fly-Cruise package with MSC Cruises for travelers to experience cruising the Arabian Gulf. MSC Cruises’ ship, MSC Musica, will serve the region for the 2015/2016 cruise season from December 13, 2015 to April 3, 2016.

Etihad’s destination management company, Hala Abu Dhabi, is also providing eight tours to MSC Cruises guests that can be prepurchased online or bought on board the ship.

“The new cruise terminal at Zayed Port represents our shared vision alongside our local partners to position Abu Dhabi as a worldclass transport hub,” said Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer for Etihad Airways.

The airline will provide a guest experience in Abu Dhabi including a meet-and-greet service and return coach transfers between Abu Dhabi Airport and the Cruise Terminal.

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has placed 15 check-in counters at the cruise terminal where the airline will provide checkin services, allowing passengers to proceed directly to immigration and customs. Currently cruise passengers in the region need to disembark the ship and go to the airport to check-in for their flights.

At the official opening of the new Zayed Port are caption (from left to right): Sultan Al Dhaheri, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority’s Acting Executive Director Tourism; Hareb Al Muhairy, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President Corporate and International Affairs; Khaled Almehairbi, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President Government and Aeropolitical Affairs; Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer; Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ Chief Executive Officer; Captain Mohamed Al Shamisi, Abu Dhabi Ports Chief Executive Officer; Noura Al Dhaheri, Abu Dhabi Ports Cruise Terminal Manager

CATERING

Singapore shines for dnata in 2015 dnata Singapore announced its year-end progress report for Changi Airport, which saw eight new airline customers in 2015.

Myanmar Airways International, Myanmar National Airlines and Bhutan Airlines have picked dnata as their ground handler, while Air New Zealand, Turkish Airlines and China Southern Airlines are now being catered by dnata at SIN. In 2016, dnata will provide technical ramp services to Japan Airlines and Etihad Airways will be the new-

6 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

est airline customer for passenger and ramp services in Singapore.

“While we know that price is a determining factor in selecting a ground handler, our strategy is to focus on being more agile, more responsive to changes to fit the requirements with more tailored solutions for our airline customers. Keeping an eye on quality service delivery has differentiated us to our airline customers. This opportunity to serve eight new customers is a testimony that we are going in the right direction. Everybody in the company thinks of the customer’s needs dnata Chef Phillip Tan at first and that is the approach that we will work at the company’s Singapore unit continue to take,” said Mark Edwards, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Singapore.

Each year, dnata Singapore interacts with more than three million passengers, moves more than 250,000 tonnes of cargo, handles some 40,000 flights and prepares more than 4 million inflight meals. Passengers departing from Changi International Airport Terminal 1 now have a new dnata premium lounge seating 200 people in pan-Asian, Singapore-influenced comfort that opened in November. dnata Singapore also operates an award-winning lounge at Terminal 3, which was recently named the World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge at the SkyTrax 2015 World Airline Awards.

The catalyst for advancing aviation While others are focused solely on the needs of your passengers, we’re focused on your entire business. We’re innovating new solutions to connect every aspect of airline operations – from passengers and crews, to maintenance teams and aircraft systems.

That’s what you can expect when you partner with Gogo.

Stop by our booth at AIME to find out more. ©2016 Gogo LLC. All trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

NEWS SUPPLIER NEWS

Diehl Aerosystems building new logistics center in Germany Diehl Aircabin, part of the Diehl Aerosystems Division, is expanding its site in Laupheim, Germany with the construction of a new logistics center.

The building, which is scheduled to open in January 2017, seeks to keep up with the increasing logistics demands at the site, primarily due to the accelerated ramp-up for the Airbus A350 XWB, the company said.

According to Airbus, the production rate for XWB — whose first delivery was in 2014 — will increase in the coming years to more than 100 aircraft per year.

The 12,000 square-meter building will house a logistics center including a fully-automated high-bay warehouse, which promises shortened and smoother storage and retrieval processes, while at the same time enabling optimal use of space thanks to the high storage density.

The facility will have capacity for about 4,600 containers. In addition, there will be a dedicated area for the internal cleaning of containers so that the sensitive components can be supplied to the customer in optimum condition.

Completion of the logistics center is planned for December 2016 and start-up is envisaged for January 2017. With an investment of around €11 million (US$12 million), the facility is a key investment that further guarantees the growth of the division, the company stated.

Participating in the celebratory ground-breaking ceremony in December 2015 were the District Administrator Dr. Heiko Schmid and the Mayor of Laupheim, Rainer Kapellen. Guests were welcomed by Wolfgang Weggen, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board at the Diehl Group, Rainer von Borstel, Member of the Executive Board at the Diehl Stiftung and Spokesman for the Division Board at Diehl Aerosystems, as well as Klaus Jabs, COO at Diehl Aircabin, and Reiner Edel, CFO at Diehl Aircabin.

Sabena technics wins first 777 cabin modification French MRO provider Sabena technics welcomed its first Boeing 777 for airframe modifications since obtaining its rating approval.

According to the agreement, Sabena technics will perform cabin and systems modifications on two 777 aircraft from Air France in its dedicated maintenance facilities in Bordeaux.

Modifications will include the integration of the latest Air France BEST cabin as well as the installation of a new inflight entertainment system.

Philippe Rochet, Chief Operating Officer of Sabena technics, explained: “A year ago, we entered a new phase of development by extending the scope of our airframe activities to overhauls for Boeing 777 aircraft. We are pleased to be able to deliver our quality, customized and cost-effective airframe solutions to Air France.”

Anne Brachet, Executive Vice-President of Air France Industries (AFI), said: “In order to speed up the cabin upgrade of the Air France 777 fleet, we were looking for a reliable partner to complement AFI KLM E&M [electrical and mechanical] capacities in Paris and Amsterdam. We are fully confident in Sabena technics’ ability to successfully implement the BEST modification, which was designed by our modification department.

In other news, Sabena technics received its first A340 from the French airline Air Tahiti Nui for a complete cabin modification.

Sabena technics developed and supplied the Supplemental Type Certificate in-house, as well as the kit manufacturing for the cabin modification.

The company equipped the two-class cabin with new seats and updated inflight entertainment systems, allowing passengers to benefit from a wireless Internet connection onboard using their own personal touchscreen tablet.

Michel Monvoisin, Chairman and CEO of Air Tahiti Nui, said: “The retrofit of this fourth aircraft completes our fleet renovation program initiated two years ago. This US$22.4 million project aims at offering improved seat comfort to our customers both in Business and Economy Class. Highlights of the new cabins also include a new inflight entertainment system featuring on-demand access to a selection of movies, music, games, and magazines.”

The new configuration also helps generate fuel cost savings through lighter equipment, he added.

The aircraft was delivered to Air Tahiti Nui in December 2015.

Lufthansa Technik boosts Airbus A350 logistics Lufthansa Technik AG is stepping up its ability to support the A350 by expanding a state-of-the-art warehouse for spare parts supply in Munich.

The existing warehouse of Lufthansa Technik Logistik Services (LTLS) is being expanded by 3,200 square meters of floor space and optimized for the A350 support, among other activities.

“What simply looks like a hall is actually an important cornerstone in our approach to supporting the A350,” said Dr. Thomas Stüger, member of the executive board of Lufthansa Technik, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony on December 8. “A highly modern and technologically advanced aircraft such as the A350 places high demands on us. Today proves that we are well on the way to offer a comprehensive and punctual support for the A350.”

The warehouse expansion offers significant efficiencies for internal 8 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

transportation, and synergies are created by centralizing the operative business.

An automated block storage system called AutoStore is being established on the first floor of the new warehouse. The expanded facility offers room for a further narrow-aisle rack, a pallet rack for wheels, a platform system with shelving racks for small parts and battery preservation, as well as a cantilever racking system for oversized and long goods components.

LTLS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik, is a provider of logistics for the aviation industry. Services range from transport management, including engine and AOG transport, through to complete warehouse management. Founded in 1998, the company employs more than 1,300 staff. LTLS recorded a turnover of €215 million (US$235 million) in 2014.

www.diehl-aerosystems.com

Many years of experience and expertise have made Diehl Aerosystems a leading supplier in the fields of high-quality floor-to-floor cabin interiors, lavatories, galleys, water and air management, fire protection as well as creative and effective lighting and avionics. Our goal is to provide you with innovative solutions that will make aircraft cabins an even more enjoyable place to be for everyone involved.

Visit us at the AIME, Stand 539.

PEOPLE NEWS

Two join Flightweight sales team Flightweight has appointed two experienced aviation sales professionals to support its SmartCart product range. Industry veteran Geoff Cowper joins Flightweight as Head of Sales, while Virginija Dudenaite has been hired as Sales Coordinator.

Cowper brings more than 30 Virginija years of aviation experience to Dudenaite Flightweight, with particular expertise in sales, customer relations and commercial management. Before joining the company, Cowper was Regional Sales Manager with Airline Services Ltd. He has also previously Geoff Cowper held senior positions with major aerospace organizations including DARA, BHW Hampson and BAE Systems.

Dudenaite joins from FL Technics Jets’ (MRO), where she held the position of Sales and Project Manager. With five years global aviation experience, she has also worked for the Aviation Training Organization’s ‘Baltic Aviation Academy’ and The Avalon Group.

Cowper will be responsible for overseeing existing customer relationships and developing new business in various territories, including Asia. Dudenaite’s responsibilities will include coordinating all sales activities and pursuing opportunities with smaller customer groups. Both will report to Ken Reseigh, Operations Director at Flightweight.

WESSCO Vice President retires After 29 years of cabin comfort, Anita Gittelson, WESSCO’s Executive Vice President and “Godmother” of the modern amenity kit, announced her retirement in December.

Anita Gittelson joined WESSCO International in Gittelson 1983, bringing with her a successful trackrecord of creating amenity programs in hotels and on cruise ships.

“I started WESSCO in 1979 to service the airline industry with an emphasis on food and beverage items,” recalls Bob Bregman, WESSCO President and Founder. “We were successful almost immediately, but I knew we were not servicing the entire inflight opportunity. When Anita started with us, she was one of 10 employees.

She started to focus on the premium class passenger with a variety of new ideas and amenity concepts. She also was instrumental in putting us in the hotel and cruise line supply business.”

Throughout her tenure with WESSCO International, Gittelson was a driving force behind hundreds of successful brand partnerships and award-winning amenity and comfort programs. A founding member of the Marine Hotel Association (MHA) and winner of the 2013 TravelPlus Airline Amenity Kit Award for a lifetime of contribution and leadership in passenger experience development, Gittelson is trusted by several airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines to align their travel brand with top designers and cosmetic lines.

10 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

New Chief Executive Finance at Lufthansa Technik Constanze Hufenbecher joined the Executive Board of Lufthansa Technik with responsibility for Finance for three years.

Constanze She will succeed Dr. Peter Jansen, who Hufenbecher retired as a member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Technik December 31.

Hufenbecher has a degree in business administration and has held a variety of management positions to date, most recently as Chief Financial Officer of BE Printers and Prinovis Ltd. & Co. KG, Hamburg.

“Constanze Hufenbecher has already been successful in management in a variety of industries and companies outside aviation and has the right qualifications for developing and implementing new ideas at Lufthansa Technik, too. We look forward to working with her,” said Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Lufthansa Technik AG and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Jansen, is retiring after 15 years as the head of Finance at Lufthansa Technik, but will continue to support the company with advice and assistance.

APEX honors Southwest flight attendant Southwest Airlines flight attendant Mark Murphy went above and beyond to brighten the flight experience of a two-year-old passenger named Leo and his mother. Upon learning he was deaf, Mark began communicating with Leo using American Sign Language (ASL). “He just kind of brightened up and so I said hello to him a couple of times because he responded to it every time I signed to him,” Mark tells APEX Media.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly personally thanked Murphy for his efforts. Later the Airline Passenger Experience Association bestowed its first Silver Heart and sent the flight attendant an APEX Heart Award certificate.

Murphy was honored with a Silver Heart Award at a surprise ceremony in December put on by the Southwest team.

“There was a big banner, a board with my name on it and all the supervisors were here to greet me when I came into work,” said Murphy.

Hotel executive heads Carnival hotel operations Carnival Cruise Lines announced in December that Richard Morse would be the company’s new Vice President of Hotel Operations.

Morse will be responsible for all passenger aspects of Carnival’s onboard and vacation experience, including entertainment, culinary and dining, beverage, housekeeping and guest services and logistics.

He officially jointed the cruise line in early January.

Before joining Carnival, Morse spent 36 years at Marriott International, most recently as general manager of Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor in Maryland. He has also held management positions at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square and Renaissance Miami Biscayne properties.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Kid-friendly on Qantas

C

hristmas 2015 arrived a bit early Down Under for some young travelers on Qantas Airways.

The presents took the form of an online app and a suite of games called “Qantas Joey Playbox,” the airline’s first iPad app for young travelers.

The app is designed for children aged 4 to 8 years and includes four games.

Children can design their own airport, help prepare the runway for take off, collect baggage, and decorate digital paper planes, postcards and bags. They can also scan their Qantas boarding pass to unlock additional features for the planes and postcards, which they can then share with friends and family.

Tasmanian company Secret Lab, which first developed the concept at Qantas’ inaugural Hackathon, designed the app.

The company won second place for its children’s game concept and Qantas commissioned them to create the game for its youngest customers.

Last year was the first year that the airline ran its Hackathon. It’s a program developed by the airline that brings together aspiring and established developers to create apps, products and solutions to improve the travel experience on Qantas. The event

The airline is pleasing restless youngsters with a new suite of inflight games along with a number of other initiatives in the aircraft cabin and airport terminal

by RICK LUNDSTROM

was held over a weekend in May and the IT professionals taking part had access to publically available flight and travel data to come up with solutions.

“The event was aimed at bringing together a group of creative thinkers to come up with smart ideas and help us solve business problems in a collaborative way,” Qantas Head of Digital and Entertainment, Jo Boundy tells PAX International.

Developing the Qantas Joey Playbox (joey is the name for a young kangaroo) took about eight months, said Boundy.

Once completed, testing took place both at the airline and with the games and features in the hands of a test group of children.

“This ensured it was easy to use and entertaining for the audience we built it for,” said Boundy.

More than 250,000 flyers are in “The Joey Club,” Qantas’ frequent flyer program for children. The fee to join the Joey Club is normally AUS$89.50 (US$61.42), however Qantas waived the costs to join until December 31 to promote the program.

During the peak holiday travel season, Qantas launched a number of initiatives to help make family travel easier. The airline added a pop-up “Joey Club” kids’ zone in its First Lounges where families can now

enjoy favorites such as cheeseburgers and chocolate sundaes from the new Australian summer menu. Inflight, Qantas Entertainment includes additional children’s films and Christmas specials, such as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as well as Christmas-themed boarding music.

The airline’s dedicated children’s movie channel is filled with 21 hours of content to go with its television channel with an additional 28 hours of children’s programming.

The kid’s menu is available at the airline’s lounges in Sydney and Melbourne. For parents traveling with infants, the carrier provides a range of sustenance in the form of baby food, milk, cereals and “rusks” which are hard, dry biscuits of twice baked bread often used to help teething children.

Before boarding, Qantas has staff on hand to help families by collecting strollers and further assisting with the pre-boarding of the aircraft. Additional baggage allowances include a collapsible stroller or push chair, collapsible cot or bassinet and a car seat.

“Qantas understands that traveling with children can be challenging and we will continue to look at new ways to make the journey easier,” said Boundy.

Two views of the Joey’s Playbox app now available for Joey’s Club children members

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 11

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Making media work Print media is taking on many forms as the digital age nears its peak in the cabin and two European Airlines join a group that is reshaping print media consumption inflight

by RICK LUNDSTROM

F

or years, TAP Portugal has been an airline that has taken pride in its inflight publication: a stylish, contemporary magazine meticulously produced but bearing the simple title of Up. The airline has not taken the steps of many other carriers that have considered weight and expense and decided to eliminate the tried-and-true inflight magazine; but TAP has bowed to the realities of a digital world and is now allowing its passengers to expand their options for inflight reading with a new service and app that they can access during the ticket purchasing process.

Elsewhere, a growing Slovenian airline is making its inflight magazine part an important part of a revamped IFE experience through a portable wireless streaming IFE solution that is simple and affordable and could be part of a solution that could be found in the cabin of thousands of aircraft in the future.

Since the fall, TAP has provided an additional element to its cabin experience in the form of an on-board reading service with a digital kiosk that allows passengers to download magazines and newspapers onto their mobile devices to read offline.

Since its launch in September, TAP has gone one step further, working with its Information Technology department and a supplier called Adaptive Channel, which added the inflight magazine Up to its selection, as well as the TAP entertainment guide and inflight shopping guide.

This exclusive, free service for TAP passengers is available via the airline’s mobile app. The number of issues offered depends on the ticket fare purchased by the passenger, who can download them to a digital device after checking in for their flight.

“Passengers can download newspapers and magazines according to the ticket

they buy,” said Antonieta Pezo, Manager of Media and Marketing at TAP. “Our check-in online can be done 72 hours prior to the flight. Passengers can download the titles available at that moment or wait for the day of the flight. Or, if they don’t have time, they can do it when they reach their destination.”

The digital Entertainment Guide is a summary of the multimedia content available on the airline’s long-haul inflight entertainment system. The publication is updated monthly and can be downloaded by any passenger from the Digital Kiosk. TAP has kept the Entertainment Guide accessible, by not requiring a reservation number for the download.

This free service is available via the TAP mobile app for TAP Clients traveling on flights operated by the airline. The newspapers and magazines must be downloaded before boarding, and can be read offline a passengers’ smartphone or tablet.

Victoria Silver Club members can download three titles, while Victoria Gold Clients can download up to seven titles.

If they hold a tap|corporate or a TAP AMEX Platinum card, they have access to seven titles except when they are traveling on tap|discount, where the rules of the fare apply.

Free copies of newspapers and magazines continue to be available at the lounge and on long-haul Business Class.

With this change, passengers will receive an improved range of titles and will no longer be restricted to those publications available at the newspaper counters or inflight, said a fall release from TAP.

12 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

The publication kiosk now available on TAP Portugal.

The range of publications will depend on the titles available on the chosen digital platform. TAP says it is making every effort to gradually increase the range of titles to choose from.

It’s OnAir

Adria Airways has expanded, rebranded and transformed its traditional print inflight magazine concept to create OnAir Magazine and OnAir Entertainment, twin content platforms available on the airline’s website and onboard its aircraft, with the help of Wi-Fi boxes from a supplier called AirFi. On Adria Airways’ new website, OnAir Magazine content has become a central theme. Editorial from the airline’s inflight magazine has been reformatted into online stories aimed to inspire readers to explore Slovenia and destinations beyond. Online content is being updated regularly and is organized into categories such as People, Cuisine, Aviation, and Culture and History.

The digital entertainment experience continues onboard Adria’s fleet of A319 and Bombardier CRJ aircraft, where OnAir Entertainment replicates and expands upon the website concept. Using AirFi

ZODIAC INFLIGHT INNOVATIONS ZODIAC CABIN Connected Cabin Division

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT boxes for powerful, lightweight server/ wireless access points or WAPs, the airline streams magazine content, flight information, shopping catalogs, destination videos, menus, HTML5 games, chat functions and newspapers directly to passenger’s own mobile devices.

“With the introduction of OnAir Magazine and OnAir Entertainment, we have brought rich and diverse archive of content together under a single brand,” explained Iztok Franko, Adria’s Marketing and IT Director. “We are particularly excited about the future of the OnAir Entertainment portal, which is made possible by the AirFi box. We’re very pleased at the speed with which we were able to rollout this service and the quality experience our passengers are now enjoying. New features will be added regularly.”

On other European short- and mediumhaul carriers, AirFi box Wi-Fi programs have seen initial uptake numbers between 22% and 30%. Adria Airways has taken a proactive approach to educating passengers about OnAir Entertainment, and created

a special seatback decal explaining how to connect.

“Adria Airways is a brilliant airline to work with,” commented Job Heimerikx, CEO of AirFi. “They’ve really explored every utility of our box, increasing passenger loyalty and affinity by providing information and entertainment in many forms. It’s rewarding to help an airline

please passengers and to have the platform operational overnight on their entire fleet.

The flexibility of the AirFi instantly proves itself in Adria’s multimedia strategy” The AirFi box is a portable streaming solution with no aircraft modification necessary, allowing Adria to avoid a number costs and certifications associated with other IFE solutions.

Adria’s aircraft are now marked with a decal to show that the airline’s inflight media is available on Wi-Fi

Professional wash-up systems for Inflight Catering

Fly on the wings of perfection in terms of cleanliness, hygiene and safety.

Cleaned for take-off

Security and safety are the most important values an airline can offer today. A great number of checks are required before the captain and cabin crew of an aircraft are finally able to welcome the first passenger on board. This includes, making certain that travellers will receive a clean and hygienic service.

With our warewashing systems for Inflight catering, we at MEIKO stand for a clean and perfect start. Whether you are city-hopping or launching for a long haul flight, MEIKO’s professional warewashing systems are guaranteed to reach the recommended level in purity, hygiene and cleanliness without comprise. This is the reason why you can find our technology everywhere around the globe where reliability, safety and efficiency count – from small business airports to large international traffic hubs. Discover the versatility of our tailor-made warewashing systems. Find out what we at MEIKO call the clean solution.

www.meiko.de

14 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

SEATING

Engineered

elegance

The slim-line seats of Acro Aircraft Seating have found their way into the U.S. fleet in big numbers this year, and the company’s CEO says Americans can welcome the comfort

by RICK LUNDSTROM

Two of the stars of the Acro Seating line, the Series 7 and Series 6

F

ar from the growing airlines in the Middle East that will be attending this year’s Aircraft Interiors and MRO event in Dubai, a domestic low-cost carrier, based in Denver, Colorado made a minor shakeup in the cabin interiors world last year.

It came in the form of a new economy class cabin layout that the airline boasted would not only earn points for environmental awareness, but would make the Economy Class of its A319s and A320s more comfortable, particularly for the beleaguered travelers who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in the middle seat.

The slim-line seats were in transition throughout the airline’s fleet in 2015; and part of that transition included the installation of what it said was one of the widest center Economy Class seats in the industry. While window and aisle seats were 18.1 inches wide, the center seat was 19.3 inches wide. In addition, the airline touted the weight reduction of the new models.

According to the airline, each seat would save an estimated 214 gallons of fuel per year. The savings equated to 4,194 pounds of carbon dioxide, 2,043 pounds of coal, and 1.6 acres of U.S. forest.

Whether or not the environmental advantages of the seat registered with many

passengers at Frontier Airlines is difficult to gauge. What is easier to gauge and can be successfully evaluated by both the airline and its seat manufacturer, Acro Aircraft Seating, is whether passengers find the new experience aboard Frontier’s Airbus fleet to be more comfortable.

TWO CARRIERS TAKE THOMPSON VANTAGE BUSINESS CLASS SEAT Each of the 15 A330-300 aircraft in the carrier’s fleet will be fitted with 27 of the new seats by September 2016 Ninety percent of the lie flat business seats will offer direct aisle access. Business Class passengers will also be able to make use of increased working space, extra stowage space for personal items, a 16-inch Panasonic Avionics inflight entertainment (IFE) monitor, and a power outlet and USB port.

“The new seats and configuration have been designed to give a superb space for work, play or sleep. All of our A330 business class seats will now feature fully flat beds allowing our guests the ultimate in comfort and versatility,” said Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller.

The Ireland-based company added customers early this year in the form of RwandAir, the East African Airline. Thompson will supply its Vantage XL seat for the A330 fleet of RwandAir. The airline plans to expand its international destinations to Asia and Europe by late this year.

Thomspson Aero has had significant success with its Vantage Business Class seat

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 15

SEATING The seating is mentioned prominently in the airline’s announcements as future orders of the Airbus aircraft are made and delivered. Frontier spokesperson Jim Faulkner told an industry publication in May of last year that the airline feels the slim design of the seats is sophisticated and offers passengers the maximum amount of personal space, while cushioning offers them comfort in key areas. The seats are laid out on the aircraft in Standard and Stretch configurations, with the Stretch option offering up to half of a foot of additional legroom. The Standard seat was in a fixed-recline position.

Acro’s CEO Chris Brady, who insists that the company’s approach to cabin seating differs from larger players in the industry, welcomes such praise. Not only does seating need to be lightweight, and pass the rigorous testing requirements for safety, it also should be elegant.

“There is not enough furniture manufacturers out there,” he said of the aircraft seating industry. “They all make equipment and not furniture. Furniture is about people, and comfort and passengers, and you and me.”

Brady is a close follower of industrial and classic design. He has long claimed the ideas for the Acro line of seating originated in the designs of Americans Charles and Ray Eames’ mid-century DSR chair.

If seating is indeed to be thought of as furniture, Acro made a large number of chairs in 2015. The company hit peak productions of 3,500 seats per month during the summer of last year. It opened up its market to the United States, with customers in the aforementioned Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air and the 717 fleet of Hawaiian Airlines.

As the year closed out, other news occurred. The company became not only a retrofit provider but also a line-approved provider, shipping its first set of seats to Airbus where they were installed on a Spirit Airlines A320. In house, Acro moved into a new headquarters four times larger than its previous facility.

It also was took on a new investor and was able to receive from financial backing from a UK investor in high growth businesses—the Business Growth Fund —which will allow Acro Aircraft Seating to make future moves.

And the company is moving ahead with product development. At this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Acro will be bringing its Series 6 and Series 7 seats to the trade floor.

The Series 6 will be Acro’s latest contribution to single-aisle Economy Class.

Brady said the new version will offer passengers the additional legroom space of the company’s current model, and come in weighing approximately 15% less. First deliveries of the Series 6 are planned for January 2017. Acro is now making the

seat part of its tender process with several potential customers.

Also planned for showing at Hamburg will be the Acro Series 7, which is the new Premium Economy Class offering. Later in the year, the company will be adding a Series 8 seat to the lineup, which is designed for long-haul Economy Class.

GEVEN INTRODUCES ITS FIRST PREMIUM ECONOMY SEAT Italian aircraft interiors specialist Geven late last year introduced a new Premium Economy Class seat to its range called Comoda AQ. Comoda AQ, the Premium Economy long range version of its older sister model Comoda B/C for single-aisle aircraft, will be a real upgrade over economy, the company said. The new seat made its debut at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas in Seattle in November 2015.

Comoda AQ can be installed on long-range aircraft family in seven-abreast or eightabreast configuration, offering a generous 19.5 inch seat width for maximum passenger comfort while keeping a wide aisle well above the minimum dimensions required by certification requirements.

IFE installation can vary from simple audio-only to full IFE with AVOD systems. The backrest offers the necessary room for installing a monitor with up to 13-inch dimensions, while the first row can be fitted with in-arm video (maximum 12-inches).

In-seat power can be offered on the seat with both USB and 115V AC outlets installed on the central console.

For passenger comfort, the recline can vary from a basic 6-inches up to 9-inches, depending on seat pitch in order to keep an acceptable egress space. A four-way (or optionally six-way) headrest can be fitted on each backrest, with rotating ears and 3-inch strike.

The in-arm table has a dimension of 19-inches by 9.5-inches in a single leaf configuration, enabling the amenity pockets on the central console sides to be maintained. The meal table also has a swiveling movement to ease the egress of the passengers.

The colors of plastics and armrests or cushions can be customized among a wide variety of off-the-shelf choices.

At last year’s AIX Americas show held in Seattle, Geven also displayed the Essenza, its latest and lightest new Economy Class seat featuring an innovative design and new materials, together with the Piuma Sofà, which allows quick conversion of a long haul Economy seat into a full bed experience, making sleep possible in Economy Class.

16 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Geven took the Comoda AQ for Premium Economy Class to last year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas

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EVENT COVERAGE

Winners from seven categories gathered for a group picture at this year’s Mercurys

The Mercurys

march on

L

eaders in on-board catering from around the world were honored at the 34th annual Mercurys held on December 7th at the Shangri-La Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

SIAL Group now sponsors the yearly awards. A total of 118 attended the event, representing an even mix of airlines, caterers and suppliers.

The awards recognize a new and diverse range of categories including airline meals, general on-board food, beverages, packaging and equipment.

“The on-board catering industry has evolved massively in recent years and is now more than ever an integral part of the customer journey,” said event host Jeremy Clark. “With some 450 million passengers expected to arrive at GCC airports in 2020 and 750 million inflight meals served by regional airlines each year, this further underscores the importance of the industry.

“The Mercurys have been updated and modernized to represent the changes and demands within this highly competitive business, recognizing the innovation and advancements companies are making in this sector.”

Companies from far and wide claimed honors in December at a gala dinner in Abu Dhabi as The Mercurys continued under the sponsorship of SIAL Middle East

During day two of the exhibition, 41 food establishments were also awarded the highest food safety and hygiene accolade

by Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, in the presence of Her Excellency Mozah Al Muhairi, Executive Director ADFCA. The Mercurys capped off the opening day of 2015 edition of SIAL Middle East, which opened with a record number of visitors for the first day of the event.

Inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, the opening ceremony was attended by agriculture ministers from five countries and a number of ambassadors and other dignitaries.

Occupying six halls at the ADNEC venue, the food and beverage showcase continued with the SIAL World Summit and a focus on innovative waste reduction strategies for retailers and innovations in Halal food.

The judging for La Cuisine by SIAL, organized by the Emirates Culinary Guild of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the World Association of Chefs’ Societies, brought attendees to the final day of evaluation.

WINNERS OF THE DECEMBER 2015 MERCURYS WERE: Category: Airline Meal Company: Perth Inflight Catering Title of Entry: Australian Salmon and Smoked Trout Brick with Grilled Shark Bay Prawn and Green Pea Puree Category: Food – Ready-to-Eat Company: Balkis Gourmet Title of Entry: Gourmet Halal delicatessen Category: Food – Desserts and Confectionery Company: Lily O’Brien’s Title of Entry: Lily O’Brien’s Halal Certified Desserts Range Category: Beverage Company: airberlin Title of Entry: airberlin Flieger Cocktail – A Heritage Story Category: Equipment – Production Company: DHL Title of Entry: Delivering Innovation and advancing the Green Agenda in Airline Catering

More than 100 people took part in the gala dinner and awards ceremony

Category: Equipment – Passenger Company: Icebridge Title of Entry: Chilled Minibar Category: New Launch Company: Hainan Airlines Title of Entry: Art of Tea

18 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

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EVENT COVERAGE

RETAIL

IN THE ZONE

Lily O’Brien’s chocolates, a long-time supplier to the airline industry will be found in the Retail Zone at this year’s WTCE

Important demographics discussion and attractive products will be part of an area dedicated to onboard sales at this year’s WTCE Special to Pax International

R

etail brands are being encouraged to consider expanding their business horizons and look to the skies, with a greater focus on millennials, which today represent more than 50% of travelers.

The research, published by Counter Intelligence Retail calls for brands to improve their understanding of the behavior and shopping habits of the 20-35 age group, in order to create an engaging experience and drive onboard sales.

Feedback from senior visitors and airlines to the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE®) 2015 put the biggest onboard retail products of interest as alcoholic beverages, skin care products and toiletries, toys and games, as well as the technology used to purchase goods onboard. This is particularly important given the CiR research, which reveals a preference by millennials to engage with and use automated processes for retail transactions.

The Travel Retail Zone will be part of WTCE’s fifth anniversary exhibition on April 5-7 in Hamburg. Reflecting the huge growth this sector has experienced WTCE Event Manager Archana Sharma helped organize this year’s Travel Retail Zone

in recent years, the Travel Retail Zone allows buyers to meet with suppliers of sale-on-board items and discuss how they can boost their offering to appeal to the modern traveler.

Dedicated to onboard retail services and products including wines and spirits, cosmetics, perfumes and toys, the Travel Retail Zone is designed to enable buyers and suppliers to meet and discuss retail trends, latest product launches and how best to boost revenues.

In addition to the Travel Retail Zone, show visitors can also follow the Travel Retail Trail leading attendees to other exhibitors at the show with a travel retail offering.

More than 45 suppliers are currently confirmed to showcase products as part of the trail including Bottega Spa, producer and distributor of Italian premium quality beverages, who will showcase its Bottega Gold Prosecco Brut sparkling wine, Bottega Rose Gold sparkling wine and Vino dei Poeti Prosecco.

Visitors with a sweet tooth can also follow the Travel Retail Trail to see the latest offering from Lily O’Brien’s, a manufacturer of premium chocolate confectionary and award winning gourmet desserts or Montezuma Chocolates, producers of luxury innovative British chocolates including the Kingdom Chocolate and Great British Puddings truffle collections. gategroup, a leading independent global provider of products, services and solutions will showcase a wide range of products including cosmetics and perfumes, jewelry and watches as well as food and beverages.

Archana Sharma, WTCE Event Manager, says: “Onboard retail for airlines and rail operators is an increasingly lucrative business, providing a great source of rev-

20 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

enue as well as improving the customer experience onboard. WTCE provides the ideal place for suppliers to meet new customers and source new products that are a great fit for their brand and onboard offering. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Hamburg to discover the latest product innovations.”

As part of Passenger Experience Week 2016, WTCE is co-located with the Aircraft Interiors Expo the world’s largest event dedicated to sourcing the latest innovations, technologies and products for the cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and passenger comfort industries. Kicking off the week, will be the Passenger Experience Conference on Monday, April 4, the day before the exhibition opens, and will feature a dedicated session to onboard hospitality.

After an information-packed day at the conference, delegates can join exhibitors and visitors at the Industry Networking Party where an evening of entertainment and cocktails will allow them to network in a relaxed environment.

REED EXHIBITIONS REBRANDS DUBAI CATERING EVENT Reed Exhibitions has announced that it is rebranding its Dubai-based Travel Catering Expo to the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo Middle East.

The event, which takes place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) May 9-11, will become part of the WTCE portfolio of events. It will continue to be operated by Reed Exhibitions Middle East under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

The newly branded WTCE Middle East offers a dedicated platform for the travel catering industry in the Middle East, Africa and Indian Sub-Continent. It provides leading suppliers, caterers and experts with a dedicated platform to tap into the opportunities presented by its booming aviation catering business within these regions, thus ensuring the sector mirrors the growth and success of the region’s aviation industry.

Co-located with the 16th edition of the Airport Show and the 4th Global Airport Leaders’ Forum, the rebranded WTCE Middle East will feature a full range of products and services relevant to the airport and airline catering industry from food and beverage, travel amenities, and accessories to catering equipment and technologies.

TROLLEYS, GALLEYS AND INSERTS

Thinking smart Mary Jane Pittilla reports on the latest product developments in trolleys and galley systems, for airlines seeking more efficient and super-lightweight solutions

New materials and better use of space are part of the T-Galley from Zodiac Aerospace

M

anufacturers specializing in trolleys and galley systems are innovating in smart ways to attract airline customers keen to save weight onboard.

Zodiac Aerospace, which manufactures galleys both for the single- and twin-aisle market, has significantly innovated in both the trolley and galley systems sector.

The Zodiac Aerospace T-Galley is one of the group’s most recent products in the galley area, where it aims to combine the fulfilment of several industry requirements. This means the requirement for weight reduction (by introducing new materials, such as plastic fillers, new panels and profiles, to improve the design and performance), as well as for a more efficient use of the galley, combined with offering the airlines more space for seats, and most recently integrating first techniques with regard to what it calls “the connected galley.” The T-Galley has installed an inte-

grated lift to enable the storage of trolleys in the back part of the galley. In this way, combining two galleys in one allows for more seats to be installed without having an impact on the workflow efficiency.

The Zodiac Cool Trolley for onboard catering is another major innovation. Currently, the quality of onboard meal service depends heavily on a complex catering system utilizing outbound stations. In order to offer a high quality and consistent onboard meal service, return catering to home bases becomes an increasingly attractive choice for airlines.

The Cool Trolley enables airlines to keep meals chilled for the return leg of a flight, without the need to make adjustments to the galley. A smart thermodynamic design uses the maximum potential of dry ice, keeping the trolley’s contents cool up to 14 hours, between 0 and 8 degrees Celsius.

The Cool Trolley’s design is based on Zodiac Aerospace’s Hybrite S standard trol-

ley platform, maintaining its full loading capacity and ease of use. In addition, due to optimal insulation, the outer parts do not freeze, resulting in a very crew-friendly application of dry ice cooling.

Superior thermal insulation properties of the Cool Trolley allow for significant cooling improvements even with other cooling sources than dry ice. Zodiac Aerospace says it has the expertise and testing facilities to support airlines in finding the best fitting solutions for their catering service needs.

Among the key features, the Cool Trolley is fully insulated, has sealed doors and flaps, and no thermal bridges to the outside. There are no electrical systems and no batteries; no tray positions or content space lost; no additional inserts, or loose parts. The total weight is 20.5 kilograms.

In comparison, the standard Hybrite S full-size trolley with dry ice compartment weighs in at 17.0 kilograms.

Benefits of the Cool Trolley are manifold, according to the firm. The product opens up return catering possibilities for airlines; it serves as a cooling solution with a superior combination of performance and user-friendliness; it is an independent system and can be used anywhere, at any time; and is beneficial for food quality.

The stable temperature results in no partially frozen meals and no condensation.

The trolley will be available in the second quarter of this year.

ZodiacAirCatering Equipment is working on another development in the trolley sector. Called the Smart Lock, this concept employs touch-key technology to gain access to trolleys and containers to automatically capture insightful user data. In the event that the integrity of a trolley is compromised, operators can identify exactly when and where this has Zodiac Aerospace took elements of its Hybrite S and added more cooling capacity for its Cool Trolley

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 21

TROLLEYS, GALLEYS AND INSERTS

“Light as a feather, strong as a rock” is the motto for Industrial Neotex line of trolleys

occurred, providing previously unobtainable information that provides complete transparency of operation. This technology prevents illicit access to carts and has already been used to protect thousands of duty free trolleys. The system will now exclusively be available for Zodiac Aerospace’s Hybrite trolleys and containers from second to third quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, at Industrial Neotex, the Spanish specialist has completed its trol-

ley family and is now offering full size, half size, full size waste and half size waste trolleys.

“We have been modifying the trolleys following some of the recommendations from airlines and catering companies,” Vice President Commercial Angel Hernanz Arbeloa tells PAX International.

The Madrid-based company’s latest Atlas meal trolley weights in at 15.3 kilograms for the full size and 9.9 kilograms

22 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

for the half size and is fully certified by ETSO/TSO, according to Hernanz Arbeloa. Although initial sales are slow due to the big investment that would be incurred in replacing their current products, a number of airlines are considering adopting it.

“We were [exhibiting] in SIAL Middle East [in December 2015] and there were a lot of people interested in it, so we will see if this year is the really good one for the trolley,” he adds.

The Atlas trolley — marketed on its booth as “Light as a Feather, Strong as a Rock” — was shortlisted for The Mercurys 2015 awards at the Abu Dhabi event.

Neotex cites a number of product advantages, such as: the light weight; it is 100% recyclable; it maintains the interior temperature for five hours more than standard aluminium trolleys; and is low maintenance. Additionally, its Neolitex® structure means that impacts do not produce permanent dents. A wide range of colors is available, and a luxury finish can be provided on customer request.

CABIN REFURBISHMENT

Reduce, reuse, refurbish by

MELISSA SILVA

When the time comes for a cabin retrofit, airlines are looking for unique, cost-effective methods for revamping their fleet’s interiors and suppliers are getting creative with solutions

C

abin maintenance is as important to the passenger as it is to the airline.

With airlines always looking for ways to upgrade their fleet interiors, but not necessarily keen on committing to significant spend, suppliers are serving up time-efficient and cost-effective solutions for improving the cabin and the passenger experience onboard.

Having recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary, Leki Aviation is composed of five major business segments, each of which caters to the full life cycle of an aircraft. The company’s services consist of CoMMS (Consolidated Material Management Solution), M&U Projects (modification and upgrade), Rotables, Interior and Asset Management.

With seven worldwide locations in Denmark, the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, China, the UAE and Russia, Leki Aviation has been able to expand its global reach while also maintaining a regional focus. The company offers several products under its M&U projects, which have been carefully selected in order to provide the end-user

with value-added benefits, which include operational savings, weight savings and an extended maintenance schedule.

One of Leki’s recent projects is a new cabin mood light system manufactured

by Cobalt Aerospace. “This is not a refurbishment per se, but an enhancement of the cabin,” explains Peter Kjeldsen, Executive Vice President of Leki Aviation.

“The incredible feature about the Cobalt Spectrum Mood light system is that we can allow operators of A320, A330 and A340 to complete an entire aicraft upgrade of their legacy fluorescent tube system to a full mood light LED system during an overnight stop.”

What’s more, explains Kjeldsen, is that not only will the operator be able to select the exact colors required from a palette of 16.8 million shades, but will also enjoy the sustantially increased life LED offers, along with significant weight savings and a built-in correction algorithm for color consistency over time.

As a result of the vast drop in fuel prices Leki Aviation is seeing an increase in the

24 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Leki Aviation’s latest project, the Cobalt Spectrum Mood light system, allows operators to complete an entire aircraft upgrade of their legacy fluorescent tube system to a full mood light LED system during an overnight stop

continued use of older fleet aircraft, since doing so has now become economically viable. “Because of this, we are seeing that operators are now looking to upgrade the cabins to still meet the customers’ expectations,” explains Kjeldsen. “Having a unique and upgraded cabin is a great way to differentiate oneself.”

This increased demand is good news for Leki Aviation, since its sister company, 25+Repair Centre, based in the U.K., specializes in completing rework and refurbishment of the entire cabin. “Our refurbishment services do not only cover the operators own interior,” explains Kjeldsen. “In addition, we also offer support with our own inventory, which is one of the largest in the world, consisting of, but not limited to, bulkheads, overhead bins, seats, galleys and lavatories.”

It’s all in the details

Of the many refurbishment services and cabin modifications Aviation Business Consultants (ABC International) provides, the most common and requested service is cabin layout modification. “This is because airlines change the LOPA configuration very often for a number of reasons,” explains Stefano Capuano, Project Manager – Business Development for ABC International.

CABIN REFURBISHMENT In addition to the design, development and installation of decorative crests — one of the company’s specialties and biggest successes, with new crests recently installed onboard LATAM Airlines Group and Etihad Airways’ A350s, and orders just placed from Air Canada, RwandAir and Alitalia — ABC International also offers cabin layout optimization study services. With the introduction of lightweight seating, Capuano has noticed that the main goal of cabin modification projects for narrow body aircraft is to reach the full economy configuration, thus maximizing the number of seats and passengers.

Class dividers are another cabin component that if refurbished, can make a world of difference. ABC International is currently working with a U.K.-based POA (Part21G) manufacturing organization that specializes in cabin interiors, including class dividers. “Last year we developed a Fixed Class Divider for 767-300s and now we are certifying new ones for A320s,” says Capuano. “Class dividers can be quite easily customized in terms of colors and literature pockets.”

Taking a different approach to cabin refurbishment, Alaska Airlines recently approached Portland-based retailer Looptworks to find a solution for its leather seat covers, which were being removed as part of a regular scheduled cabin retrofit. “We had some practice with this type of project from our previous partnership with Southwest Airlines, and had learned a lot

ABC International’s Fixed Class Dividers for the 767-300ER

from that program,” explains Looptworks’ Nick Mastors.

The seats arrive to Looptworks having just been taken off the plane. Workers sort through every seat cover and separate the useable leather from the unusable leather.

The seats are then dismantled and cleaned with an industrial washing machine before being cut and then used to make a collection of bags of various sizes and functions, as well as laptop sleeves and wallets, which Looptworks has deemed the “Carry-On Collection.” For this part of the process — sorting, cleaning, and dismantling — Looptworks partnered with a non-profit, Portland-based organization that employs adults with disabilities. “They’re really nice people and a joy to work with,” says Mastors.

Alaska Airlines’ fleet is on a rotation for

regularly scheduled retrofits, so Mastors says more leather will be coming off the aircraft and into the Looptworks facility as the program moves forward.

In addition to the new partnership with Looptworks to upcycle its seat leather, Alaska Airlines has partnered with Mariclaro, a Canadian company that makes bags and accessories from sustainable materials, to upcycle seat leather from its 737-800s and -900s. The seat leather was used to make carry-on bags as well as purses and laptop bags, some featuring airplane seat belt buckle closures.

The bags are available for purchase through the Mariclaro website, and Alaska Airlines began selling some of the bags, purses and passport covers at the Alaska Airlines Company Store.

The Carry-On Collection by Looptworks, featuring seat leather from Alaska Airlines

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 25

COMPANY PROFILE: HEICO

High tech, by

MARY JANE PITTILLA

high impact

Products from HEICO-owned Radiant Power Corp.

HEICO Aerospace Corporation aims to save its customers millions of dollars each year using the group’s parts and repairs, and offers a range of products for passenger comfort

H

EICO Aerospace Corporation is a successful and growing technology-driven aerospace, industrial, defense and electronics group, having been ranked as one of the 100 World’s Most Innovative Growth Companies, 100 Best Small Companies and 200 Hot Shot Stocks

by Forbes over the past decade.

Florida-based HEICO seeks to provide its customers with innovative and cost-saving products and services that are found on large commercial, regional, business and military aircraft. According to its website, since 2002, its customers have saved over US$1.9 billion by using HEICO parts and repairs, and the company projects to save airlines an additional US$1.3 billion over the next three to five years. It notes that its strategic partners each save an average of US$25 million annually by using HEICO parts and repairs, and more than 50 customers save over US$1 million annually.

In the MRO field, the company has three main divisions: HEICO Parts Group, HEICO Repair Group and HEICO Distribution Group.

HEICO Parts Group is the largest independent supplier of FAA-PMA approved engine and component parts for virtually every engine platform and ATA chapter, holding over 10,000 FAA approvals, and producing more than 500 new, highly engineered parts each year. HEICO Parts Group consists of 10 operating units that design, manufacture and repair FAAapproved aircraft and engine replacement parts. The units utilize a proprietary method, developed over the past 55 years, to deliver customers high quality parts at the lowest possible costs, aiming to create true leverage for HEICO’s customers.

HEICO Repair Group supplies flightcritical repair and overhaul services for

aircraft accessory components, such as electro-mechanical, electronic, avionic and structural aircraft sections, and is one of the largest independent component MRO and asset management services providers in the world. HEICO Repair Group is recognized globally as a premier provider of component MRO services to the commercial and military aviation businesses.

HEICO Distribution Group, through its Seal Dynamics and Blue Aerospace subsidiaries, provides FAA and EASA-approved component parts, and distributes OEM replacement parts for both commercial and military applications. HEICO Distribution Group supports the global airline, MRO and defense industries through an extensive sales and engineering network.

It also provides on-site support, custom designed and customer specific order fulfilment programs along with long-term agreements. A team from Seal Dynamics – a global company with its own global distribution – will be present on the HEICO stand (#515) at MRO Middle East show in Dubai in February 2016.

Also in the MRO sphere, HEICOowned Radiant Power Corp designs and manufactures emergency power supplies, back-up batteries, power distribution equipment and a full suite of passenger comfort/cabin control products for aircraft applications, utilizing innovative TSOapproved solutions.

Located in Sarasota, Florida, the company provides a wide array of lighting controls for cabin and instrumentation panels. Radiant Power controllers operate both solid state and incandescent lighting technologies and are installed on commercial and business aircraft.

Radiant operates an FAA-certified repair station in Sarasota and, through

26 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

its distribution partner, maintains inventory stocking locations all over the world, providing 24/7 service and support for aerospace customers around the world.

Radiant’s engineering department includes design engineers experienced in sophisticated commercial aviation, military aviation and space power delivery and control products.

Radiant Power Corp is AS9100 certified and offers an array of products and services: the emergency power and battery back-up products include emergency lighting, emergency fuel shutoff and emergency egress, while power distribution management services span remote activation, electronic AC/DC circuit breakers, programmable power distribution, and load management and control. Other areas of activity comprise IFE system power, lighting control and custom electronic solutions in the flight deck, passenger cabin and ground support.

Meanwhile, passenger comfort offerings include lumbar control systems, variable configurations that are lightweight, and power inflate and deflate. The company’s seat actuation control is described by the firm as lightweight and three-channel, with versatile configurations, while the passenger interface features wireless capacitive touch that is designed to be programmable and highly customized.

HEICO’s Executive Team includes: Laurans A. Mendelson, who has served as its Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since 1990; Eric A. Mendelson, Co-President of HEICO Corporation, who has served in various capacities with the company since 1990; and Victor H. Mendelson, who has served as Co-President since 2009.

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MRO UPDATE

Steady

climb Impressive facilities, forward-looking airlines and commitments are shaping the MRO landscape in the Middle East, but questions of its future remain by

MELISSA SILVA

W

hen it comes to aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul, the Middle East region is one area to watch. According to aviation and aerospace consulting firm ICF International (formerly ICF SH&E), the Middle East is one of the fastest growing maintenance regions in the world. Last year, in its MRO Market Forecast — which was presented at the Aircraft Middle East (AIME)/MRO Middle East 2015 exhibition in Dubai — ICF listed the air transport global MRO demand at US$62.1 billion, with the Middle East accounting for US$4.6 billion, which is approximately 7% of the global demand.

ICF’s forecast also noted that at the time, the Middle East MRO market is expected to grow from US$4.6 billion to approximately US$8.8 billion by 2024, at 6.7% per annum in constant dollars. Such demand for MRO, according to last year’s forecast, is driven primarily by the high rate of twin-aisle fleet growth over the last decade. What’s more, ICF’s findings indicated that over the next decade, the Middle East was positioned to drive US$4.2 billion in absolute MRO spend growth; that four airlines account for nearly two-thirds (approximately US$3 billion) of Middle East MRO; and that approximately 76% of the Heavy Airframe MRO generated by Middle East is done in the region; of this approximately 81% is maintained in-house

by Middle East operators.

As plentiful and complete as ICF’s findings are, the forecast produced just as many questions. Some of the more significant queries include: with a large proportion of Middle East MRO being generated by

“Maintenance suppliers are flocking to the Middle East region to seek opportunities with airlines. Essentially, these suppliers are looking for partnerships and to be closer to the source of strong maintenance demand.”

- Richard Brown, Principal at ICF International a few large carriers with in-house capabilities and strong OEM relationships, what does this mean for independent MROs? How can operators in the Middle East best encourage OEMs to establish a greater presence in the region? Will the Middle East become the MRO epicenter for the wider region that brings in Africa, for example? Finally, how will competitive MRO costs and a stable supply chain be maintained with the rapid fleet growth at particular airlines?

Today, a year later, it is safe to say the same questions remain, as there have not been any substantial changes, according to ICF. “The market remains in growth mode,” says Richard Brown, Principal at ICF International. What many are hoping will change for the region’s benefit, is to see more MRO work stay in the region, as opposed to being sent elsewhere.

“Much of the maintenance is done in the Middle East in big hangars, some of which are fantastic facilities,” explains Brown. “But the engines are removed and get shipped off outside the region, yet even this is starting to change as in-region engine capability grows. However, many components do still travel outside of the region to facilities in Asia or Europe.”

The reason for this, continues Brown, is that the four main airlines that account for nearly two-thirds (approximately US$3 billion as of 2015) of Middle East MRO — Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Saudia Airlines — are all

28 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

fairly new in terms of the high volume of maintenance spend they are generating.

The aircraft that have been delivered to these main airlines are starting to generate maintenance and the suppliers — the maintenance and manufacturing companies — are continuing to evaluate their footprint and their facility footprint in the Middle East. The long-term objective explains Brown, is for increased capability in the region, but that could take some time.

“The region is still not big enough in terms of a dollar amount when you look at the spend,” adds Brown. “It’s only starting to get big enough to justify the investment in large facilities in the Middle East for high value work, like engine test facilities which cost multi-million dollars,” he continues. Brown outlines two main issues: firstly, how long it will take for in-region capability to occur and secondly, the region having access to the right qualified engineers and staff.

“The ongoing challenge is the ability to find the right talent within the maintenance market in the Middle East,” explains Brown. “The chance of getting locals to work is very low. Major airlines often rely on expat labor, mostly workers from the Asia and for leadership, they employ expats from areas such as Europe and the U.S. to run the facilities. So they are relying on expat labor which is very transitory and poses the challenge of filling their facilities.”

MRO UPDATE

The in-service fleet is expected to grow from less than 1,800 aircraft in 2016, to just under 3,000 aircraft by 2025. Widebody aircraft will expand to a 58% share in 2025. MRO demand is expected to grow at a substantial 7.0% annual rate, pushing requirements from US$5.1 billion in 2016 to nearly US$9.4 billion in 2025.

Source: Penton’s Aviation Week Network 2016 Commercial Aviation Fleet & MRO Forecast.

For more information, please see http:// aviationweek.com/2016forecast-commercial

Leading the growth areas will be modifications work, with a 10.5% annual growth rate, followed by components and by engine maintenance. By 2025, overall MRO demand will push to nearly US$9.4 billion in requirements

Source: Penton’s Aviation Week Network 2016 Commercial Aviation Fleet & MRO Forecast. For more information, please see http://aviationweek. com/2016forecast-commercial

Signs of improvement

On the plus side, Brown says there have been some not so challenging observations, and the hope is such observations continue to be made moving forward.

For one, the continuation of the delivery of aircraft into the Middle East is evident, even if maintenance on such aircraft is largely driven by four large carries, each of them with varying degrees of ambitions to build up in-house indigenous capability.

What’s more, maintenance suppliers — whether manufacturers or independent third parties — are signing partnerships and evaluating opportunities in the region to establish a local presence or grow existing capabilities. As the fleet continues to increase, the maintenance spend will grow.

“These aircraft are coming out of warranty so there is an increase in demand for engine overhaul and component maintenance,” adds Brown. “Essentially, these suppliers are looking for partnerships and to be closer to the source of strong maintenance demand.”

But the fact of the matter is, over the

next 10 years, both the demand for MRO services and the in-service fleets of the Middle East region are said to grow dramatically driven by increasing passenger demand in the international market.

Aviation Week’s Fleet and MRO Forecasts, which made this finding, also states that IATA reported in December that yearover-year revenue passenger kilometers was up the highest of any region at 11.9%.

“Despite downward pressures from oil prices affecting incomes in the region and comparably low airline load factors, the region shows some of the highest fleet and MRO growth in the world,” says Brian R. Kough, Director, and Forecasts & Aerospace Insights for Penton Aviation Week Network. “The in-service fleet is expected to grow from less than 1,800 aircraft in 2016, to just under 3,000 aircraft by 2025,” he elaborates.

As illustrated by Aviation Week’s Fleet and MRO Forecasts, wide-body aircraft, already holding a higher share than most of the rest of the world’s fleet, will expand to a 58% share in 2025. MRO demand

is expected to grow at a whopping 7.0% annual rate, pushing requirements from nearly US$5.1 billion in 2016 to nearly US$9.4 billion in 2025.

In addition to increasing passenger demand, the need for more engine servicing, line maintenance and components work will see the MRO demand for the Middle East grow impressively during the next decade. “Ranking 4th by world regions over the next decade, the high concentration of wide-body aircraft means the tab for services will be much higher on a per aircraft basis,” explains Kough. “Leading the growth areas will be modifications work, with a 10.5% annual growth rate, followed by components and by engine maintenance. By 2025, overall MRO demand will push to nearly US$9.4 billion in requirements.”

So perhaps the region is on a bit of an upswing after all. Provided the aircraft continue to arrive, and partnerships continue to be made, the Middle East MRO landscape will continue to be an area to watch for quite some time. www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 29

REGIONAL REPORT

Destination Dubai The host city of this year’s Aircraft Interiors Middle East and MRO has set ambitious visitor goals and is on track to open a new airport terminal, with one of the big tests coming in early February

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing is looking to promote the city within the GCC and wider MENA region

T

o meet Dubai’s tourism vision is to attract 20 million visitors by 2020, according to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), which launched a two-pronged marketing and communications strategy late last year.

The DTCM is internalizing the efforts of raising the profile of Dubai’s tourism offerings inside the GCC. Previously the efforts were was outsourced through a close association with El Zayat Tourism & Hospitality Consultancy.

The DTCM strategy involves putting together an expert team, that will work closely with regional markets and other teams to employ enhanced marketing tools, launch initiatives and intensify direct sales efforts. The DTCM has employed TRACCS, the region’s largest independent public relations network with more than

200 employees across 13 markets in MENA as its communications consultancy in the GCC. TRACCS will consult with DTCM to develop marketing and communications support, and media services with the aim of raising the profile of Dubai Tourism’s offering in the GCC and the wider MENA region.

“The GCC is extremely important and strategic for Dubai to achieve these goals with steady growth in visitor numbers witnessed over the years. It is one of the biggest feeder markets for the city’s travel, tourism and hospitality sectors with 2.8 million visitors during the first ten months of 2015, which represents approximately 25% of the total number of visitors to Dubai,” said Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim, CEO – Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM).

DXB’s Concourse D gets put to passenger test in February The countdown to the opening of Dubai International’s AED1.9 billion (US$517 million) Concourse D has begun as operator Dubai Airports has invited members of the public to volunteer as ‘passengers’ and help test the operational readiness of the new facility on February 6.

The advanced trial follows a series of rigorous trials that were conducted over the past few months to test different components of the facility to ensure a smooth start up and optimal service levels for passengers and more than 70 airlines that will use the facility.

The trial is designed to test the systems and processes across the facility, as well as staff preparedness by simulating typical airport operating scenarios. As part of trial some 2,500 volunteers — men, 30 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Kazim said Dubai’s overall offering is unparalleled in the region, which has immense appeal in itself. Dubai will be promoted as a family, leisure and business destination. TRACCS and the DTCM will work with local experts that understand the people and market dynamics as well as reinforce our presence and strategic offering to the GCC tourists going to Dubai.

DTCM’s 2020 mandate is inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, of welcoming more than 20 million visitors per year by 2020. The aim is also to make and promote Dubai as the world’s leading family tourism and MICE destination by the end of the decade.

women, children and senior citizens will play the role of passengers traveling to different destinations, arriving, departing, and transiting through the facility in order to test access, traffic flow, way-finding signage, and other scenarios specific to the airport’s many strategic partners, such as police, immigration and customs, as well as food and beverage and retail concessionaires. The operational trials are designed to simulate a ‘live’ environment and help Dubai Airports test facilities, processes and staff capability ultimately paving the way to a successful opening and smooth entry into operations.

“As the final element of the US$7.8 billion Strategic Plan 2020 that we had announced in 2011, Concourse D is a crucial and timely addition to Dubai International as it will increase the airport’s capacity to 90 million passengers,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

“Our approach with launching new facilities has always been

REGIONAL REPORT

Artist’s rendering of DXB US$517 million Concourse D

to test, test and test again until we are confident our passengers and airlines will receive the highest service levels upon opening.

Residents of Dubai and the UAE have an opportunity to help us achieve this goal while being part of Dubai’s aviation history. If our past experiences with operational trials are anything to go by, we expect an overwhelming response from the members of the public,” Griffiths added.

Officials say the emphasis in Concourse D is to create a more efficient and intuitive customer experience with short walks to connect passengers with their aircraft. The facility will feature open gates allowing travelers to board directly from the waiting area, giving them more freedom and time to enjoy food and beverage outlets—including a casual dining concept offering dishes from celebrity chef Wolf-

gang Puck, the first Pret a Manger in a Middle East airport, as well as the region’s first Camden Food Company outlet and CNN News Cafe among others.

The new concourse will also offer plenty of comfortable seating spaces as well as the ever-popular SnoozeCubes, which provide a convenient way to rest between flights. Concourse D will feature a total of nine lounges spread over 6,926 square meters, including five airline lounges, a new Al Majlis lounge, two Dubai International Hotel lounges and a Marhaba VIP lounge. The retail area will be spread over 8,400 square meters.

The concourse will feature 21 contact stands, of which four will be able to accommodate A380 or 747 aircraft, and 11 remote stands.

DXB passenger traffic tops 6 million in November Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport registered a year-onyear increase of 8.1% in November 2015. The airport welcomed a total of 6,013,911 passengers during the month under review, up 8% compared to 5,565,509 recorded in November 2014.

The year-to-date traffic in November totaled 70,961,598 passengers compared with 63,977,063 recorded during the period under review, a healthy increase of 10.9%.

In November, the Indian subcontinent recorded the largest increase in total passenger numbers (+160,647 passengers) spurred by growth in traffic and launch of new flights, including SpiceJet’s services to Kozhikode and Amritsar; followed by the GCC (+129,210), Western Europe (+65,198), and North America (+58,314). The strongest markets in terms of percentage growth were Eastern Europe (+29.7%), North America (+27.7%) driven mainly by Emirates’ expanding network to destinations in the U.S., and the GCC (16.9%) with Muscat, Doha and Jeddah topping the destinations with highest growth during the month.

“We are very pleased with the growth in passenger traffic at DXB in 2015 during which the airport registered an average monthly traffic of nearly 6.5 million customers,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “We are sure the seasonal peaks that we experienced in December will help round off the year with an impressive annual figure.”

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 31

EVENT COVERAGE

France flying high This will be the fifth year companies have been gathering under a single national banner at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Middle East and MRO event in Dubai, promoting French technology and innovation in aerospace

by RICK LUNDSTROM

M

ore than 250 companies will be exhibiting at this year’s Aircraft Interiors & MRO Middle East event in Dubai, and nearly 10% will be rallying under the trois couleurs banner as they look for opportunities, partnerships and business in much the same way as France has been doing for centuries.

This year, half of the companies in the French Pavilion are from the MidiPyrénées region around Toulouse. Through associations and partnerships, they have developed products and services that have contributed to make the French aerospace industry a leading global player. They are also aided by support of Madeeli, a regional development agency, and Aerospace Valley a local competitiveness “cluster” of companies in southwest France.

“This comes as a result of its continued efforts in the areas of research and innovation,” said a release from Business France.

“Particularly active in the export market, the industry has succeeded in distinguishing itself from its foreign competitors by offering every more innovative products fulfilling customer expectations.”

Some are in their first year at the French Pavilion, while others have returned over and over during the five-year period that Business France has organized the section. Through their experience they have learned some of the unique challenges facing airlines in the Middle East. Some have set up branch offices in the region,

while others are testing the market for the first time.

“Dubai is very attractive because they have developed a Free Zone where companies can develop their activities without taxes,” said Samantha Douarin, Aeronautics and Space Project Coordinator of the Industry Department at Business France, formerly known as UBI France.

Among the companies that will take advantage of the opportunity and expanding operations in Dubai next year will be French tool company Franco Americaine Construction Outillage Mecanique (FACOM), founded in Paris in 1918.

FACOM is the largest hand tool company in Europe, and supplies well-known aviation customers such as Airbus, Air France, Dassault and Thales.

Over the years, FACOM has established an office in Middle East and Africa, with headquarters in Dubai.

When it was purchased in 2006 by Stanleyworks (which later merged with Black & Decker in March 2010) FACOM became part of a US$12 billion tool-making giant, StanleyBlack&Decker, and had inroads through its partners into operations in the Middle East.

FACOM exhibited at the French Pavilion for the first time last year, said Philippe Perret, Manager of Key Verticals Professional Hand Tools and Storage, who spoke with PAX International from the company’s offices in Dubai. Over the years, the tool-

32 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

FACOM will be showing its RFID equipped toolbox in Dubai for the first time this year

maker has focused on four key areas in the region: oil and gas industries, aerospace, military/government and automotive.

Other brands under the Stanley Black & Decker group are Proto hand tools, Dewalt power tools and Vidmar and Lista for heavy duty storage solutions.

In the fast-paced and round-the-clock operations that make up the aerospace MRO industry in the region, there is little room for error and every competitive airline knows its reputation rests on every flight. To help maintenance professionals with security, FACOM will this year be bringing for the first time to Dubai its new radio frequency identification (RFID)-equipped Detection Bag designed to transport maintenance tools securely around the shop. A number of features have been incorporated to avoid extensive searches for misplaced tools that could result in costly foreign object damage if they are left sitting or forgotten in critical areas of an aircraft.

The 50-piece tool bag is designed for 100% accurate inventory accounting.

Antennas and readers scan selected contents every time the bag is moved, opened or closed to verify that all equipment is present. If a tool is missing, the operator will be informed on the screen with description and audio alert.

EVENT COVERAGE

The fault detection system from WIN MS reduces wiring diagnostic time by hours

As part of the company he has worked for since 2003, then based in Dubai since 2012, Perret has the opportunity to travel throughout the region and see firsthand the growing MRO industry taking shape.

In Jeddah, Saudi Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) will be expanding its MRO capacity from seven to 12 hangars in the years to come. The company also recently received a contract from the Aviation Australia Riyadh College of Excellence, which is training maintenance professionals for the Royal Saudi Air Force.

He said the MRO show in Dubai has become an important resource to see a targeted group of professionals who visit the stands in Dubai to do business away from the distractions that are often part of larger venues. He said MRO attendants come to find solutions for their everyday life in the workshop.

“It is a good investment because you get some help from the French government to help develop brands in the Middle East,” Parret said.

Aircraft maintenance must be carried out quickly in the Middle East. With airports operating round the clock, airlines do not have the luxury of an environment that shuts down at midnight and opens early in the morning, allowing crews to work on aircraft during the evening. When problems occur within areas such as the wiring of an aircraft, the source must be isolated quickly.

Paris-based WiN MS has developed an electrical harness fault location device that it says reduces aircraft down time, saving

hours of troubleshooting. Plugging the system into the end of a cable can immediately spot the source of the problem.

“They need the aircraft to be in the air because that is where they make the money,” said Arnaud Peltier, CEO of WiN MS. The young technology start-up company has grown to a dozen employees and is keen to expand its operations from Paris to Asia and other parts of the world.

While yuppies speeding through airports around the world attempt to impress people with the latest tech incarnation called Google Glass, a French company makes modifications on just such products, but with a much more practical use.

Expert Teleportation makes modifications for “smart glasses” that help them balance evenly for wear and improved battery capability. The smart glasses can be used by maintenance professionals while their activities can be monitored from anywhere in the world.

The goal, said Frederic Pedro CEO of Expert Teleportation, is to give professionals as many pairs of eyes as necessary to help speed critical maintenance activities. Experts from any corner of the world can be called in to monitor aircraft maintenance. The company has modified the software for the glasses, so aircraft can be viewed under extreme conditions and in areas of low bandwidth and low light. The glasses have also been manufactured for ease of operations, and can be activated with just the touch of a single button, eliminating the need for extensive technician training. In addition be being easy to use, the glasses double as industrial protection equipment.

Aircraft On The Ground (AOG) is an urgent and costly misfortune for an airline.

If an expert is needed to perform maintenance in far-flung locations, obtaining visas and travel time can run up the cost for an airline that cannot produce revenue with a downed aircraft. Pedro said the company is also looking into possibilities for the product to be designed for cockpit use by pilots.

French coatings and finishing company Mapaero has been exhibiting at the Pavilion for the past three years.

“It is good for us as we have close relationships with most of the French exhibitors,” said Pierre Boyat, at Mapaero. “So we can share some contacts, some feedback from the market, and I think it is a good catalyst for the business, especially for this kind of relatively small show.”

In the years to come, Boyat said the company would be putting more effort into the Middle East, where it currently has customers in Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, Oman Air and Etihad Engineering.

One of Mapaero’s most recent products is Di-Tex, a paint system designed to give areas a textured finish. The product has been enhanced for direct, conventional application, eliminating the need for texturing finished manually. The product has been used by Airbus for its A350 and several seat suppliers.

“The principle is to save time in production and to insure a perfect homogeneity between parts, that can differ sometimes from part to part with gloss, texture and size,” said Boyat. Through proper application of Di-Tex, finishes that required two layers of paint can be on with one.

A demonstration of the smart glass reading system from Expert Teleportation

www.pax-intl.com | PAX INTERNATIONAL | 33

COMPANY PROFILE: DIEHL Diehl’s cabin interiors services include cabin lining, cabin lighting, storage bins, crew rest compartments and monuments like lavatories and galleys among others

Ready for more F

amily-owned with five divisions, one of them being Aerosystems, Diehl has been active in the aerospace industry for many years, but has expanded significantly in the last eight.

Today, close to 5,000 employees generate an annual turnover of more than €1 billion (US$1.1 billion).

The product range of Diehl Aerosystems covers both aircraft systems and cabin interiors. Apart from avionics and cabin management systems, Diehl’s cabin interiors services include primarily cabin lining, cabin lighting, storage bins, crew rest compartments, monuments like lavatories and galleys, air ducting, fire detection and smoke suppression devices, as well as water and waste management systems.

Over the last few years, Diehl has experienced significant expansion. Initially, Diehl Aerospace supplied avionics and cabin lighting, but when the company added cabin interiors and further systems packages in 2008, the product line grew exponentially. Looking to expand even further and widen its portfolio, Diehl recently signed an agreement with Regent Aerospace to join forces for cabin retrofit and refurbishment purposes.

“Diehl Aerosystems already has a long track record as premium SFE supplier for the major OEMs in the world,” says a representative from Diehl Aerosystems.

The company feels that it can do more in

Looking to expand its product and service offering and increase its activity in the retrofit market, Diehl is securing partnerships and planning for the future by

MELISSA SILVA

the retrofit market and the new cooperation with Regent will help to expand the products and services on offer for cabin retrofit and refurbishment purposes.”

In the Cabin Lighting department, Diehl is the leading supplier for LED cabin lighting and has equipped both the A350 XWB and the 787 Dreamliner with Diehl’s cabin illumination lighting based on LED technology. “LED technology, compared to previous generation and conventional solutions, offers a number of advantages,” says the representative. “The most important advantage, also viable for passengers, is the possibility to generate many different lighting scenarios such as mood lighting, allowing airlines to create various lighting scenarios in their cabin.”

Beyond comfort, the representative says airlines are looking for what Diehl calls, “the standard set” of product advantages in the industry: weight reduction, low maintenance and lifecycle cost reductions, all of which Diehl offers with its LED lighting solutions.

Diehl also specializes in crew rest compartments and offers both aircraft manufacturers and airlines solutions that optimize the use of space onboard. “Crew rests might not be revenue space, but the comfort factor — in this case for crew, not passengers — is key,” says the representative. “This includes noise reduction measures, so users not only rest comfort-

34 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

ably, but also get decent rest without being disturbed by noise.”

In the MRO field, Diehl operates a comprehensive Customer Support (CS) organization with Customer Support Centers (CSCs) in Sterrett, Alabama serving the Americas; in Toulouse, France serving the EUMEA region; and a facility in Singapore for the APAC region. “These outlets, plus the CS organization in our home sites, ensure full support for all Diehl Aerosystems products in the form of — for example — spare parts provisioning, technical documentation and also repairs if needed,” explains the representative.

Diehl Aerosystems will be exhibiting for the first time at this year’s AIX Middle East (AIME)/MRO Expo in Dubai, where the company will have a cabin lighting exhibit on display at its booth (booth 539).

“While Diehl has had a presence in many industry shows and events such as Dubai Airshow and Singapore Airshow in the past and will continue to do so in the future, the increased profile at events like AIME reflects the importance of the cabin retrofit market segment,” says the representative.

Following the AIX Middle East (AIME)/ MRO Expo in Dubai, Diehl will be exhibiting at the Singapore Airshow later this month, at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg in April, and at the ILA Berlin Air Show in June.

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WHAT’S HOT!

WHAT’S

HOT!

Easy Open Airsickness Bag

Company Name: Global Inflight Products (GIP) Company Location: Redmond, Washington Description: Global Inflight Products’ newly developed Easy Open Airsickness Bag easily allows fingers to stay on the outside, protecting passengers and flight attendants from contamination. Quick and easy to use, leak-proof (great to use for heating baby bottles) and available with a square or pinched bottom, the Easy Open Airsickness Bag can be easily customized with a logo.

Half-size lightweight trolley

Company Name: Industrial Neotex Company Location: Madrid, Spain Description: Industrial Neotext’s new concept halfsize lightweight trolley is made from foam and plastics and is 100% recyclable. Designed to keep food temperature higher for longer — five hours longer than traditional aluminum trolleys — the new half-size lightweight trolley features a new brake concept on the top of the trolley and is full family certified under ETSO/TSO. Visit Industrial Neotext at AIME/MRO, booth #957

Bi-Fold tray

Company Name: Astronics Corporation Company Location: Kirkland, WA Description: Astronics SmartTray® is a multi-purpose aircraft tray table feature for seatback mounted Economy or Premium Class in-arm applications that facilitate handsfree use of airline- provided or passenger-owned portable electronic devices (PEDs) inflight when the tray tables are in deployed service position. PEDs are held in a unique and innovative expandable position mechanism (a PED holder) that expands and retracts automatically to accommodate the thickness of the most popular Smartphones and PEDs.

36 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

Seat Back NFC Payment terminal

Company Name: IFPL Company Location: Newport, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom Description: Leading IFEC supplier IFPL has developed a certified PCI-compliant NFC payment terminal for seat back IFE systems. This NFC payment terminal enables airlines to simplify transactions through NFC payment solutions including Apple Pay. Data can also be transferred between the passenger PED and IFE system, allowing airlines to personalize passengers’ experience based on individual profile and history. IFPL are recognized NFC payment experts and are able to adapt this technology to meet airline’s and OEM’s specific requirements.

WHAT’S HOT!

Welcome Panel for LATAM Airlines Group

Company Name: Aviation Business Consultants International (ABC International) Company Location: Napoli, Italy Description: ABC International introduces the new Welcome Panel for LATAM Airlines Group installed onboard its A350 XWB. The panel is made of aeronautical aluminum finished in chrome, gold platinum and black anodized finishes.

The Welcome Panel is installed on the partition at the entrance of the aircraft to welcome passengers on board.

Gogo® TV

Company Name: Gogo Company Location: Chicago, Illinois Description: Gogo® TV enables airlines to broadcast sports, breaking news and other live content to screens within the aircraft, including passengers’ Wi-Fi-enabled personal electronic devices (PEDs) and embedded IFE systems, via IPTV technology.

Gogo® TV allows for global, regional and custom channel line-ups. Airlines can choose their preferred channels and further tailor offerings based on region or destination, making customers feel at home, wherever they travel. Gogo® TV leverages our proprietary 2Ku technology, which offers the most cost-effective data transmission on the market.

COMODA AQ seat

Company Name: Geven Company Location: Napoli, Italy Description: Designed for installation on long-range A/C families in compliance with all required and necessary requirements, the COMODA AQ seat by Geven was conceived with the aim of finding harmony between the need for comfort and appeal of the Premium Economy Class seat and the space restrictions of the different long-range cabins. The COMODA AQ is also designed to make installation easy and flexible within the various possible cabin arrangements, requiring only a small number of changes. The COMODA AQ seat features the maximum optimization for available space without sacrificing the visual experience or functionality.

Tailor-made seat cushions and covers

Company Name: Anjou Aeronautique Company Location: Paris, France/Sibiu, Romania Description: Anjou Aeronautique is proud to present its made-to-measure seat cushions and seat covers, featuring a crafted design that lends a new look to the cabin interior while generating cost savings for the airline. Made from last-generation light foams with different densities, Anjou Aeronautique’s seat cushions are tailor made to fit various types of seat structures. Anjou Aeronautique also uses last generation foams for the lamination of seat covers for increased comfort. Lamination foams with specifically selected densities of 40 to 65 kilograms/cubic meters are used depending on the seat type and seat cushion, aiming to ensure comfort as well as respect the airline’s weight reduction principle.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Passengers seek comfort first from carriers, says APEX study

Airline passengers value cabin comfort above all other services, according to a recent study released by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

APEX recently unveiled data from a survey of airline passengers from around the world, gauging their feelings on cabin comfort, passenger connectivity, entertainment and other factors. The Association collaborated on the survey with APEX member LRA by Deloitte, a global provider of brand protection and customer experience measurement services.

For most global passengers, cabin comfort is top of mind. With 70% of respondents naming it as the single most important aspect of a satisfying flight, beating out entertainment, service and food and beverage combined.

“This survey reinforces the fact that passenger experience investments go a long way in providing a return to our airlines,” said APEX CEO, Joe Leader, in the January release of the study. “Airlines have made it clear that they prioritize a more enjoyable and memorable flight for all passengers.

I have no doubt that this data will give them unique insight.”

TFWA tracks airport shopping for spirits Value for money remains a critical driver in the drinks sector and is key to increasing footfall, conversion and spend according to the latest research from Tax Free World Association (TFWA). The study, which was conducted by travel retail research specialist Counter Intelligence Retail, revealed that more than half of passengers (53%) believe that there is a price advantage to shopping at the airport. This is higher than any other travel retail category. Half of those taking part in the study say they would be encouraged to purchase in the future if prices were cheaper, while a substantial 38% check prices before they go to the airport.

After price, however, a wide range of products was the next most compelling reason to buy, with one in four of those surveyed stating that they would be tempted to buy in the future if a broader selection was available.

Travel retail exclusives are also important to alcohol shoppers, and just under two

One-third of passengers used the Internet or social networking during their last flight. Passengers become more sociable as class of service increases; three-quarters of First Class passengers spent time talking to other passengers during flight, compared with just more than one-half of Economy fliers.

Thirty-five percent of passengers were “very satisfied” with their last flight.

Extra leg room is the most desired cabin amenity, followed by more comfortable

seats and more distance between passengers; six in 10 fliers say they would pay for extra leg room, with one-third willing to pay US$10 or more.

More than half (55%) of passengers have downloaded an airline’s mobile app, using it primarily to check flight status, check rates, make reservations and check in for a flight.

In-seat entertainment remains the top preference for entertainment, compared with overhead or personal devices.

Seventy percent of passengers in the APEX survey value comfort ahead of all other amenities combined.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PRIESTMANGOODE

thirds (61%) said that good value is the most important attraction, while just under half (49%) like being able to buy products that aren’t available elsewhere.

Sixty-two percent purchase beverages for themselves, and on average buyers spend more on alcohol when buying for themselves than when buying a gift. Just one in five consider alcohol suitable for gifting.

Product sampling and ‘gift with purchase’ are the most appealing promotional initiatives, chosen by over half (52%). However when it comes to marketing activity that fails to hit the mark, lack of anything that catches the eye is the main barrier to purchase cited by just under a third (32%), while the absence of attractive promotions is a barrier to purchase for one in five.

Planned spending on alcohol in duty free and travel retail shops is significantly higher than among buyers in all other categories combined. While half of buyers in all categories plan their purchase, this figure rises to two thirds among alcohol buyers. Similarly, while two in five shoppers across all categories know what brand they

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will choose, three in four alcohol shoppers know the name they will opt for.

“Price is still clearly an important motivator to purchase alcohol at the airport, and retailers need to do all they can to ensure that the value proposition is fully understood by passengers,” said TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen. “However, driving sales in this sector will be about more than cost cutting. There is clearly substantial opportunity to encourage customers with initiatives such as engaging gift with purchase promotions as well as capitalizing on the appeal of the travel retail exclusive. Developing gifting also represents an untapped opportunity, and there is room for growth here too.”

The TFWA Alcohol Duty Free and Travel Retail Category Report was compiled by Counter Intelligence Retail. It was based on approximately 1,000 shopper interviews conducted at four key airports across the globe. A minimum of 50% of the sample were duty free buyers. Each interview lasted approximately 15 minutes.

THE DESTINATION FOR THE AIRCRAFT INTERIORS INDUSTRY. Aircraft Interiors Expo 2016 5-7 April 2016, Hamburg Messe, Germany The global market leader for the world’s aircraft interiors industry. Aircraft Interiors Expo is the launch pad for cabin programmes showcasing tomorrow’s designs, in-flight entertainment, connectivity and passenger services.

Register online for your FREE place today www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com Organised by:

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