APEX Experience 6.3 June/July

airline passenger

volume 6, edition 3 | june - july 2016

Hot Ticket Get on board with a new wave of entertainment featuring breakthrough stars from Nollywood, YouTube and the startup world. official publication of the airline passenger experience association

SPINE COLOUR - NO IMAGE OR TEXT PAST THIS POINT

How do I ensure that my passengers enjoy a truly memorable experience?

airbus.com Š AIRBUS, 2016. All rights reserved. Airbus, its logo and the product names are registered trademarks.

Ask for Airspace by Airbus.

Airspace creates a whole new sensation with the most comfortable, welcoming cabin interiors.

Airbus is the answer.

To find out more, visit us at Stand 424

serenity S1

headphones Astonishing high definition sound performance in three exciting formats

SERENITY S1D

SERENITY S1C

SERENITY S1H

ARINC type D1/2 NC jack enabled

ARINC type C1/2 aircraft powered

Panasonic HD Audio™ compatible

• Authentic sound reproduction - clear, faithful, well balanced • Compatible with all NC jacks • Superior noise cancelling than other ARINC type D1/2 models

• Reference grade audio - uncompromising, high fidelity • Powerful hybrid noise cancelling • Open-ear talkthrough with touch and cable controls

• High definition audio - digitally mastered with 3D immersion • Powerful hybrid noise cancelling • VoIP-enabled with adaptive sidetone • Open-ear talkthrough with touch, cable and on screen controls

Serenity S1 headphones expertly balance beautiful product aesthetics with a durable mechanical design. All this, while providing astonishing HD-PA®-compliant sound performance, superior comfort and a suite of innovative features, including Open-ear™ touch.

WWW.SERENITYHEADPHONES.AERO Developed by Soundchip SA, Serenity S1 headphones are manufactured under license by Long Prosper Enterprise, Co. Ltd. Soundchip and HDPA are registered trademarks of Soundchip SA. All rights reserved. ©2016. For further information visit www.serenityheadphones.aero

GLOBAL AIRCONNECT Antenna System GEE's next gen antenna for its AIRCONNECT connectivity solution utilizes cutting edge design features including unparalleled 3-axis satellite pointing mechanism, proven mechanical micro-horn precision and unique oval shape for aerodynamics and reduced drag. The new antenna weighs only 90 lbs and will be available for installation June, 2016.

Revolutionary Design Unique 3-axis precision pointing mechanism making it the first to provide truly global coverage from a single antenna.

Future Proof Designed to form fit with existing antenna installations, retrofits in just four hours. Reverse compatible making upgrades easy. ARINC 791 compliant. Will be line-fit on 737/MAX/NG & 787.

Learn how GEE enhances your inflight experience at GEEmedia.com

Optimal Performance Mechanical micro-horn technology has superior electromagnetic characteristics that result in the highest levels of performance.

Bandwidth Instantaneous bandwidth across the full 2GHz Ku band provides both wide and spot beam capabilities to support additional services such as IPTV and Media Loading.

FINALLY WI-FI THAT

WOWS STOP APOLOGIZING ABOUT YOUR WI-FI AND START BRAGGING SmartSky’s beamforming technology and 4G data pipe provide more than 10 times the typical speed and capacity of the current industry standard air-to-ground network with 60 MHz of spectrum.

That means full-throttle access to the web for both passengers and crew. Get Wi-Fi that really flies.

Join the in-flight connectivity revolution.

Learn more about our 4G ATG network, SmartSky 4G.

800.660.9982 • info@smartskynetworks.com smartskynetworks.com

Ad Directory

apex experience

Advertisers’ Directory A Look At Media www.alookat.com See page 121 Airborne Interactive Ltd. www.airborne.aero See pages 47 and 107 Airbus www.airbus.com See pages 2 and 3 Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems www.astronics.com See pages 15 and 43 Astronics Armstrong Aerospace www.astronics.com See page 59 Axinom www.axinom.aero See page 102 BBC Global News Ltd. www.bbc.com See page 118 Betria Interactive LLC www.flightpath3d.com See page 71 Bluebox Avionics www.blueboxavionics.com See page 145 Carlisle Interconnect Technologies www.carlisleit.com See page 64 CMI Media Management www.cminyla.com See page 93 Deutsche Welle www.dw.de See page 47 digEcor www.digecor.com See page 57 Donica www.donica.cn See page 25

10

volume 6, edition 3

Emphasis Video Entertainment Ltd. www.emphasis-video.net See page 107

LSG Lufthansa Service Holding AG www.lsgskychefs.com See page 51

Entertainment In Motion www.skyfilms.com See page 143

Lufthansa Systems www.lhsystems.com See page 23

FTS Technologies www.fts-aero.com See page 26

Lumexis Co. www.lumexis.com See page 21

General Dynamics www.gd-ots.com See page 69

Panasonic Avionics Corporation www.panasonic.aero See outside back cover

Geven www.geven.com See page 41 Global Eagle Entertainment www.globaleagleent.com See pages 6 and 7 Gogo LLC www.gogoair.com See page 16 HBO www.hboinflight.com See page 139 Images In Motion www.iim.com.sg See inside back cover Inflight Peripherals Ltd. www.ifpl.com See page 28 and insert after page 82 InflightDirect www.inflightdirect.com See page 110 KID-Systeme GmbH www.kid-systeme.com See page 44 Linstol www.linstol.com See page 88 Long Prosper Enterprise www.longprosper.com See page 148

Paramount Pictures www.paramount.com See insert after page 34

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 6, edition 3 june – july 2016

Spafax www.spafax.com See pages 86 and 87 Stellar Entertainment www.stellargroup.com See page 60 Telefonix Inc. www.telefonixinc.com See pages 74 and 75 Turner Inflight Services www.turnerinflightservices.com See page 151 and select pages from 132-150 Video Technology Services Inc. www.videotechnologyservices.com See page 94

Pascall Electronics www.pascall.co.uk See page 79

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Non-Theatrical www.ebvnt.disney.com See reverse side on front cover

Penny Black Media www.pennyblackmedia.com See page 141

Warner Bros. www.warnerbros.com See page 135

Phitek Systems Ltd. www.phitek.com See pages 31 and 33

W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH www.gore.com See page 48

PPI Power www.ppipower.com See page 39

Zodiac Aerospace www.imsco-us.com See page 12

Rockwell Collins www.rockwellcollins.com See page 11 Skycast Solutions www.skycastsolutions.com See page 19 and bellyband SmartSky Networks LLC www.smartskynetworks.com See pages 8 and 9 Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation www.sonypicturesinflight.com See page 137 Soundchip www.soundchip.ch See pages 4 and 5

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Rethink passenger engagement.

It’s time for a whole new way of thinking about passenger engagement. At

Wireless and fixed IFEC systems

Rockwell Collins, we’re investing in a powerful portfolio of solutions to help

High-speed connectivity

you engage, entertain and empower passengers. Not just in the cabin, but all the way from home to hotel and back again. Because when you connect them

Scalable suite of applications

to their world, they connect with you.

Global enterprise solutions

rockwellcollins.com/cabinsolutions © 2016 Rockwell Collins. All rights reserved.

ZODIAC INFLIGHT INNOVATIONS ZODIAC CABIN Connected Cabin Division

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

Now Showing

Contents

volume 6, edition 3 june – july 2016

This issue, colored LEDs, YouTube and TV box sets entertain us en route to summer destinations. At the airport, beacons beckon and GPS ensures luggage doesn’t get lost. Opting for a staycation? Travel vicariously to Italy to taste United’s new and improved coffee, or to Frankfurt for a taste of what it’s like to be an airline caterer.

> FEATURES

> IN PROFILE

76

95

A Match Made in Nollywood

Narrative Devices: What Can IFE Learn From Sci-Fi?

Air France and Nigerian director Kunle Afolayan make a pan-African movie to inspire travel to the region and, in doing so, make in-flight movie premiere history.

Caroline Ku

Where did the idea for seatback screens and tablets come from?

Early prototypes can be traced back to science fiction dreams on the silver screen.

Katie Sehl

103

Delivering the Goods New Distribution Capabilities (NDCs) are about to take flight booking to higher levels for airlines and travel websites – and especially for passengers.

PHOTOS: AFP; KATIE SEHL; AIR CANADA ILLUSTRATIONS: RICARDO POLO; JORGE ROA

Howard Slutsken

54 Calin Rovinescu Chief Executive Officer, Air Canada

72 Fabienne Regitz Product Manager, In-Flight Entertainment, Lufthansa Airlines

84 David Lavorel Chief Executive Officer, SITAONAIR

100 Zina Neophytou Director, Travel and Special Markets, BBC Worldwide

61 Budget-Friendly Entertainment Low-cost carriers get nifty with in-flight entertainment, offering everything from seatback, streaming and wireless, to downloadbefore-you-go models.

Marisa Garcia

108 Blake Emery

111 The Logistics of Everything Loose A tour inside LSG Sky Chefs Frankfurt reveals the complexity behind airline catering and the millions of loose parts it handles, every day.

Director, Differentiation Strategy, Commercial Airplanes, The Boeing Company

116 Daniel Coleman Founder, Future Travel Experience

Caroline Ku Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 6, edition 3

13

Contents

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Comfort & Ambience Entertainment & Connectivity Catering & Services

volume 6, edition 3 june – july 2016

> INDUSTRY

29 So Fresh and So Clean

40 Generation YouTube

New technology shines a light on automated lavatory cleaning.

Turkish Airlines unlocks the key to going viral with millennials.

Paul Sillers

Jasmin Legatos

With inches hard to come by in the cabin, designers are turning to more expansive virtual realities.

Kristina Velan

32 Tricks of Light Lights inside the aircraft cabin do more than keep passengers out of the dark.

Katie Sehl

34 Start Me Up Business class may be the best place to pitch a business idea.

Jordan Yerman

42 Wi-Fi for Free?

Will in-flight Wi-Fi go the way of hotel connectivity?

Martin Echeñique

45 Connecting in China

In a market with strict regulations, providing Internet service comes with challenges.

When it comes to city guides, place is only part of the equation. Host? No host?

Storied? The options are aplenty.

Caroline Ku and Katie Sehl

Appetites for binge-worthy programming is putting pressure on in-flight entertainment.

20 Editor’s Letter

18 Board News

22 Featured Contributors

24 APEX in Action

82 Tear-Out Poster: The Top 10 Signs You Might Be an AvGeek

46 Beacons, at

APEX News

89

130

Roundtable: Windows of Opportunity

Your Service

Beacon tests are proving the tech is more than just a fad.

IFSA News

Katie Sehl

49 Fly Me Out

Ari Magnusson

50 Smart Baggage Tech-enabled luggage promises to remove some of baggage’s baggage.

> LISTINGS

10

Advertisers’ Directory

132 Movie Listings 152 Reading List 153 Room and Board

Is early-window content still as valuable as it used to be?

Katie Sehl

119 Travelogue: Planespotter Portraiture A planespotter turns his camera from airplanes to fellow planespotters.

Laird Kay

Jenn Wint

52 Higher Grounds 38 Box, Set, Match

17 CEO’s Letter

124 - 129

Why would a Gulf carrier sponsor an American baseball team?

Destination Content

> STANDBYS

Howard Slutsken

to the Ball Game

36 Choose Your Own

> APEX

United and illy team up to achieve new heights in brewing on board.

Katie Sehl

154 Throwback: Ignorable, Yet Interesting What should airport music be like? In the 1970s, Brian Eno pioneered the new sound.

Fergus Baird

Jakub Stachurski 14

volume 6, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; EMIRATES;RADEN; LAIRD KAY; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS / PUBLIC DOMAIN OF THE UNITED STATES

Realities of Economy

ILLUSTRATIONS: RICARDO POLO; FELIPE LUEBERT; FABRIZIO MORRA; ÓSCAR CHÁVEZ

30

Gogo 2Ku ÂŽ

The best-performing global connectivity solution, in flight today Find out what Gogo can do for you at 2ku.com Š 2016 Gogo LLC. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

CEO’s Letter

apex experience

Dear Fellow APEX Members, In the past months, APEX has dramatically increased its association footprint. Our strong agreements with Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) Asia and Future Travel Experience (FTE) Asia Expo will increase our base across two new sectors with an estimated 100 new member companies by the end of 2016. Together, we are pushing a strong agenda that benefits member companies and passengers alike. A significant element of that is our growing presence at major industry events.

While our own events – such as APEX TECH, APEX MultiMedia Market and APEX EXPO – set the standard for world-class gatherings of industry leaders, we continue to leave the APEX stamp on other new and

long-established events. In the first half of this year, APEX has been prominently featured at: >> Aircraft Interiors Middle East Inflight Workshop and Awards, Dubai >> Hamburg Aviation Conference >> GVF Connectivity, London >> Eye for Travel, San Francisco >> Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg >> Future Travel Experience Europe, Amsterdam >> Airline Top 100, Helsinki >> SITA Air Transport IT Summit, Barcelona We will march onward, bringing the benefits of APEX to every corner of the world.

Our renewed focus on thought

“Together, we are pushing a strong agenda that benefits member companies and passengers alike.”

leadership and meaningful contributions to the industry stand among our top priorities in 2016. As we dive into EXPO season, we look forward to shining a bright light on what is growing to become not only this association’s flagship event, but that of our industry as a whole.

I also personally look forward to seeing you all in Singapore in October, when we team up with AIX Expo Asia and FTE Asia Expo for the largest fall event in our industry. Please always feel free to contact your APEX team members and APEX Board of Directors to serve you, our valued members.

Best regards,

> Joe Leader chief executive officer

To contact the APEX team, please visit > CONNECT.APEX.AERO/ CONTACTUS

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 6, edition 3

17

Board News

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Meet the Board

American Airlines

> Éric Lauzon vice president Air Canada

apex board of directors

> Dominic Green secretary Inflight Dublin

> Joan Filippini treasurer Paramount Pictures

Thank you to everyone who nominated individuals for the APEX Board of Directors.

Voting will take place August 15–September 15, 2016. The 2016–2017 candidates are:

existing board members

> Linda Celestino immediate past president

> Joanna Boundy Qantas Airways

Etihad Airways

> Kevin Bremer Boeing

> Juha Järvinen Finnair

> Maura Chacko Spafax

> Michael Childers Lufthansa Systems

Airbus

18

volume 6, edition 3

This year’s APEX EXPO, colocated with Aircraft Interiors Asia Expo and Future Travel Experience Asia, promises to be one of our most exciting events yet! Register today at apex.aero/expo, and we’ll see you in Singapore, October 24–27.

Linda Celestino, Past President Dominic Green, Secretary (second of two-year term) Michael Childers (second of two-year term) Kevin Bremer (second of two-year term) Ingo Wuggetzer (second of two-year term)

upcoming events

candidates:

technology committee

Officers Brian Richardson, American Airlines – President Éric Lauzon, Air Canada – Vice President Joan Filippini, Paramount Pictures – Treasurer Directors – Airlines Juha Järvinen, Finnair Ryanne Van Der Eijk, KLM Directors – Vendors Maura Chacko, Spafax Mary Rogozinski, SmartSky Jeff Sare, Rockwell Collins Matthias Walters, Panasonic

> Ingo Wuggetzer

apex expo 2016

APEX events draw company decision-makers from every sector of the passenger experience industry, and they are an excellent way to get the right eyes on your brand. Contact Desiray Young, dyoung@apex.aero for information on available opportunities.

The APEX Technology Committee continues to be deeply involved with the US Department of Transportation on closedcaptioning regulations. Keep an eye out for updates.

flight track APEX is taking steps toward launching the new FlightTrack program, a unique initiative that will benefit companies in in-flight entertainment. Read details on page 125.

See the full slate of Board candidates at > apex.aero

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: Mehran torgoley

> Brian Richardson president

The APEX Board of Directors is committed to keeping you, the APEX members, informed about ongoing Board work and decisions. In addition to this dedicated space in every issue of APEX Experience, the Board sends direct e-mails to the membership and, at many events, hosts Ask the Board panels to receive feedback. APEX is an association for the members, by the members, which is why it’s equally important for the Board to receive year-round communications from members.

Skycast Solutions Fuels the Tablet Revolution with the Latest in Portable IFE. The most capable low cost portable IFE device is powered by Windows and flying high on Alaska Airlines.

Alaska needed a portable IFE solution that met the quickly changing demands of their customers and one that would integrate seamlessly with their connected cabin. They looked to Skycast, together with Microsoft, to develop a cutting edge device that packed robust capabilities along with a stunning entertainment experience.

Over 7,000 TrayVu8 devices are flying every day to rave reviews from passengers and flight attendants, alike.

Sophisticated user-interface including multi-tasking.

Seamless Wi-Fi integration with onboard server or internet connection.

Early window movies, TV, Xbox® games, music, maps, and much more.

Complete program management available.

“The user experience is awesome and so easy and intuitive. This is truly the best inflight entertainment system we have ever used.” ~ John Lisicich, Long Time Alaska Frequent Flyer Proud Partners with:

The TabCaddyTM PED holder product line provides a range of solutions for personal devices!

TabCaddy™ High Pocket TabCaddy™ Clip Custom integration with seat-back.

Support all sizes of tabs and cases securely.

Lowest cost tablet holder available Fast and easy installation

Smooth 'one-finger' operation to change viewing angles.

Customized for specific tray tables

Custom branding and optional changeable advertising buttons.

Supports phones and tablets of all sizes securely

Frees entire tray for food and beverage.

New branding and advertising platform

skycastsolutions.com | 1-855-487-2988 © Skycast Solutions, Inc. TabCaddy™ is exclusively distributed by Skycast Solutions, Inc. Patents Pending.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Editor’s Letter

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Ticket to Fly There’s no business like show business… except for the airline industry.

unlike the All Nippon Airways Star Wars livery or Batman v. Supermanadorned Turkish Airlines aircraft flying the skies this year.

This summer blockbuster issue of APEX Experience considers the enduring kinship between the entertainment industry and the airline passenger experience. “A Match Made in Nollywood” looks at the maturing movie scene in Nigeria, set to rival both Hollywood and Bollywood, thanks in part to support from Air France and other airlines. In “Narrative Devices,” I look for the synergies between technology imagined by filmmakers in science fiction and reallife in-flight entertainment technology.

Of course, the evolution of both businesses continues. In “Windows of Opportunity,” experts from all angles weigh in on the lasting importance of early-window content. And perhaps provocatively, “Realities of Economy” addresses the potential immersive technology holds to enhance perceptions of space.

I hope that you find a story that entertains you, and I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events. Until then, happy reading!

> Katie Sehl editor

ILLUSTRATION: HUGO HORITA

DEAR READERS, the last time I went to the movies I had a revelation about the airline industry. As the previews ended and lights dimmed to cue the feature, the unexpected sound of a rickety old film projector suddenly became the soundtrack for something even less expected: early footage of a Wright brothers-era Kitty Hawk glider soaring through a sepia-colored sky.

As the scene, and those that followed, transitioned to higher film quality, the airplanes morphed into more advanced models – from a Boeing Stearman Kaydet Trainer to the space shuttle.

The intro reel, created in 2012 by Cineplex, a Canadian theater franchise, concluded with a commemoration of 100 years of movie memories.

While I munched on my flavored popcorn, it struck me how apt the choice was to chronicle the evolution of film alongside the evolution of aviation. In many ways, the airline industry and show business have charted a similar course. The Wright brothers piloted their first flight not long after the first modern cinema screened a movie, in the mid-1890s.

And in 1925, only 11 years after the first commercial flight, Imperial Airways treated its passengers to a viewing of The Lost World, a silent film based on the 1912 novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s striking to watch a video of the plane take off with a poster advertising the movie affixed to its fuselage – not

What was the first film to fly? Find out at: > APEX.AERO/FIRSTFILM

20

volume 6, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

AN EYE TO THE

FUTURE LUMEXIS.COM

The Future of IFE

Contributors

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Featured

Read Kristina’s work on page > 30

See Hugo’s work on the cover

See Laird’s work on page > 119

See Jorge’s work on page > 103

Kristina Velan is the digital editor for APEX Media and a bubble-blowing Montreal native, perpetually on the lookout for #PaxEx stories and fancy gum flavors. If she could sit next to any movie star on a plane, it would be Room’s Jacob Tremblay. “He’s Canadian (so he must be nice) and small (so he wouldn’t take up much room), not to mention an incredible actor!”

Hugo Horita is an Argentinian illustrator living in Buenos Aires whose interests include painting, photography, music and sports. His luggage is always packed with a camera, notebook and a book, but when he’s looking for entertainment in flight, he opts for the embedded seatback screen. When asked the best place for a hot vacation he says, “any city!”

Laird Kay is always looking up: He’s an avgeek who takes photos of planes.

He doesn’t travel anywhere without his camera or his appetite: “I’m one of those weird people who loves airplane food.”

And if he could sit next to any movie star on a plane, he’d buckle in next to Sean Connery. “Who wouldn’t want to sit next to James Bond? He made flying look so effortlessly stylish.”

Jorge Roa is a self-taught illustrator and industrial designer from Bío Bío University in Chile. He doesn’t go anywhere without his notebook and pencils – and he opts for the seatback screen to enjoy in-flight entertainment because it lets him sit back and relax until he reaches his destination. Where does he like to go? “Ideally anywhere I’m the only tourist.”

volume 6, edition 3 june – july 2016

APEX Experience Magazine 575 Anton Blvd, Ste 1020 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 +1 714 363 4900 > Publisher Al St. Germain al.stgermain@spafax.com COVER ILLUSTRATION

BY HUGO HORITA

EDITORIAL

PRODUCTION

> Editor Katie Sehl katie.sehl@spafax.com

> Production Director Joelle Irvine > Production Manager Felipe Batista Nunes

> Digital Editor Kristina velan kristina.velan@spafax.com

> Assistant Copy Editor Deanna Dority

> Copy Writer Caroline Ku caroline.ku@spafax.com

> Fact Checkers Tara Dupuis Leah Esau

> Digital Specialist Ari Magnusson

> Proofreaders Katie Moore Robert Ronald

> Digital Copy Editor Valerie Silva

ADVERTISING

> Research Assistant Ella Ponomarov > Contributors Fergus Baird, Martin Echeñique, Marisa Garcia, Laird Kay, Jasmin Legatos, Paul Sillers, Howard Slutsken, Jakub Stachurski, Jenn Wint, Jordan Yerman ART > Art Director Nicolás Venturelli nicolas.venturelli@spafax.com > Graphic Designer Eva Dorsch > Contributors Óscar Chávez, Hugo Horita, Pablo Luebert, Fabrizio Morra, Jorge Roa, Ricardo Polo, Eric Yip

> Sales Director Steve O’connor steve.oconnor@spafax.com +44 207 906 2077 > Ad Production Manager Mary Shaw mary.shaw@spafax.com > Ad Production Coordinator Joanna Forbes joanna.forbes@spafax.com SPAFAX CONTENT MARKETING > CEO, Spafax Content Marketing, Americas Raymond Girard > Senior Vice-President, Content Strategy Arjun Basu

content on the go

22

volume 6, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

BoardConnect Portable A full-scale IFE. Light.

A fraction of the space, a fragment of the weight at a portion of the cost.

BoardConnect Portable gives you an even simpler, more flexible, all in one solutions for low-cost operations. Based on rugged Mobile Streaming Units (MSU), server und access points are combined in one single device with a weight of no more than 1 kg.

Plus, it is classified as loose equipment.

Slip it into a frame at the wall and provide streamed content for up to 50 clients.

Lufthansa Systems GmbH & Co. KG | Corporate Marketing | Am Prime Parc 1 | 65479 Raunheim info@LHsystems.com | www.LHsystems.com

Social

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

APEX in Action APEX members were happy to see their peers during Aircraft Interiors Expo and APEX MultiMedia Market, but when it came to trivia night, cordial relations were put on hold for some friendly competition.

Like us on Facebook to see more social photos > FACEBOOK.COM/ APEX.AERO

1. Nigel Duncan, STG Aerospace, at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany.

2. Mark Holmes, Access Intelligence, mingles with guests at Inmarsat’s party during Aircraft Interiors Expo.

1

2

3. Michael Serres and Tanguy Morel, Interactive Mobility, chat with an attendee at APEX MultiMedia Market in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

3

4. Nanci Barker Church, PBS International and Viveka Nilsson, PIAS Comedy, pose from a booth on the floor of the RAI Amsterdam.

5. Richard Donnelly, BBC World News, enjoys coffee and conversation.

6. Mario Poirier, Ensemble Media, chats with colleagues during coffee break.

4

5

6

7. Sayed Hani Majed, Gulf Air, poses with his tea during a break.

8. Joan Filippini and Vince Cruz, Paramount Pictures, are photoready at the Paramount booth.

9. Mario Grima and Taj Kang, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, helped “Quizteama Aguilera” nab fifth place in APEX’s annual trivia night.

8

9

11. Terry Steiner, Terry Steiner International and Sue Pinfold, Spafax, enjoy the trivia night festivities in the historic Koepelkerk venue.

Do you have social photos that are fit to print? E-mail submissions to 10

24

11

volume 6, edition 3

> EDITOR@APEX.AERO

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: RICHARD THEEMLING

7

10. Juha Järvinen, Finnair; Joe Leader, APEX; Dominic Green, Inflight Dublin; and Éric Lauzon, Air Canada, gear up for dinner and movie trivia.

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

Welcome

This Issue

PHOTO: ERIC YIP

Up by the Bay The Sands SkyPark sits 57 stories above the Marina Bay Sands convention center where APEX EXPO will be held October 24–27 alongside Aircraft Interiors Expo Asia and Future Travel Experience Asia Expo. It features gardens, restaurants, jogging paths and the world’s largest infinity pool on a rooftop – a nice place to go for a dip after wandering the three shows. While Sands SkyPark is open to hotel guests only, the overhanging observation deck, shown in the silhouette, is open to the public. From here, you’ll be able to see all that Singapore has to offer as the gateway to Asia. Read more about the event on page 127.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

For more information, visit > APEX.AERO/EVENTS

volume 6, edition 3

27

CONNECTING YOUR PASSENGERS IFPL.COM

...BREAK ING NEWS ...BREAK ING See IF PL at AP EX stand 1745 IFPL del i v e r i n g Breakawa y MagSig cost neutral jack nal audi o IFPL del payment ivering seat ba ck terminal IFPL del ivering USB reversib le

IFPL.COM

innovate@ifpl.com TELEPHONE +44 (0)1983 555900

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

So Fresh and So Clean

Comfort

Find the cleanest airport washroom at > APEX.AERO/ WASHROOMS

Lighting, touchless tech and novel approaches to hygiene are freshening up the onboard lavatory experience.

by Paul Sillers

Most of the in-flight experience has gone next-gen, except when nature calls and you saunter down the aisle to the lavatory. Inside, things don’t look too futuristic. But with increased anxiety about the transmission of germs and emerging threats such as Zika virus and norovirus, manufacturers are giving lavatories more attention.

“We’re trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom,” says Jeanne Yu, Boeing’s director of Environmental Performance, on the lavatory mock-up under development at Boeing’s Payloads Concept Center.

“In the prototype, we position the lights throughout the lavatory so that it floods the touch surfaces like the toilet seat, sink and countertops.” But Boeing’s not ABOVE Boeing’s UV lavatory LEFT closeup of Airbus’ Airspace lavatory

PHOTOS: BOEING; AIRBUS

spick-and-span Currently, lavatory cleaning and disinfecting takes 10 minutes with an additional 10 or 15 minutes for the exterior. Methods are mandated by the World Health Organization, but have not changed in 25 years.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

just employing any kind of light: When a passenger leaves the lavatory, far ultraviolet light beams zap the surfaces, eliminating odors and 99.99 percent of pathogens in just three seconds.

The lights complement other hands-free features such as the sensoractivated faucet, soap dispenser, trash flap, toilet lid and hand dryer.

“Touchless features are already in use on some Boeing airplanes,” Yu explains, “but combining that with the new UV sanitizing will give passengers even more protection from germs and make for an even better flying experience.”

Airbus’ approach to lavatory redefinition is integrated with its

expansive reimagining of its cabins under the “Airspace by Airbus” branding concept. “Visibly brighter and cleaner, the lavatories will incorporate antibacterial surfaces and touchless operation, along with aroma dispensers and soothing rainforest mood sounds,” says Ingo Wuggetzer, Airbus’ vicepresident of Cabin Marketing.

Light is employed strategically to make the smaller footprint of the modular Space-Flex lavatory feel roomier. “Overall, the lavatory feels more spacious thanks to stylish fullcolor LED lighting from floor to ceiling and a softer, more rounded trim and finish, all for an individual ambience.”

volume 6, edition 3

29

Comfort

apex experience

Realities of Economy Innovation in immersive headsets is shining a light on the inevitable space invasion in economy class.

by Kristina Velan illustration Ricardo Polo

High-density economy cabins may be reaching a tipping point, says Blake Emery, director of Differentiation Strategy at Boeing.

“The economic model is set: You can have all the room you want, you just have to pay for it.” Hard-pressed to find additional inches to work with, Emery suggests there’s space to be found elsewhere: “The human brain. It is going to be a lot easier and more economical to distract passengers with virtual reality, enhanced reality and immersive experiences.”

Virtual reality (VR) creates a circumstantial dichotomy where the user is both focused and distracted at the same time, so engrossed in an imaginary world that awareness of the physical environment is

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Visit us at apex.aero

Looking for a VR headset? Start here: > APEX.AERO/HEADSETS

vastly diminished. The level of distraction is so convincing that it’s been used to manage pain in medical settings.

While VR may be a way to distract economy passengers from cramped environments, it presents certain concerns, including motion sickness and reduced situational awareness. Wearability is also an issue. “If you’re using a Samsung Gear VR, it may be fairly heavy to have on your head for a two- or three-hour movie, so that’s something airlines do have to consider,” said James Price, senior advisor, Entertainment, Qantas, who gave a presentation on the airline’s VR trial at APEX MultiMedia Market.

Skylights’ CEO David Dicko thinks its Skylights Theater headset, tested in economy cabins by XL Airways in February, provides a solution to the obstacles presented by VR devices. On VR systems, motion sickness is caused when the refresh rate of the visual display cannot keep apace of head movement. But, the fixed screen on Skylights’ headset, which offers a 2-D or 3-D

movie theater experience, almost reduces that risk entirely while creating an enhanced perception of space. “Our passengers use it to watch one to three movies, like they do on seatback screens,” Dicko says.

In-flight electronics expert Phitek is working with Avegant to build a mediawear headset that would act as an extension to traditional seatback in-flight entertainment or personal electronic devices. The Avegant Glyph simulates an 80-inch TV screen at a five-foot distance. Because surroundings are still visible when using the Glyph, it offers more situational awareness than a fully immersive headset.

“We expected to hear that this was going to be a premium-class product, but we ended up hearing a lot of different comments from different types of airlines,” says Tom Darbonne, North America regional sales manager at Phitek. “In economy, you’re wrestling with pitch, viewing angles and ergonomics. The Glyph can approach all of these situations very uniquely.”

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The best in-flight sound...

Ambience

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British Airways’ fiber-optic Happiness Blanket displays passengers’ moods.

Tricks of Light lighting up sales

disguising neon

Lighting company Schott suggests passengers could take boarding cues from hues. “Colors are independent from language or cultural background,” says Klaus Portmanns, director of sales, Aviation. “By color-coding cabin areas with LED lighting and matching the color to the ticket, airlines may simplify and enhance the process for their passengers.”

“Airlines are constantly looking for more and more ways that they can improve their revenues, and we believe lighting is a considerably important factor that can positively influence the retail environment,” says Nigel Duncan, chief executive officer of STG Aerospace. The company is conducting extensive research in this field.

While a safety necessity, emergency floorpath markings can disrupt a finely tuned cabin ambience when not needed. STG Aerospace’s carpet-pattern matching option for its photoluminescent saf-Tglo system enables the track lighting to blend seamlessly until illuminated. Cabin aesthetics are maintained, without reducing safety.

accentuating embellishments

enlightening feelings

painting with light

projecting scenarios

Flexible light strips allow airlines to accentuate cabin details, but on Recaro’s award-winning CL6710 business-seat mock-up, even passengers can get in on the action. Lighting strips integrated as trim can be adjusted by passengers to different tints, so that those who prefer to color within the lining can show their true colors.

In 2014, British Airways experimented with a “happiness blanket” – a tech-enhanced comforter that measured and displayed a passenger’s mood in red and blue via woven fiber optics.

Although the blankets didn’t take off, the airline collected illuminating data on how flyers responded to flight stages, and how services could be enhanced.

When the lights are out, Finnair’s A350 XWB cabin is almost colorless and neutral.

But the Nordic airline coats its cabin with warm mood lighting, transforming the interior with the flick of an LED switch. According to the airline’s CCO, Juha Järvinen, by letting the light spectrum do the dazzling, the cabin can “reflect the simplicity of northern design.”

Diehl’s Dandelion projection system can be used to project images, information and even movies within the cabin. According to Diehl, depending on an airline’s business model, displays could be used in different ways. For example, a low-cost carrier may be interested in projecting advertisements, while legacy carriers may opt for subtle mood lighting.

by Katie Sehl

volume 6, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTO: BRITISH AIRWAYS

> APEX.AERO/NIGELDUNCAN

boarding hues

Mood lighting has revolutionized the appearance of cabin interiors, but we look at the more nuanced optical illusions that are amplifying ambience.

32

Read our profile of STG Aerospace’s CEO at

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Start Me Up

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For more aviation startups, vist > APEX.AERO/STARTUPS

If you want to start a business, then business class may be the best place to start. Not Business 101, mind you, but the front part of the airplane.

by Jordan Yerman illustration Pablo Luebert

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an investor or someone who just likes to watch, cruising altitude is where the action is.

Delta Air Lines baked networking straight into its Innovation Class concept, a 2014 campaign designed by agency Wieden+Kennedy New York, which the airline billed as “a mentoring program at 35,000 feet.” Industry experts and budding entrepreneurs could apply via LinkedIn for a business-class flight where they’d have the opportunity to run some ideas past the likes of chef Sean Brock or Eric Migicovsky, the creator of the Pebble smartwatch, en route to prestigious events such as TED or the James Beard Awards.

Turkish Airlines’ Invest On Board and Virgin Atlantic’s Pitch TV turned startup pitches into business-class in-flight entertainment features. While crossing a continent or ocean, an investor could

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an investor, cruising altitude is where the action is.

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check out a cavalcade of ideas. While Pitch TV is no longer active, Invest On Board is still going strong.

For the investor, the experience can be a bit like starring as a venture capitalist on Shark Tank or Dragons’ Den, but without the pressure. For the entrepreneur, the appeal is even more clear: Your pitch deck will be inches from the eyeballs of a captive audience of high-flying decision makers, and you only have to record that pitch once.

The road to startup success is littered with failures both spectacular and banal. This makes in-flight pitch success stories that much more exciting. For example, TaxiStartup emerged from

the Invest On Board program, and provides app-based technology to help established taxi companies compete with upstart disruptors such as Uber.

Cofounder and chief commercial officer Eugene Suslo credits the Turkish Airlines program with finding TaxiStartup its first seed investor, a crucial step in a startup’s life cycle.

For those who see the startup scene as a spectator sport, Virgin Australia has you covered. The antipodean airline has inked a deal with That Startup Show, so Virgin’s passengers can watch the popular comedic talk show series, which features Australian entrepreneurs looking to launch the next legendary unicorn.

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ONE STOP SHOP

READ IT HERE FIRST See breaking news here before you see it anywhere else.

WHY IT MATTERS

Passengers prefer self-service technology to person-to-person interaction, reports SITA in its annual Passenger IT Trends Survey. According to the survey, 91 percent of passengers using a technology-delivered service will repeat the practice – even if they were dissatisfied with the experience. “Once people are converted from person-to-person interaction to using self-service technology for travel steps, few...

Hot on the heels of a big airline announcement for streamingbased service provider Netflix, a major studio executive gives APEX Media an exclusive take on the controversy around streaming inflight entertainment. “I think there is a great deal of confusion about subscription-based services such as Amazon and Netflix in regards to these services being made available to passengers on airlines,” says…

ONLY THE BEST Each story is handpicked by a team of aviation experts.

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Eight airlines from Southeast Asia, Japan and Australia have formed what they are calling the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers...

SITA Survey Says Passengers Prefer Self-Service

Not So Fast, Netflix: Streaming IFE Comes With Strings Attached, Says Major Studio Exec

Birds of a Feather: Asia-Pacific LCCs Flock Together to Form Budget Airline Alliance

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Our team contextualizes each headline and provides astute insights.

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New Delta CEO Says Premium-Economy Cabin Is Coming Next Year

Delta Air Lines’ newly appointed CEO, Ed Bastian, says the airline will introduce an international premium-economy cabin next ...

Read all of the industry’s important headlines in one place.

Entertainment

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Choose Your Own Destination Content Not all destination videos are made the same. From actionpacked adventures to slow-paced sojourns, there’s more than one way to explore a destination on the screen.

by Caroline Ku and Katie Sehl

non-hosted Elisa DiStefano is a bubbly TV personality and the host of A Look At Media’s New York City guide. She’s a familiar face in the big city, someone you can count on for a restaurant recommendation or where to get the best views of the Big Apple. According to Fred Mullins, CEO and founder of A Look At Media, 75 percent of his prospective clients actually prefer city guides with a host. But not everyone agrees. “We had one airline that didn’t want a host,” he says. In some cases, airlines are concerned the host may be wrongly perceived of as the airline spokesperson, Mullins explains. That’s why his company also offers the option for non-hosted videos, too.

hosted

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ambient If there’s an audience for the moving map, there’s an audience for ambient destination content. Azwar Usmani, general manager of Arcadia InFlight, likens the appeal of this type of content to that of slow TV, real-time footage of an experience – such as longpanning landscapes with little more action than rolling fields and blooming flowers. With a calming soundtrack and no voice-over,

At APEX MultiMedia Market 2016 in Amsterdam, destination content was not so much about the cities showcased, but the style in which the travel guides were delivered.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

For airlines that prefer hosts, many have turned to the notoriously sure-minded Anthony Bourdain for his shows No Reservations, The Layover and Parts Unknown. “You’re going to go along for the ride, you’re going to either love him or hate him, but he’s going to tell it like he sees it,” explains Chris Collins, cofounding producer of the Bourdain-helmed programs.

Collins credits Bourdain’s non-apologetic frontmanship as one of the keys to success. Éric Lauzon, Multimedia Entertainment manager for Air Canada, concurs: “People are savvier these days and tend to trust word of mouth over brands and companies – especially when it comes to people they can relate to.”

Entertainment

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Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Discover more in-flight destination guides: > APEX.AERO/ TRAVELGUIDES

chuckle over the aptly named show The Halal Foodie, hosted by Malaysia’s biggest comedian, Papi Zak, who stirs up laughs as he hunts down Muslim-friendly cuisine all over Asia.

storied Flame Distribution doesn’t just offer typical city guides that explicitly tell you what museums to visit or where to sample local delicacies. Its catalog includes documentaries on history, global issues and humaninterest stories that are deeply anchored in destinations. Chasing the Light, about an adventure photographer and his quest for a great photo, reveals the wild landscapes of Australia’s Kimberley region, while Ancient Angkor delves into the history of the lost city’s temples. Sometimes it’s the story, rather than the destination, that inspires the trip.

ambient videos make for culturally neutral content that’s ideal for promoting relaxation during boarding and pre-landing, when passengers might be anxious. While Arcadia offers a variety of content, Usmani says some passengers simply prefer subdued perspectives. People of an older generation can enjoy a destination guide for its scenic beauty without the need for adventure or spoken words.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

themed For travelers with particular penchants, themed programming provides viewers with tailored tours of destinations. For those who want their journeys to be as sustainable as possible, The Eco Traveller, an original program from Malaysian-based content provider GOASEAN, offers eco-travel advice from a World Wildlife Fund ambassador as he explores Southeast Asia. Halal foodies may

Sometimes it’s the story, rather than the destination, that inspires the trip. volume 6, edition 3

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Entertainment

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Visit us at apex.aero

Box, Set, Match

More destinations to binge watch to at > APEX.AERO/IFE-BINGE

Pressure to deliver the latest and greatest TV libraries on board is pushing airlines and suppliers to the limits of current technology.

volume enabled the airline to offer more than 2,000 channels of on-demand video content, including 50 full TV box sets.

On the flipside, timelines for licensing and loading fresh content, such as the latest episodes of Game of Thrones, have a hard time keeping up with consumers’ on-demand expectations. While cloud services promise to expedite the transfer of digital files to airplanes, security concerns still lead airlines and studios to rely on the regular delivery of hard drives onto airplanes.

In partnership with HBO and Foxtel, Qantas last year committed to adding 160 hours of fresh content on a monthly basis. And bolstered by connectivity, partnerships with streaming services, such as Virgin America’s or Aeroméxico’s partnership with Netflix, and JetBlue’s deal with Amazon Prime, promise to deliver episodes faster. But with limited bandwidth, the challenge to satisfy passengers’ insatiable hunger for TV shows remains.

by Jakub Stachurski | illustration Fabrizio Morra

The increased popularity of TV content as in-flight entertainment (IFE) is particularly convenient for short-haul flights, one- or two-hour trips that preclude finishing a long Hollywood blockbuster. And on long-haul flights, TV buffs have the luxury of time to indulge in binge-watching. Both markets, influenced by shifts in on-the-ground TV consumption, present unique challenges for the industry.

“Some years ago, we sat in front of the TV every week at the same time, waiting for the next episode of our favorite TV show,” says Fabienne Regitz, IFE manager at Lufthansa. “Now, with the issue of box sets, the offer of whole seasons on videoon-demand platforms and TV events on

broadcast channels, this has changed completely.” Streaming services like Netflix have accelerated this trend by launching full seasons of TV shows like House of Cards all at once.

This shift has introduced challenges involving content licensing and the bounds of current technology. A limited amount of data storage space on servers can curb the ability to offer multiple seasons of a series.

For example, all five seasons of Breaking Bad add up to 62 episodes, approximately 48 minutes each, totaling roughly 50 hours of content. Last year, Emirates introduced the next-generation of its ice IFE system that allowed for three times the media storage of its former system. The added

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Entertainment

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Generation YouTube

Watch the top five airline YouTube videos: > APEX.AERO/YOUTUBE

Airlines know that YouTube represents a huge marketing opportunity, especially among younger travelers, but not all understand what it takes to go viral.

by Jasmin Legatos

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TOP Kobe Bryant photobombing Lionel Messi’s selfie BOTTOM YouTubers from Turkish Airlines’ #FortuneTraveller series.

PHOTOS: TURKISH AIRLINES

While it’s hardly surprising that content starring these two would garner so much attention, Turkish Airlines has also turned to comparatively lesser-known personalities to make its mark. For its #FortuneTraveller campaign, the airline sought out YouTube stars in 10 major markets and invited them to Istanbul, where, after meeting with a fortune-teller, they were jetted off for an adventure – all captured on video, of course.

Devin Super Tramp and Damien Walters might not be household names, but with

Turkish Airlines is a YouTube star. By pursuing a paid strategy, leveraging the popularity of YouTube stars and creating content with an emotional connection that inspires wanderlust, it has become the fastestgrowing airline channel on YouTube. The airline’s videos have almost 500 million views – nearly five times more than runnerup Air France.

The Turkish flag carrier’s success on the platform skyrocketed thanks to its viral video campaign “Kobe vs. Messi: Legends on Board,” which depicts the two sports superstars performing a series of outlandish tricks. This was quickly followed by “Kobe vs. Messi: The Selfie Shootout,” where the American basketball player and FC Barcelona forward once again compete to snap the best selfie in different destinations. Combined, these videos have upward of 250 million views and have resulted in a nine-percent uptick in global brand recall.

four million and close to 700,000 subscribers, respectively, their reach is undeniable.

Last fall, Turkish Airlines partnered with VIP Tourism to produce their first feature film and take YouTube influencer collaborations to new heights. Non-Transferrable tells the story of a young woman who plans a European vacation with her boyfriend, but before their trip, he breaks up with her and she is stuck with a non-transferrable ticket in his name. Instead of missing out on the experience, she finds someone with the same name to take his place and in the process also finds love. Following in the footsteps of #FortuneTraveller, the movie boasts a cast of well-known YouTube celebs like Ashley Clements of the popular Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

This investment in the platform’s homegrown talent seems to be a smart one; according to a 2014 study by Variety, five of the most influential figures among American teens were all YouTube celebrities. And it seems to be paying off for Turkish Airlines – the number of passengers flying on the airline increased by 11.8 percent in 2015.

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Connectivity

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Wi-Fi for Free?

Read more news on connectivity at > APEX.AERO/ CONNECTIVITY

If hotels, Starbucks and the island of Taiwan offer Wi-Fi for free, should airlines, too?

by Martín Echeñique | illustration Oscar Chávez

In a Gulliver business travel piece in The Economist, the author writes: “In years to come we will look back at hotels that charged for Wi-Fi with a kind of incredulous nostalgia.” The past few years have seen many changes to hotel price models for Internet access. In 2013, InterContinental Hotels Group was the first to introduce free Wi-Fi to all its loyalty members after research found that having to pay for Internet was a deal breaker for many guests.

Hyatt upped the ante by making it free for all guests, no strings attached, in late 2014.

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And Marriott and Starwood Hotels and Resorts soon followed by offering free access to all loyalty members who booked direct.

“To charge for Wi-Fi is just terrible – it’s like charging for water, something you just don’t do,” Andrew Zobler, CEO of Sydell Group, told Condé Nast Traveler. Hyperbole aside, Wi-Fi is increasingly being rolled out as a complimentary necessity. Since 2007, McDonald’s has made free Wi-Fi available for its customers, and in 2010, Starbucks rolled out free access en masse across the US. Now, from public transport to taxis to

city sidewalks, free Wi-Fi connections are gradually becoming the norm. In 2013, the island of Taiwan even went so far as to offer free Wi-Fi to all tourists.

So, what about airlines? US carrier JetBlue and Scandinavian low-cost airline Norwegian offer free Wi-Fi to browse, stream, shop and share on social media throughout most of their fleet. “This approach has industry-best take rates leading to increased passenger satisfaction and brand value,” says Don Buchman, vicepresident and general manager, Commercial Mobility, for ViaSat – one of the largest airline Internet service providers. Indeed, research from Honeywell, Inmarsat and others indicate that customers value brands that provide reliable connections.

“We envision other airlines will follow with similar offerings – enabling easy access and multitiered pricing models to in-flight Internet,” Buchman adds.

Tiered pricing seems to be effective in the hotel industry at anticipating bandwidth issues. “We quickly identified how our guests’ growing reliance on the Internet was causing bandwidth issues,” Violeta Seidell, vice-president of project services at Marriott International told Condé Nast.

By offering a pay-for “Enhanced High Speed Internet” option, Seidell says people are able to purchase the bandwidth they need, while basic users still have the free option.

will free in-flight wi-fi take off in the airline industry?

Here’s what @theapexassoc Twitter followers think:

61% 39%

Yes, eventually Some will always charge

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Connectivity

Connecting in China The race to connect aircraft in aviation’s fastest-growing market has begun.

by Howard Slutsken illustration Nicolás Venturelli

The Chinese airline market continues to see double-digit growth in domestic and international passenger traffic, with thousands of aircraft needed to meet the demand over the next 20 years. According to Boeing, the Chinese domestic airline market is expected to become the world’s largest. With this onslaught of new travelers comes the need for Chinese airlines to provide in-flight connectivity on par with the rest of the world. Although the regulatory process has so far moved at a deliberate rate, recent announcements suggest that more passengers on Chinese airlines will soon be online.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

In May 2015, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved in-flight connectivity testing and service qualification. Since then, Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines have begun in-flight connectivity operations, with more airlines expected to soon follow.

Panasonic Avionics, Gogo, Inmarsat, Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) and Thales are just some of the providers reported to have agreements in place for the initial ramp-up of service. But it’s early days, with merely a few dozen Chinese airliners now able to connect.

“We have two programs going on,” says Mike Douglass, senior vice-president, Global Sales for GEE. “We had a trial of live TV on one of Air China’s B777s in the fall [2015], and in May, we started a full trial of connectivity on that B777. In late summer or early fall [this year], that trial will also carry over to a B737.” GEE will also equip five aircraft for each of Hainan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines for the initial phase of connectivity operations.

For more connectivity news, visit > APEX.AERO/ CONNECTIVITY

Fifty-seven percent of passengers in China don’t have the option of in-flight Wi-Fi. Source: Inmarsat’s “Inflight Connectivity Survey,” 2016

Reflecting the Chinese government’s approach to the Internet, Douglass says GEE can meet the requirements of the market.

“We have the technology that can restrict certain sites and restrict certain components, so from a technology perspective, it’s very doable. It’s really up to the government how they want to monitor and restrict access, but our technology can handle that.” volume 6, edition 3

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Services

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Beacons, at Your Service The widespread use of beacon technology may not have fully caught on yet, but several airlines and airports are exploring their service potential in clever ways.

by Katie Sehl

explains Robecta Ma, vice-president of Marketing, Americas, Cathay Pacific.

Over the 60-day trial period, the airline logged more than 300 views from the iBeacon platform. “We saw a great deal of positive mentions across traditional and social media about our partnership,” Ma says, adding that based on the success, the airline is actively looking for other opportunities to

“Beacons can bring real-time information about a place.”

Robecta Ma Cathay Pacific

For more examples of beacon tech, visit > APEX.AERO/BEACONS

use the technology. “Beacon technology can pre-emptively bring in detailed realtime information about a place that would otherwise be seen as ordinary. It opens up doors, experiences and opportunities for brands to interact with the public.”

Cathay Pacific is not the first to experiment with beacon technology, and likely won’t be the last. Several carriers, including Japan Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, have leveraged beacon technology to provide travelers with real-time flight and boarding information.

Taking a few cues from retail settings, Hamburg Airport launched a customer loyalty program, offering shoppers “yoints” for spending time in the airport’s central retail area. Points earned could either be exchanged in the shops or donated to charity. In 2013, American Airlines tapped into beacon retail potential as well by offering travelers seat upgrades at airports.

Perhaps beacons could even be used to facilitate the bring-your-own-entertainment trend. In 2014, Grolsch launched a campaign where the opening of a beer bottle in range of a beacon would unlock access to a movie.

Rights and licensing aside, it’s not hard to imagine beacon-enabled movie downloads taking off in the airport setting.

PHOTO: ESTIMOTE

Cathay Pacific’s flagship first- and businessclass lounge at San Francisco International Airport offers visitors more than just a taste of Hong Kong. The choice between dan dan mian or fish ball noodle soup and more at the carrier’s signature noodle bar, or fresh daily menus from the deli counter, the self-service buffet or the Italian coffee bar, is enough to overwhelm even the most ravenous of travelers. So, to help the hungry choose their fare, Cathay enlisted beacon technology.

In July last year, the airline partnered with LoungeBuddy, an airport lounge app, to bring information to travelers’ fingertips.

Those who downloaded the app would receive tailored information as they entered the lounge, delivered through the lounge’s iBeacon network. “Once the [visitors] entered the lounge, they were able to find out details about the day’s food and beverage offering,”

Visit us at apex.aero

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Fly Me Out to the Ball Game Major League Baseball players aren’t the only ones stealing bases as airlines aim to score hub recognition.

PHOTO: EMIRATES

by Ari Magnusson

With the Major League Baseball (MLB) season in full swing, action at the ballpark rightly commands the attention of North American sports fans. But an equally fierce battle takes place each off-season as airlines play hardball and strike deals for sponsorship rights and use baseball as a marketing platform.

Last year, Dallas-based American Airlines (AA) claimed a triumph over United Airlines by striking a long-term deal to take over as sponsor of the Chicago Cubs, the home Airline Passenger Experience Association

team of its rival, which had been the team’s official airline partner for the previous 11 years. Both carriers offer the highest number of scheduled flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, competing head-to-head for customers at America’s second-busiest air transport hub and for the title of “Chicago’s hometown airline.”

Challenging AA’s hold on Chicago, United will fly 13 MLB teams this season, including the Cubs, because sponsorship and charter deals are signed separately.

Southwest Airlines has sponsorship deals with four franchises, including a more than 20-year deal with its hometown team, the Texas Rangers. In addition to being the official airline for the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres, the airline added the LA Dodgers to its lineup last year, but was nixed by the club this year

Services

Read more about Emirates’ Los Angeles Dodgers sponsorship > APEX.AERO/DODGERS

in favor of a partnership with Emirates.

The Gulf carrier sponsors several major European soccer teams, but the deal with the LA Dodgers marks its first foray into one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States. The move reinforces the carrier’s service to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where it recently opened a new lounge. “Fly Emirates” signage adorning the foul poles at Dodger Stadium neatly coincide with the July 1 kickoff of the carrier’s second daily A380 service between LAX and its home base, Dubai International.

But is such sponsorship effective? Yes. At least, according to a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Promotion Management, which found the more closely an individual followed a team with an image sponsor, the more likely that person is to buy a product or service from that company. volume 6, edition 3

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Services

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Smart Baggage Luggage tends to carry its own share of emotional baggage, but tech-integrated features promise to alleviate some of the burden.

by Jenn Wint

Smart products combine everyday objects with digital intelligence, and suitcases are no exception. Luggage has now joined the likes of smartwatches, smart cars and smartphones, with features that enable travelers to track their baggage, charge their devices and have ready access to the information they need throughout their journey.

“I think smart luggage changes the travel experience in a lot of ways,” says Josh Udashkin, chief executive officer of Raden.

“Travel is an emotional experience; you’re excited to go somewhere or looking forward to getting home, but the act of getting from point A to point B can be painful. We’re using technology empathetically, allowing electronics to mitigate upsetting travel experiences.”

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Raden optimizes luggage for travel by pairing top materials with popular technology.

Available in various sizes, Raden luggage features a built-in charger for mobile devices and iPads; an integrated scale to monitor baggage weight; location technology that lets its owner know when his or her bag is at the carousel; and, of course, more traditional features such as security locks and waterproof sealing. An integrated app manages the bag’s technology, provides travel information and easily connects travelers with live Raden customer service.

Ultramodern lock and key tech are also leaving travelers with a greater sense of security. Delsey, creator of Pluggage, designs luggage with interior lighting, fingerprint ID access and integrated speakers. Samsonite’s latest smart bags alert owners on their smartphones when their bag is opened. The company is also working with Emirates, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM to develop a feature that allows bags to check in remotely or automatically when they arrive at the airport.

airlines get in on the bag To keep better track of the 120 million bags Delta Air Lines handles every year, the airline invested $50 million in paper RFID tags, printers and conveyor belt scanners at 344 stations around the world.

Fancy as they are, the point isn’t to trick bags out with too many swanky features, says Udashkin. “I didn’t want to load Raden up with gadgets. I wanted a functional, lightweight, physically beautiful product that provides a mobile experience.” Some luggage manufacturers have veered away from technology. After investing $2 million in research and development, Andiamo decided to discontinue its iQ suitcase, which created a Wi-Fi hotspot and included remote locking features. “We made the corporate decision not to go forward with the Andiamo iQ collection with technology,” says Marcy Schackne, vice-president of marketing for the company. The design, however, was well received. “We will move forward with the design minus the technology,” she says.

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PHOTOS: RADEN

Lufthansa and Rimowa teamed up to streamline the luggage process with a digitized bag tag. Before a flight, passengers check in on the Lufthansa app, download their tag and send the electronic label to their suitcase’s display screen located beside the handle.

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Higher Grounds In a bold full-cabin overhaul of its coffee service, United Airlines recruited aficionados from illycaffè for lessons in Italian coffee class.

by Katie Sehl

If United, like the poet T.S. Eliot, wanted to measure its life out in coffee spoons, it would be a task of magnitudinal order. Serving approximately 72 million cups of the popular beverage a year, the airline hands out more than enough stir sticks to connect the airline’s hub in Chicago to Beijing, China. And starting in July 2016, when United begins serving illycaffè’s Scuro Dark Roast in all three cabins, the airline expects that number to rise.

Many claim to have mastered the bean, but illycaffè comes by the designation “masters of coffee” somewhat honestly – or literally, even. In 1999, alongside illy’s 22-acre headquarters in Trieste, the Italian roasting company opened the Università del Caffè, an institution where students can ruminate on the art, science and philosophy of the perfect roast – and even walk away with a master’s degree in Economics and Coffee Sciences.

The company’s edifying approach to espresso began with its founder, Francesco Illy, who, equal parts inventor and coffee connoisseur, is credited with inventing the modern espresso machine and pioneering a method of pressurization that preserves freshness in packaging.

Illy is headquartered in Trieste, widely regarded as the “coffee capital of Italy.”

How long does it take a bean to bloom and land in a United cup?

Approximately 14 months, 11 days and 10 minutes.

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1. BLOOM & HARVEST (approx. 11 months) From the time of flowering, coffee plants take nine months to produce red cherries. Containing two coffee beans apiece, the cherries are stripped and the beans sun-dried for around 20 days before being packaged in 132-pound jute bags that will be shipped to Trieste’s ports. Required for United’s order are roughly 4.5 billion beans a year.

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, ILLYCAFFÈ, KATIE SEHL

From Flower to Friendly Skies

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“Customers tell us about how important coffee is for them.”

Jeff Pelch United Airlines

PHOTOS: ILLYCAFFÈ, UNITED AIRLINES

For the practitioners of illy’s signature nineingredient Monoarabica blend, adapting techniques for in-flight brewing presented a few challenges – but luckily, United was up for a little coffeeology. “On this project, we were able to do much more in-flight tastetesting,” says Mark Romano, vice-president of Education, Quality and Sustainability, illycaffè North America. Experts from illy tested brews on eight United flights, across a variety of aircraft and galley equipment.

Among the differences between conditions at cruising altitude and sea level are boiling temperature and brewing duration. “Coffee is brewed much faster in an aircraft – in two and a half to three minutes versus eight minutes on the ground,” Romano explains.

“Pressure is used to make percolation faster, changing the chemistry completely.” To account for this, illy developed pillow packs exclusively for United that are designed to cover the full surface of the filter tray and

effectively distribute water through the grounds. Consultations were also made with B/E Aerospace to ensure the packs would be compatible across the manufacturer’s current and future range of coffee machines.

Customer feedback underpinned United’s decision to replace FreshBrew and overhaul its coffee service, so the airline actively involved passengers in the taste-testing process. “We’ve really heard customers talk to us about how important coffee is for them,” says Jeff Pelch, United’s senior manager of Product Strategy and Implementation.

Passengers blind sampled a light to dark spectrum of three illy roasts, ultimately settling on the dark.

Rounding out United’s coffee service is an annual order of 40 million stroopwafels, a sweet pairing that’s bound to score the airline brownie points with passengers and professors of coffee alike.

2. TASTE & SELECTION (approx. 1 day)

3. BLENDING & ROASTING (approx. 10 days)

4. PACKAGING & DELIVERY (approx. 26–90 days)

5. SERVING & SIPPING (approx. 10 minutes)

Taste experts from illy’s labs test a selection of each shipment to ensure quality, in some cases refusing beans that don’t meet their criteria. Those that pass are put on a vibrating sieve that removes foreign matter.

The beans then move through a network of pipes that leads them to bichromatic sorting machines that analyze 3,800 beans per second, sort and remove defects. Up to 45 tons of coffee are screened per day.

Beans from nine different origins are blended to form illy’s unique flavor formula and then move on to roasting, where taste and aroma develop. Approximately 800 substances emerge under heat as high as 400–450°F within the 15-minute period, during which the bean acquires its rich brown color. Roasted beans are cooled for several days before being ground and packaged.

From illy’s storage facility in Trieste (which is big enough to hold a Boeing 747), transit to United hubs takes about 26–40 days. “In our estimate, within 90 days, the product will be utilized on board from the time it is packaged,” says Adam Paige, director of Public Relations, North America, illycaffè. “In fall 2016, this timing will be reduced by 25 percent with the new machinery added at the factory in Trieste.”

Once aboard the airplane, it takes two and a half to three minutes to brew a fresh pot of coffee, and only a few minutes more until a steaming cup lands on a passenger tray table. United serves upward of 197,261 cups of coffee per day.

That’s roughly nine million coffee pots a year. For a little treat, United recommends passengers heat their stroopwafel over their cup for two minutes to melt the syrup.

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PHOTO: AIR CANADA

C-Suite

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Calin Rovinescu Chief Executive Officer Air Canada

Calin Rovinescu never dreamed of flying airplanes as a boy. But the lessons he learned from his parents and his career as a lawyer, along with his ambition to be outstanding at whatever he did, inadvertently groomed him for the role of piloting Air Canada.

by Caroline Ku

C

alin Rovinescu’s history with Air Canada spans more than 25 years, starting from his days as a lawyer to his joining the airline’s Corporate Development Strategy department to his current role as its CEO. Regardless of where life pulled him – he spent a five-year hiatus from the airline as a principal of an independent investment bank he had cofounded – something drew him back. When the opportunity to become Air Canada’s CEO presented itself in 2009, he couldn’t turn it down. “It’s like the mermaid’s siren call that I could ill-afford to refuse,” he says.

departures and arrivals Rovinescu’s first brush with Air Canada came in the late 1980s when, as a lawyer for Montreal firm Stikeman Elliott, he led as external counsel on the flag carrier’s privatization. Roughly a decade later, he joined the airline as its executive vice-president of Corporate Development Strategy. In that role, he oversaw the Aeroplan loyalty

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program, and Jazz, the regional fleet; and even managed the airline’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (now ACTS) division. But having been hit by post-9/11 anxieties, the SARS outbreak and the end of the dot-com boom, prospects for Air Canada took a turn for the worse, and in 2003, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection, with Rovinescu as its chief restructuring officer.

What ensued was 18 months of one of the most complex corporate restructurings in Canadian history.

Rovinescu told the Globe and Mail in 2004 that he led with an “iron fist” because so many restructurings drag on and Air Canada couldn’t buy that kind of time. The airline sold Aeroplan, Jazz and the ACTS arm to salvage a much-needed $2.2 billion. But Air Canada was still strapped for cash and in need of an expensive bailout.

Things looked up when Hong Kong business mogul Victor Li stepped in, but he just as soon backed out, and after that, so did Rovinescu, citing his frustration with attempts at negotiations. >

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calin, the torchbearer

During Rovinescu’s 2014 convocation address at the University of Ottawa, where he himself obtained an LLB in 1980, he explained, alternating between fluent English and French, that “We get nowhere without courage.

Courage to leave. Courage to stay.” And quoting Aristotle: “Courage is the first of the human qualities, because it is the quality that guarantees the others.”

In 1961, five-year-old Calin, his father, mother and sister Olivia left Bucharest, Romania, and arrived by boat in Montreal, Quebec, and settled on Barclay Avenue in the immigrant community of Côte-des Neiges with $60 and a couple of suitcases. His father, a urologist, nearly 40 years old, was able to find work in his field as a surgeon. His mother, multilingual, with two master’s degrees and experience working in a foreign affairs department, found clerical work at Singer Sewing Machines, and Simpsons, a large department store. Rovinescu learned early on to shed any idea of entitlement or that he was owed a living. “An immigrant is optimistic about the future, but is also fundamentally insecure, which makes him sharper. He never takes anything for granted,” he told Report on Business when he was named the magazine’s 2013 CEO of the year.

Rovinescu’s first glimpse of his future as CEO of Air Canada was during a lunch with Claude Taylor, Air Canada’s CEO during its transition from Crown

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corporation to privatization in the late 1980s. Rovinescu, then a managing partner at Stikeman Elliott, was lead counsel on the case. After the closings, Taylor invited him to lunch so he could pick the 30-year-old’s brain on how to move the airline successfully into the private sector.

Rovinescu picked up a few pointers from Taylor, too.

“Well, as you can see, that one empowering lunch has certainly had an influence on my life,” he recalled back at the convocation address. >

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PHOTO: AIR CANADA

courage to leave. courage to stay

It’s 2010, day 44 of the torch relay for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Rovinescu is torchbearer number 044-038, on a bus with 19 others, to Ottawa. Sporting the white nylon tracksuit and caps issued to all torchbearers, he blends in with the other passengers. When asked to introduce himself, he says, “I am from Montreal and I work for Air Canada.”

Dave Doroghy, who was leading the introductions that day, knew Rovinescu was the airline’s CEO and was struck by his modesty. “The cool thing is that, on the bus, everybody is just another torchbearer,” he wrote in Confessions of an Olympic Torch Relay Shuttle Host.

“Status, influence and income levels fall to the wayside as the torchbearers on the bus are, first and foremost, simply proud Canadians.” Nonetheless, as Doroghy watched Rovinescu take his turn in the relay, he noted: “I thought it ironic that the torchbearer before him would never know that he had just passed the flame to one of Canada’s top business executives.”

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At Air Canada’s 2015 annual general meeting, before diving into the record figures of what Rovinescu calls the airline’s breakout year, he took a moment to pay tribute to Taylor who had recently passed away. “He was an esteemed predecessor and role model for me, but also an extremely important mentor and friend. He loved Air Canada to his core and he led the company through some of its most transformative years.”

back to black

is also perhaps why Rovinescu was handpicked by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board to chair their respective organizations, and why members of the Air Canada board agreed to almost double his pension in 2015.

Having found a way to stave off deficit and debt, Air Canada has been able to refocus on aviation: Investing in fuel-efficient aircraft, debuting the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, launching the Air Canada Foundation, pioneering an accessible in-flight entertainment system for passengers with hearing or visual impairment and, more recently, putting in an order for Bombardier C Series jets that will help the airline remain competitive in an evolving market.

“We’re not looking at the immediate benefits of low-fuel prices … [or] of consolidation in the United States,” he told CBC News in a television interview in March 2015. Rovinescu knows it’s the long-term profit strategies that will count in the ongoing struggle to keep an airline flying smoothly, especially in the face of growing global competition. Having shouldered the airline through trying times, he’s not about to break a sweat over healthy rivalry: “We like good solid competition that makes us better. That’s the kind of competition I’ll take any day of the week.”

PHOTO: AIR CANADA

When Rovinescu was called to lead Air Canada in 2009, hopes were high he would be the one to pull the airline out of its chronic critical condition. He had left the successful investment bank he cofounded to take over an Air Canada battered by high oil prices, a recession and growing global competition that forced it once again to the brink of bankruptcy – a situation eerily similar to the one he left as the airline’s chief restructuring officer, five years prior, in 2004.

Air Canada’s remarkable turnaround is perhaps why Rovinescu is most respected. “Obviously, the cycle is important,” said Peter Letko, a lawyer and shareholder, explaining the nature of the airline business to Report on Business, “but without leadership, there is a lack of focus. So you’ve got to give Calin the credit.” This credit

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Air Canada hosted the Star Alliance CEOs for an Annual Strategy Meeting in Vancouver, Canada.

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Low-Cost IFE

BudgetFriendly Entertainment The success of a low-cost carrier relies on lean operational expenses, keeping weight low and costs lower so that passengers can enjoy base fares. Traditionally, budget carriers have found entertainment hardware too heavy to carry, but with new technologies, this market segment is finding room for amusement.

by Marisa Garcia | illustration Ricardo Polo

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Bring Your Own Device A number of low-cost carriers (LCCs) interested in bringing entertainment on board have opted for one of the various bring-yourown-device (BYOD) solutions available on the market. Beyond being cost-effective, some airlines have found ways to drive ancillary revenues with this approach.

Working with Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), low-cost innovator Southwest Airlines offers free streaming of live television and a catalog of popular TV shows on Wi-Fiequipped aircraft. In 2008, the Dallas-based carrier became the first in the US to test satellite-delivered broadband on multiple aircraft. Now access to browse the Internet is available for $8 a day. The airline also offers a selection of live TV channels and on-demand access to popular TV shows.

Full-length movies are available for $5. In 2014, GEE and Southwest also struck a landmark deal with Beats Music, which lets passengers access hundreds of playlists in 62

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a wide range of musical genres through the airline’s Wi-Fi connection.

Similarly, Singapore-based LCC Scoot offers customers ScooTV content streamed directly to their personal electronic devices (PEDs) via the Scoot Wi-Fi network, for a charge of $11.

Passengers get unlimited access to movie and television programs for the duration of their flight, including Hollywood favorites, international and Asian hits, and dedicated kids programming. As an added incentive for Scoot customers to buy a full-service ticket, passengers flying ScootBiz get complimentary access to entertainment.

While Scoot’s full-access Wi-Fi pass is popular, the airline has found a niche market among passengers who need less and want to pay less. Working with Panasonic Avionics, Scoot now offers a Social-Lite service, with enough power for texting, chatting and light web browsing (20 MB of data at 64 Kbps), which can be purchased for $5. The airline has found it a good fit for customers wanting to catch up with friends and family, but who don’t want to pay $11.95 for an hour or $21.95 for a 24-hour pass on the unlimited data plan. > Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Tigerair Australia has recently announced it will introduce passenger device-based in-flight entertainment (IFE) on its B737-800 aircraft. The airline has chosen Arconics CloudStore wireless IFE with hardware supplied by Kontron. Via CloudStore, Tigerair will offer passengers both free and paid content, including Hollywood hits, popular films and television programs.

Dutch LCC Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM Group, went the full-app route, avoiding the costs of equipping aircraft for IFE and connectivity. Customers can access a content catalog through the airline’s app, from which they can download up to five films or TV series before boarding while on a Wi-Fi connection either at home or at the

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airport. Transavia’s content menu includes box office hits and popular television series, and it’s free. The app’s content is only available for the duration of the flight and must be downloaded again on a return flight.

Immfly’s wIFE (wireless in-flight entertainment) solution is flying on Iberia Express’ fleet. The Barcelona-based startup also recently announced a new deal with Spanish LCC Volotea for the airline’s A319 aircraft. The Wi-Fi-enabled system offers passengers print, videos and music; they can also search for and book activities at their destination. In June, Immfly entered the longhaul LCC market in a deal with XL Airways.

One of the downsides to the BYOD approach is that it limits entertainment

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access to passengers who have devices – though that soon may not be an issue.

SITAONAIR, which offers streaming content and live TV solutions with its ONAIR Play product, says that 94 percent of flyers carry some electronic device, be it a laptop, tablet or smartphone. Of passengers carrying devices, 15 percent carry all three.

Alongside the proliferation of devices comes the need for airline-supplied power.

Some LCCs have also addressed concerns over draining batteries by adding various power outlets on seats. While Scoot offers access to its 110V or 60Hz charging outlets for free in ScootBiz, it’s found a way to monetize this amenity in economy, offering charging to passengers for a small fee.

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Seatback Setbacks and Gains For LCCs that already offer IFE via embedded seatback screens, in-flight connectivity and the BYOD phenomenon has led some to wean off the seatback – whereas for others, it hasn’t.

westjet Calgary-based Canadian LCC WestJet made headlines in 2014 when it announced it would begin phasing out seatback screens in favor of device-based entertainment.

For the moment, the airline offers a mix of IFE options, depending on the aircraft type and route. Most B737 aircraft operating within Canada still offer seatback-embedded IFE with live television programming provided by Bell TV.

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On domestic flights over two and a half hours, passengers can also watch pay-perview Hollywood hits. Some of WestJet’s US and international flights offer seatback entertainment with stored programs.

But with a growing network and plans to operate a mixed-fleet international service across the Atlantic, late last year WestJet introduced WestJet Connect, a Wi-Fi-based BYOD platform powered by Panasonic Avionics. The service is being rolled out on the airline’s B767-300 aircraft and Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. “WestJet Connect will continue to evolve in the months and years ahead,” says Marshall Wilmot, WestJet’s senior vice-president, Marketing and Digital, on the airline’s blog.

More than 80% of WestJet’s passengers bring their own device on board.

As WestJet phases out screens and travelers adjust to the BYOD option, the airline continues to rent tablets on select flights to passengers flying without their own PEDs, but the airline says 80 percent of its customers bring their own. >

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“Our new app enables passengers to start their vacations, even before they board.”

Jean-François Lemay Air Transat air transat Farther east, Montreal-based Air Transat may be moving in a similar direction. The airline offers embedded IFE with touch screens on long-haul A330 aircraft, while passengers flying on A310s and B737s can enjoy one of two CinePlus app-based products.

Launched in 2014, CinePlus A lets economy passengers on A310s access content from an onboard server. With the 2016 launch of CinePlus B, powered by GEE’s Airtime Content-to-Go, those flying on Air Transat’s B737s, which have no wireless server on board, can download content prior to departure. “We care deeply about enabling our passengers to start their vacations as soon as they board their flights, and even slightly before. Our new CinePlus B app now makes that possible,” said Jean-François Lemay, general manager, Air Transat, in a press release. The airline also offers shared-screen overhead entertainment on A310 and B737 aircraft for passengers who haven’t brought their own devices.

azul

jetstar

Azul Brazilian Airlines has partnered with SKY to become the first airline in Latin America to offer live TV on board: 48 channels in all of local and international entertainment. The service is available on most of the airline’s aircraft, and content plays on seat-embedded IFE screens. To complement its live TV offering, Azul has introduced 1,100 of digEcor’s L7 portable digital players, providing passengers with a mix of movies, television and audio programs. The players are updated with new content every 60 days.

On the other side of the globe, Australiancarrier Jetstar’s IFE trajectory has evolved completely differently. Jetstar became the first airline to offer airline-supplied iPadloaded entertainment to its passengers in 2011. Working with Bluebox Avionics, Bluebox iPads came preloaded with a range of television shows, games, music, e-books and e-magazines, as well as early-window movies. Economy passengers could watch the iPads for a fee on flights longer than two hours and they were offered free to the airline’s business-class passengers.

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But owing to a drop in demand for the iPads on shorter flights, Jetstar has since discontinued the service. And after testing a streaming service in 2014, the airline has elected to only offer Panasonic X Series embedded seatback entertainment on its long-haul B787 Dreamliners for the time being. The entertainment system features a large catalog of films, TV shows and games that are sold on board or can be pre-booked online at a discount.

The airline says it’s considering offering onboard Wi-Fi in the future.

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seatback entertainment to make up for that.

Passengers flying on the airline’s long-haul Dreamliner aircraft can enjoy Panasonic AVOD-embedded IFE.

flydubai

norwegian Norwegian Air Shuttle has differentiated its brand from European low-cost competitors by offering relatively premium short-haul and long-haul entertainment services.

Passengers on most of Norwegian’s European routes can stream entertainment through the airline’s wireless portal, which includes both wireless video-on-demand and high-speed Internet access. Customers have to pay €5 per program selection, but whatever content they purchase is available on their devices for 24 hours, granted the customer remains connected to Airline Passenger Experience Association

Norwegian’s Wi-Fi. They can even enjoy the content on their next flight if they still have time remaining on their subscription. Most of Norwegian’s European flights also offer live TV streaming to passenger devices, first introduced last year and powered by RiksTV and GEE. While Norwegian was the first airline in Europe to introduce free high-speed Wi-Fi on board – a service that has been very popular with its customers – the airline does not provide connectivity on long-haul flights. Norwegian offers a rich selection of

Flydubai has openly opined on the prohibitive costs of seatback hardware.

“IFE is very popular with passengers, but the traditional systems were prohibitively expensive for us as a low-cost carrier,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, the airline’s CEO, in 2010.

But he credits Lumexis’ innovations in lightweight hardware with making it a viable option. “The Fiber-to-the-Screen system from Lumexis is revolutionary because it uses fiber optics rather than traditional copper piping,” Al Ghaith explains. “This significantly reduces the cost of the system overall, and makes it far lighter than other IFE systems in use today. Any reduction in weight reduces our fuel costs and therefore ensures we can keep our ticket prices low.”

The airline has recently announced a fleetwide deployment of GEE’s Airconnect system on its B737s, which will stream live television content to passenger devices. volume 6, edition 3

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Breaking the Frame Brand differentiation matters – even in the frugal flyer market. JetBlue and Virgin America took the lead among LCCs, incorporating state-of-the-art embedded IFE on their seats and an expansive selection of unique entertainment.

The two airlines use entertainment platforms as strong customer touchpoints.

Virgin America made room on its Red IFE platform for ancillaries by selling food and beverages ordered through the touch screen.

It even encourages high-altitude socializing, allowing passengers to place orders for drinks served to friends seated elsewhere.

JetBlue announced a comprehensive IFE upgrade this year, moving to a fully connected Thales STV+ system, with high-definition screens, 100 direct-broadcast satellite television channels, and a number of features even novel to traditional full-service carriers.

The desire to provide fresh entertainment to an audience of modern binge watchers also prompted both these airlines to think beyond the seatback screen. JetBlue upgraded its IFE selections through a Fly-Fi partnership with Amazon, delivering exclusive entertainment to passenger devices. Jamie Perry, vicepresident, Brand and Product Development at JetBlue, describes adding a streamed entertainment option as “a step forward” in the airline’s customer offerings.

A couple months before JetBlue’s Amazon Prime announcement, Virgin America teamed up with Netflix for a streaming entertainment partnership of its own. Abby Lunardini, Virgin America’s vice-president of Brand Marketing and Communications, credits investments in Wi-Fi and entertainment as allowing the airline “to provide the largest breadth of streamed content ever available at 35,000 feet.” Virgin America also featured select seasons of Netflix favorites on its Red embedded IFE platform. The airline has set a high standard for Alaska Airlines, which bought Virgin America in April.

While some LCCs shy away from IFE, these mavericks have made it a core element of their passenger experience. Without sacrificing other basic principles of their operating model, they stand out as a premium choice for the price-conscious flyer.

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Over 32 million hours of DirecTV have been viewed on JetBlue.

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“We don’t believe in TV backs on chairs. It isn’t the LCC model.”

Kenny Jacobs Ryanair

In the Works Strict no-frills LCCs are stalwart IFE holdouts, but influencers among them are warming up to the idea.

Ryanair has admitted that it is actively researching wIFE. The airline’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, says that their entertainment strategy will be decidedly digital, and might involve short videos produced in-house and by the airline’s customers. It won’t involve seatback screens.

“We don’t believe in TV backs on chairs,” he says. “It isn’t the LCC model, and it’s also not a modern digital model, because everybody wants to look at their own device. Nobody wants to look at some 70

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grubby screen in front of them anymore.

It’s going to be the device in your hands.”

Although the airline hasn’t laid out a clear commitment, Jacobs adds, “The plan that is absolutely certain is that we want to serve up content in flight on the user’s device.”

When signing the order on the airline’s new Formula 1-inspired Mirus Hawk seats at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said he liked that the seat had the option to hold devices, describing the service as something “we’ve always wanted to do very much.” AirAsia X, long-haul, low-cost affiliate carrier of AirAsia Group, rents out Samsung Galaxy tablets preloaded with box office hits,

television programs, music and games on long-haul flights to and from Australia.

EasyJet has said it will not consider in-flight connectivity until it can find a good business case for adoption. “Eventually, we will see Wi-Fi become the norm across air travel within the next 10 years or so,” CEO, Carolyn McCall, told Future Travel Experience last fall. “However, until it is cheaper and more reliable, easyJet will not introduce it. Also, easyJet’s average sector length time is only 1 hour and 10 minutes, and from responses I have had from people, they like being switched off from the outside world for that period of time. So yes, it will come eventually, but not until it is consistently good.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Q&A

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Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Q&A

> FAST FACTS FAVORITE AIRPORT:

TXL

SEATBACK OR PED:

Both

PASSPORT STAMP YOU WISH YOU HAD:

Australia

Fabienne Regitz

THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT WILL BE:

Bright

Product Manager, In-flight Entertainment Lufthansa

PHOTO: COURTESY OF FABIENNE REGITZ, LUFTHANSA

Fabienne develops the video and audio content strategy for Lufthansa’s long-haul and middle-haul flights. Before taking this position 10 years ago, she was responsible for nearly all aspects of in-flight entertainment (IFE) content and processes. Prior to working in IFE, she was a product manager for Express Services at Lufthansa Cargo.

To read Fabienne’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ FABIENNEREGITZ

Airline Passenger Experience Association

D

id you choose the airline industry or did it choose you?

Somehow both. It was always clear to me that I wanted to work in an international environment. My studies at university were a combination of languages (French and Spanish), economics and media and communications. As I was living close to Frankfurt, Lufthansa was, of course, one of the big international companies on my list.

How do content and entertainment expectations change for people when they are traveling?

For most people, traveling itself is already very exciting; but it’s also a stressful experience.

So, what passengers prefer on board is to watch something light and positive. Comedy and action movies are always a good choice.

Passengers also consider it a relief when they are able to navigate through the IFE interface and watch content in their native language.

What types of content trends do you see taking shape on board?

Content trends like box sets, playlists or similar packages are already realized in IFE. A new content type could be virtual reality.

From my point of view, the next steps are

more about personalization and interaction.

With new IFE systems offering ways to pair personal devices with the seatback monitor, new use cases will be added that will also allow for new types of content. The extension of connectivity will support this development even more.

Two things that you miss most about home when you’re traveling?

My family and my bed.

Your top three films of all time?

There are so many! Recently, I really liked The Martian. An older one that really impressed me at the time was Léon: The Professional.

And, as I am a huge sci-fi fan, I was amazed

by The Matrix. But it is hard to choose my top three movies of all time – I’d rather have a top 20!

If you could sit beside anyone on an airplane, who would it be?

The Dalai Lama. This would be inspiring and entertaining at the same time, I am sure.

What is one item you can’t travel without?

A scarf. I am always freezing in the aircraft.

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Nollywood

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

Nollywood

apex experience

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A Match Made in Nollywood Riding on the wings of Air France, Nollywood director Kunle Afolayan has a plan to take his latest film, The CEO, and African cinema to new heights.

by Caroline Ku

PHOTO: AFP

Director Kunle Afolayan and Arthur Dieffenthaler, commercial manager, Air France-KLM, pose as they board for an in-flight premiere.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Nollywood

H

is name might not have the ring of “Steven Spielberg” in an American household, but in Nigeria, Kunle Afolayan is a sought-after director. His films Phone Swap, The Figurine and October 1 are breakthrough films that have shined a spotlight on Nigeria’s Hollywood – Nollywood – and his latest movie, The CEO, is equally anticipated.

Last summer, Air France appointed the director as its ambassador, but it was unclear what was coming. Then weeks before the launch of the film, it was announced The CEO would have an unconventional premiere.

On June 1, a red carpet was rolled out at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, guests were met with a cocktail party at the boarding gate of Flight AF149 from Lagos to Paris and the film was screened on board. The journey ended at the opening of Nollywood Week in Paris, where The CEO kicked off the film festival.

Air France, an airline with a history of supporting French cinema, the Cannes Film Festival and, as of last year, Nollywood Week, met Afolayan while The CEO was

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already in production. The airline wanted to be closer to its Nigerian customers and felt that despite headlines that tend to paint Nigeria in riches, corruption and terrorism, “We think it is also important to try to give a good image of Nigeria abroad and to also disseminate their culture,” says Frank Legré, senior vice-president of Africa, Air France.

meet nollywood Unbeknownst to most people, Nollywood has the second-highest output of films in the world and produces some 2,000 titles a year – fewer than Bollywood but much more than Hollywood. The typically low-budget, DIY videos that are churned out within weeks and reflect current issues contributed significantly to Nollywood’s rise. But the pace has since slowed down. “There’s been more investment in equipment and generally improved professionalism across the industry,” says Mary Njoku, an actor and head of the Creative Talent Perspective team at ROK Studios, based in Lagos. “Fewer films are being made, but the quality of output is really improving.” >

Visit us at apex.aero

“It’s important to give a good image of Nigeria and to disseminate their culture.”

Frank Legré Air France

With a budget of over $1 million and a panAfrican cast, The CEO is a far cry from the shoestring productions that characterize the bulk of Nollywood’s output.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Nollywood

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nollywood films screening on a flight near you Ethiopian Airlines: Dazzling Mirage, 30 Days in Atlanta South African Airways: Luke of Lies, The Banker

Since Afolayan became ambassador, images of him flying with Air France, in meetings at the airline group’s headquarters, on a boat in Amsterdam’s canals for King’s Day and behind the scenes of The CEO’s post-production have surfaced on his social media feeds. He posted: “I had an interactive session with the commercial directors of #AirFrance/#KLM … and we discussed the importance of brand association and how film can be used to push sales, marketing and, most importantly, create relationships and connections among people especially in #Africa.”

spotlight on africa Afolayan was born in Nigeria and started his film career in Nollywood, but The CEO is intentionally pan-African. The director went to great lengths to cast actors from all over 80

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Africa. And with the help of Air France, the film takes viewers to Casablanca, Nairobi, Abidjan and Lagos, and features Arabic, Swahili, Yoruba, English, French and Chinese languages. “People from West Africa will be happy to see Angélique Kidjo. People from South Africa will be happy to see Nico Panagio. It’s very well prepared and planned

by Afolayan,” Legré says. “He really wants to make it a pan-African success.”

According to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Air Passenger Forecast, by 2034, Asian, South American and African routes will see the fastest growth; seven of the 10 fastest-growing markets in terms of percentage will be in Africa (Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia); and Africa will see 294 million air passengers annually. >

Air France-KLM: Luke of Lies, The Banker, Taxi Driver: Oko Ashewo, Mummy Dearest Kenya Airways: All That Glitters, On Bended Knees Turkish Airlines: House Husband

Wale Ojo and Fatym Layachi during the shooting of The CEO in Lagos.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Nollywood

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Kunle Afolayan (second from the left) and actors from The CEO speak to passengers during the in-flight premiere on an Air France A340-300.

Jean-Victor Ayite, international business coordinator of Côte Ouest Audiovisuel, one of the largest distributors of television content in Africa, based in Abidjan, saw evidence of this passenger growth at APEX MultiMedia Market earlier this year. He said he was surprised by the interest from Middle Eastern and American carriers in African content. “I was talking with [a French airline that] was surprised that in a plane that was leaving from Paris to Dubai, 70 percent of the people were African … Even in the US, the African diaspora is very important.”

Ayite notes that most airlines, especially those with just a few routes to and from Africa, are not going to take up loads of African films and TV shows, but they will be 82

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“Our target goes beyond the continent.”

Jean-Victor Ayite Côte Ouest Audiovisuel

interested in selecting the best titles. “They want to give a freshness, a new touch,” Ayite says. “There will be a larger and larger demand of flights for business to Africa, and for tourism, and most of the airlines are

trying to show their position as an airline that hasn’t forgotten this part of the world…”

Although Nollywood steals much of the spotlight, it is hardly Africa’s only cinema.

South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates, for example, stock a library of African content from Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and beyond. “Our target goes beyond the continent,” says Ayite, who counts a growing diaspora, better marketing, industry improvements and directors like Afolayan as reasons African cinema is getting noticed. “He’s somebody who is very, very demanding of himself and his teams …

He’s mad about quality. And he’s mad about Africa. The way he picks his stories enables him to speak to all the world.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

#avgeeksigns challenge

The Top 10 Signs You Might Be an AvGeek For one month, we invited the aviation community to identify the most telling traits of an AvGeek using the hashtag, #AvGeekSigns. We flew every submission by a panel of top-notch AvGeeks, including Joanna Boundy, chief marketing officer, Qantas Loyalty; Joe Leader, APEX CEO; and Jon Norris, vice-president sales and marketing, Lumexis. They whittled more than 50 entries down to the top 15 signs. But the ultimate judging came from you – AvGeeks voted for their favorites to help us establish the 10 quintessential signs that you might be an AvGeek.

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The Top 10 Signs You Might Be an AvGeek 1 You’ll book an

unconventional itinerary just to fly on a new aircraft type, or visit a new airport.

2 You refer to

cities by their airport codes.

ORD

3 At a party,

you’re the one correcting everyone else’s misconceptions about airlines and aircraft.

5 You can decode

4 You go to the

In-N-Out on Sepulveda in Los Angeles not just for the burgers, but to watch the planes on short final at LAX.

an airport based on three or four letters on a license plate.

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7 You check the

fin number of your flight and are disappointed when you’ve already flown on that plane.

6 You tweet

the local TV news when they use a graphic of an obsolete airline livery.

8 You look

up every time you hear an airplane, and can positively identify the type. By its sound.

10 You get

9 You fly to a

place just for lunch or a day.

angry when the airplane taking off in a movie is a different type when it lands.

With thanks to contributors: Pierre Ageron, Isaac Alexander, Ryan Ewing, Christian Kamhaug, John Kosak, NicolĂĄs Larenas, Heather Poole, Safran and Howard Slutsken.

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Singapore, Gateway to Asia With air travel booming in the Asia-Pacific region, it’s no wonder the world’s largest industry-driven event, APEX EXPO, has chosen to land in Singapore! Join more than 3,000 industry leaders eager to improve the passenger experience on the ground, in the air and into the future.

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of international air traffic touches the region

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Global air passenger flow projections in 2034 Europe

20

Asia Pacific 27

14 results 20

23 8

North America South America

8

8

5

one in every 2.5 passengers

will be traveling to or from the Asia-Pacific region

35 40 20

By 2034,

3

4 Africa Middle East Source: IATA 2015 Air Passenger Forecast

CO-LOCATED WITH

Q&A

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“Airlines will need to focus on enabling technology and tuning the personal experience.�

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Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Q&A

> FAST FACTS LOCATION:

GVA

THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT WILL BE:

Busy

FAVORITE AIRCRAFT:

A380

BRAND OF SUITCASE:

Samsonite

David Lavorel Chief Executive Officer SITAONAIR

PHOTO: MAXIM SERGIENKO

Since joining SITA in 2000, David has been instrumental in the development of the company’s growth ambitions through a number of strategic programs and acquisitions. His leadership has included developing its 2020 Vision and Strategy, evolving OnAir as a fully owned subsidiary of the SITA Group, and driving SITA’s connected aircraft strategy – leading to the creation of SITAONAIR in 2015.

To read David’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ DAVIDLAVOREL

Airline Passenger Experience Association

D

id you choose the airline industry or did it choose you?

I’m a telecommunications engineer by background and I’ve had a career in IT for quite a while. I was a consultant prior to joining SITA. I developed a good feeling about the business and that’s how I ended up in the industry.

Every job has a cool factor. What’s yours?

Working in a very international environment, being exposed to different cultures and being able to meet so many different people.

How do you see in-flight connectivity evolving over the coming years?

I fundamentally believe that there will remain a gap between what people experience on the ground and what will be provided on the aircraft. The future of successful connectivity is going to be bridging that gap in a manner that is as seamless and transparent to passengers as can be.

What do you think is the most overlooked aspect of the passenger experience?

With all that’s happening with wearables, and technology providers working around health, self-care, work/life-balance-type things, what airlines will need to focus on is

enabling technology and tuning the personal experience, especially for the long range. Airlines can help passengers tune their flight experience to their own rhythm so they can decide when they want to sleep, when they want to eat, when they want to rest, how to have a more relaxed experience on board the aircraft.

What’s been the most significant change you’ve noticed in the aerospace industry since you got started?

Segmentation of the offering and the propositions. When I started in this industry, airline products were fairly similar and maybe not so differentiated. Over the last 15, 20 years, there’s been a huge amount of differentiation between the classical segment of low-cost carrier and the fullservice carrier, but within that, airlines are increasingly segmenting their product and thinking from a customer perspective and packaging what they want to provide.

What’s the one item you can’t travel without?

My glasses case, especially for night flights.

But otherwise, my Bose headphones.

Your top three films of all time?

Star Wars V, VI and I.

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Roundtable

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Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Windows of Opportunity Whether you attribute the bring-your-own-device trend, in-flight connectivity or streaming services as the catalyst for the steady revolution of in-flight entertainment, collectively, disruptive digital distribution models are rattling Hollywood’s high-stakes value chain – especially when it comes to early-window content. In this roundtable, key stakeholders weigh in on how things are changing.

by Katie Sehl

> Dominic Green executive vicepresident, americas

> Betsy Hamlin owner and founding member

Inflight Dublin

Cinesky Pictures

Airline Passenger Experience Association

> Anton Vidgen creative director Air Canada

> David Withers chief executive officer digEcor

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Roundtable

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Visit us at apex.aero

E

Brings the Most Value

23%

Very Important

50%

How important is early-window content on IFE right now?

18% Not Important

9%

Market conference in Amsterdam, the association’s IFE-buyer conference, several new vendors showcased an array of shortformat options for airlines to select from.

In a poll of attendees at the conference, 50 percent said they view early-window content as a “very important” part of an airline’s offering, while 23 percent said it “brings the most value.” Dominic Green, executive vice-president of content service provider Inflight Dublin, Americas, thinks the numbers may be gradually dropping.

“My guess is that the perceived importance of early-window content has probably gone down, because there’s so much more to see, plus the fact that release windows are a lot closer together than they used to be,” he says. “It used to be that an early-window movie stayed fresh for a few months. Now you can find most new movies available via home on-demand systems really soon after airline availability.”

By the time a movie reaches the home window, in most cases it’s already accrued more than 70 percent of the total revenues 90

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Somewhat Important

Poll taken of attendees at APEX MultiMedia Market 2016

“Release windows are a lot closer than they used to be.”

Dominic Green Inflight Dublin

it will earn, which makes piracy a massive threat. To mitigate this risk, and to compensate for declining revenues, studios have been closing the gaps, and windows are shrinking.

In 1997, it took approximately eight months and 12 days after theatrical release for a film like Titanic to be released for consumer purchase on DVD. Now, according to figures from the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), the average time it takes a film to fly from silver screen to DVD is three months and 26 days.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

ILLUSTRATION: FABRIZIO MORRA

arly-window content has long been one of the hottest tickets for airline flyers.

But with in-flight connectivity, on-the-ground on-demand streaming, the rise of new content and shrinking windows, is that changing?

Betsy Hamlin, owner and founding member of Cinesky Pictures, still sees a strong demand for new-release films.

“Passengers get onto the plane with the expectation of watching the latest movies.

It’s a valued part of the experience,” she says. Anton Vidgen, Air Canada’s creative director, agrees: “Unquestionably, earlywindow content remains a key offering for airline passengers. I think there will always be an interest in it.”

David Withers, chief executive officer of digEcor, an integrated in-flight entertainment (IFE) and cabin hardware provider, echoes Hamlin and Vidgen, but also points to the rising popularity of other forms of content.

According to Withers, “Early-window content is still of value to the passenger; however, we are seeing as high a demand for more content choice, whether that means more short features, TV box sets and even non-traditional content.” At this year’s APEX MultiMedia

Roundtable

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securing streams of revenue The proliferation of personal electronic devices used for IFE has put new pressures on early-window content. Major Hollywood studios now allow airlines to distribute new releases on preloaded, airline-supplied tablets, but the streaming-to-passengerdevice dam has yet to be broken. “We can’t risk our movies being pirated in flight. It’s a tiny market that enjoys the best window, and anything negative would damage the market completely,” explains Hamlin.

In addition to security, adding another medium to the once linear chain of windows muddies the stream of revenue. “Security is always a concern with any high-value content, but this isn’t really exclusive to streaming,” Green says. “I think the challenges are more about controlling how and when the content is distributed and how to maintain revenue through the new platforms.”

Hamlin adds, “Most companies involved want to carve out windows that create a revenue stream big enough to allow for profitability, and also generate revenues to fund the next tranche of movies.”

For Vidgen, as airlines are partners with the content creators, they are sensitive to the commercial interests of the studios.

“We need to make sure that we can protect the commercial interests of these content creators, which basically means ensuring that we have strong security protocols and that they’re getting their money at the end of the day so that they can keep on creating compelling content,” he says. “That said, we really should be working together to make sure that content can have as wide an audience as possible. Generally speaking, that’s what content creators want and that’s what content distributors want.”

the appeal of newness Until early-window content is available to stream to devices, airlines have leveraged connectivity to bring in fresh content and deliver a sense of newness. “Of course, through connectivity you can offer a very wide variety of diversionary or informational content, be it traditional AVOD-style content or much fresher content, such as the news or sports highlights, or even live TV,” Vidgen says. “Whether it’s early-window content,

sports highlights, news information or the latest episode from a series they’re watching, generally speaking, I would say that consumers have a tendency toward newer forms of content.”

Green also points to a growing demand for live, or hot, TV content. “High-quality live content can become a consistent part of the offering, with the availability to deliver time-sensitive content, such as sports, event by event. We could also deliver brand-new episodes of TV right after they broadcast – that’s a pretty good wow factor,” he says. >

Major Studio DVD Release Windows

2014 industry average: 3 months 26 days

200

2015 industry average: 3 months 23 days

170

140

110

80 2000

2001

All Studios

2002

2003

Disney

2004

Fox

2005

2006

Lionsgate

2007

New Line

2008

2009

Paramount

2010

2011

2012

Sony

2013

Universal

2014

2015

Warner Bros.

Source: National Association of Theater Owners, 2016. Reflects data as of March 25, 2016.

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Chain of Windows Typically, a major motion picture is released through the following chain of windows.

theatrical exhibition

Public viewing in movie theaters

in-flight/ early window

Release to controlled markets, such as airlines, hotels and cruises

home entertainment DVDs available for consumer purchase

While live TV and the rise of TV series are rounding out IFE repertoires, most agree that they’re contributing to the insatiable hunger of choice and quantity without threatening early-window content’s reign as the most coveted content. “It is becoming widely accepted that passengers want lots of choice, and building ever-increasing libraries isn’t cost-effective for airlines,” Withers says. According to figures from CNN, airlines can spend upward of $20 million a year on licensing IFE content, in some cases doling out more than $90,000 to license a show or movie for just a few months. According to Withers, passenger consumption is leading spend-per-flight to hit a ceiling.

“I would expect that the next step for studios is the need to change their business models for how to charge for content,” Withers adds. “Those that are not open to negotiations for revenue-share models or the ‘all you can eat’ libraries of content for a set fee will feel the pressure.”

now streaming new releases free-toair tv

Films become available on broadcast TV networks

video on-demand

Release to cable networks and video on-demand services

pay-per-view

Screening on cable and satellite payper-view channels

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Vidgen doesn’t doubt that the dam that’s keeping new releases from streaming to devices will eventually burst. “I believe it’s a question of when, not a question of if.” And when it does become available? “We’d jump at it right away for sure. It’s something that our customers regularly ask for, and we’d be very, very keen on offering early-window streaming content. But certainly, I imagine, we wouldn’t be the only ones,” he says.

With growing access to more and more content, Vidgen suggests that curation and personalization may become more important.

“Airlines, of course, are brands, and we want to have a meaningful relationship with our customers. In enhancing that brand relationship, part of it is curating, suggesting and proposing content that we think would be of interest to them and that they might not be exposed to if they have a free-for-all service like Netflix or the Internet,” he says.

Visit us at apex.aero

“Consumers have a tendency toward newer forms of content.”

Anton Vidgen Air Canada “I do very much believe that airlines should retain a role as creative custodians of their content, but I also think that certainly we want to make sure that consumers are allowed to make their own choices,” Vidgen adds. “If we, as an airline, don’t have a compelling content offering, well then consumers should be free to take their iPhones elsewhere and view whatever other content they may wish. I think it’s a healthy form of content competition.”

Green also notes that on-demand access to more content will add value to rarer programming. “It’s relatively easy to pick the new movies, so it makes the job of the person who finds the hidden gems, indie titles, regional movies and diverse TV selections all the more important,” he says.

But as bandwidth increases and streaming takes off in the in-flight arena, will studios become early-window content providers only?

“I think there is a value to being able to work with a studio to source a range of content – movies and TV, early- and late-window – but it comes down to what money is on the table,” Green observes. “Say Netflix wants to come along and take over all of the late-window content. If the fee offered by Netflix is more than the studio currently gets from IFE sales of that content, are they going to just hand it over? It’s a possibility… Money talks!”

Hamlin agrees: “Money could be a driver here, and certainly Netflix and Amazon have deep pockets right now, but traditionally, Hollywood has always looked at the long-term and tried to ensure all markets coexist.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

ILLUSTRATION: FABRIZIO MORRA

Roundtable

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Sci-Fi

Narrative Devices:

What Can IFE Learn From Sci-Fi? What can science fiction teach engineers and designers about the future of in-flight entertainment?

That reality may be stranger than fiction.

PHOTO: AFP

by Katie Sehl

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Sci-Fi

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

lesson one: everything that can be invented has been invented The premise, bleak as it sounds, reads either pessimistically or optimistically, depending which way you lean. The edict echoes through a course offered by MIT Media Lab researchers Dan Novy and Sophia Brueckner called “Science Fiction to Science Fabrication,” which seeks to explore the science of imaginary inventions and harness plausible extrapolations. The course and its creators acknowledge that invention doesn’t arise out of thin air; it’s the fire that ignites when two or more great ideas collide.

The science fiction genre and its implicit ingenuity offers a gold mine of ideas just waiting to spark with a viable reality, especially for those who work in technology.

“It is very true in my mind that science fiction influences our latest technologies,” says Brett Bleacher, director of Advanced Technologies, Innovations, and Research and Development at Thales Avionics. Bleacher cites the films Red Planet, Minority Report and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope as having inspired his inventions – he holds no fewer than 10 patents, nine specific to in-flight entertainment (IFE).

From Film Fiction to Fact We look at some of the ideas from the silver screen that inspired real-life inventions.

tablet devices The presence of a device that uncannily resembles an Apple iPad in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is almost banal now, but it certainly wasn’t when the film came out in 1968, or when Samsung made an opposition filing against allegations of infringement on Apple’s D’889 Patent on the iPad. To dispute the charge, Samsung’s lawyers submitted stills of Kubrick’s tablet model from the movie. While the evidence didn’t overturn Apple’s patent in the US, it did convince many that Kubrick, and collaborator Arthur C. Clarke, did invent an early prototype. In their version, called the Newspad, they imagined users would have access to an array of newspapers and periodicals. One of their imagined New York Times headlines read: “Airliner Feared Lost Over the Atlantic: 2,304 on Board.”

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Sci-Fi

Of all possible applications, lessons from futuristic sci-fi are particularly relevant to IFE tech, which faces the added pressure of having to stay relevant for considerably longer than interfaces on the ground. So much so that it raises the question, what can IFE engineers and designers learn from sci-fi?

lesson two: the trouble with travel

PHOTOS: AFP

Volupta inciunt holographic messengers andicapessa mori senihilicaest fugiIps, allcon familiar with Princess Leia’s diu st We’re potiume in a holographic-emitting Itatus message ceribus ficapessa droid: “Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi. You’re mori senihilicae facta my only hope.”

Sp. Publcapessa mori The scene has inspired many inventors, senihilicaeisu nterem including Thales’ Brett Bleacher, who told Aircraft Interiors dintiam ina.

International that in the development of his flight attendant hologram named Nana, “We’re thinking of something like the Princess Leia hologram in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.” The scene also inspired a Polish scientist named Marcin Panek who cocreated the commercial hologram product Leia Display Systems.

Starting with the first sci-fi film, Georges Méliès’ Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon, 1902), Noessel and Shedroff cataloged hundreds of interfaces for their book. Among their more interesting findings, they uncovered that non-rectangular-shaped screens look more advanced, future screens will glow and they will be blue. But when challenged to find examples of IFE in sci-fi that IFE innovators could draw lessons from, Noessel was stumped. >

The same holds true for Chris Noessel, designer and coauthor of Make It So: Interaction Design Lessons From Science Fiction. For Noessel and his coauthor, Nathan Shedroff, the processes of designing for reality and for fiction are not that different from each other. “Designers for each domain ask similar questions: Is this understandable? What’s the right control for this action? What would be awesome?” Sure, budget, audiences and realms of possibility may be different, but fundamentally, they argue, the work is similar. Plus, fictional tech very often primes consumers for what’s coming next.

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“Narratively speaking, travel is not what’s interesting … For that reason, sci-fi largely skips over it. People get in a shuttle, the shuttle takes off, then you have a cutaway or a wipe and then they’re landing,” he says.

“That means you don’t have a big body of scenes in which IFE tech is imagined, where movie and television makers have actually thought about that sort of stuff.”

dynamic sand tables When Douglas Caldwell went to see X-Men with his son in 2000, he wasn’t expecting to stumble upon the solution to a work problem. In the film, a 3-D pin board is used to demonstrate the topography of a potential battle site. Accounting for the terrain and landscape of battlefields is something military engineers – like Caldwell, who works for the US Army Topographic Engineering Center, have long struggled to do. “What Caldwell saw in this X-Men movie with the pin-board interface was an array, or display, in 3-D, on any topography that was imaginable, at any scale and at any time as long as you’ve got the data for it,” explains Chris Noessel, who uncovered the anecdote in his book, Make It So. Caldwell shipped the film with an RFP to tech companies and eventually developed the Xenotran Mark II Dynamic Sand Table.

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Sci-fi has been good at inventing technologies that bypass the travel experience altogether. In Star Wars, hyperspace makes laser beams out of stars and seconds out of years for travelers on the Millennium Falcon. In Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry’s transporters zap Captain Kirk in a blink rather than the quadrillions of years researchers posit it would take to actually teleport a human into space. Perhaps most wincingly, in The Fifth Element, travelers heading to Fhloston Paradise are unwittingly knocked unconscious for their speed-of-light space flight. Or, in Total Recall, why travel at all when you can go on a virtual Ego Trip?

But there are a few crucial examples – most importantly, Stanley Kubrick’s painstakingly researched 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

“It seems almost mundane today, but it was mind-blowing at the time,” Noessel says of the cinematic undertaking that led Kubrick to consult more than 50 organizations, including NASA, for technical advice.

In the opening of Act 2, a Pan Am spacecraft called Orion III carries Dr. Heywood R. Floyd to a space resort – a Hilton, no less – for the first leg of his trip to the moon. The camera pans up the center aisle and Floyd, alone in the empty cabin, sits slouched in front of an in-seat screen playing a film, pen floating

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“Narratively speaking, travel is not what’s interesting.”

Chris Noessel

above him. The scene is eerily prophetic, not just because embedded seatback screens wouldn’t be installed on airplanes for another 20 years after the film’s release, but because Floyd is asleep.

“The notion that the same level of convenience and choice that people had at home would be available on a flight, in a seat, was amazing at the time,” Noessel says. “What’s fascinating, of course, is that Dr. Floyd is asleep. He’s not riveted by the experience, he’s not riveted to the seat in front of him.” Flash-forward to 2001 in the film, and the bring-your-own-device trend that’s currently transforming the IFE industry was already a sci-fi reality, as mission pilots aboard Discovery One watch a telecast from Earth on their way to Jupiter.

robot friends Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? formed the inspiration for the popular sci-fi flick Blade Runner, and may have inspired an engineer to wonder: Do elders dream of electric seals? In 1993, a robotic seal named PARO was invented

by Takanori Shibata, and has since been tested in care homes as a seniors-friendly alternative to real furry friends. The therapy robot pet contains sensors that respond to sound, light and touch – and may even be able to provide extra assistance for those with dementia. A recent study found patients taking psychotropic medication for dementia were able to reduce meds after quality time with the baby harp seal robot.

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Almost 50 years later, Kubrick’s IFE interfaces have held up remarkably well – Pan Am, not so much. “When I think about the survey of science fiction, we see a lot more travel prior to 1968 because that was more of the question. But once people began to see it, maybe it was no longer a mystery,” Noessel speculates. “It may have been influenced in part by the fact that Kubrick’s 2001 was so well researched … Filmmakers may have been like, ‘We’re not going to outdo Kubrick, so we’re just going to put that down.’”

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you make really complex and busy interfaces, which implies sophistication,” he says. “But of course, real sophistication is simplicity.”

On some level, Coleran concedes, the same narrative devices can be applied in reality as well. “All of our interactions are just stories. They’re not specifically a piece of fiction, but they’re a story about here I am, I want to do this right now,” he says. So, how would Coleran design interfaces for the travel story? “I would go with the virtual reality (VR) approach: Sit down, buckle up and put your

PHOTOS: AFP; GETTY IMAGES

lesson three: tell the travel story As predictive as fantasy user interfaces may seem, they don’t always get it right – and sometimes they’re not even trying to. “My job was to create interfaces in film, but the thing is, they’re not interfaces – they never were,” explains designer Mark Coleran, who popularized the term “FUI,” or “fantasy user interface,” and boasts an impressive portfolio of work on films, including Children of Men, The Bourne Ultimatum and The Island. “An interface is an object or device used to either imply feeling or be a visual shorthand for indicating what characters are capable of.” Ironically, that sometimes leads to FUI design that makes less sense in reality: “If the characters are really sophisticated, then Airline Passenger Experience Association

fluid interfaces Prior to joining MIT’s Media Lab, Dan Novy worked in Hollywood for 16 years as a visual effects and technical supervisor. “One of my favorites was creating the interfaces for the flexible display laptops in the film Red Planet, starring Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss,” he told The Atlantic.

Unbeknownst to him and his colleagues at MIT, the design fictions he created for the film became a source of inspiration for a Fluid Interfaces Group at the Media Lab: “They were using clips of Red Planet without realizing that the guy who had created the interface they were studying was one floor above them!”

Sci-Fi

VR headset on,” he says. Asked the same question, Noessel concurs: With future IFE, “We’ll fulfill the promise of escape.”

Star Trek writers told the travel story in a similar way, as well. “In Star Trek, there were the constraints of budget, which kept a lot of the stories happening on the ship. That meant that writers had to do a lot of thinking about how it is that people would spend their time,” Noessel says. “When people aboard the Enterprise get really bored or have some leisure time, they go into the holodeck in order to have an escapist experience … These guys are onboard this unbelievably cool ship and they still seek escapism.”

Coleran cautions that while providing a space for escape, virtual and augmented reality should still focus on telling and enhancing the travel story. “Let’s not just use it for purely reproducing an existing entertainment system, but for building an experience out of flying itself,” he suggests.

“I think that’s one of the interesting areas of immersive technology, rather than just things behind glass … Can I make the windows bigger and see out of the plane? Or can I see down? I want to skydive over the Rockies.”

Perhaps, if IFE designers can take any lessons away from science fiction, it’s that passengers are ready to explore immersive worlds of their own. volume 6, edition 3

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“Connectivity is enabling us to now target untapped markets such as low-cost airlines.�

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> FAST FACTS FREQUENT FLIGHT:

LHR-LAX

NOW WATCHING:

Undercover on BBC One

Zina Neophytou

THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT WILL BE:

Space

PASSPORT STAMP YOU WISH YOU HAD:

Cuba

Director, Travel and Special Markets BBC Worldwide

PHOTO: BBC WORLDWIDE

Zina heads the Out of Home team at BBC Worldwide, where she’s responsible for maximizing distribution and revenue of BBC Worldwide Channels, the BBC Programme Catalogue and BBC World News across all Out of Home outlets globally. She also oversees strategy and business development within this area of distribution, with a focus on emerging technology and new out-of-home aggregators.

To read Zina’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ ZINANEOPHYTOU

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S

omething that never ceases to amaze you in your industry?

The fast-paced evolution in technology.

Who would have projected the explosion of connectivity services offered in flight?

This has enabled the availability of our live BBC World News channel on 13 commercial airlines. From an editorial perspective, this is great because news dates from hour to hour, so having access to live news when traveling is essential. It’s clear that passengers are hungry for the latest news when they’re on the move, and enabling them to access live news when they’re 30,000 feet in the air is absolutely essential, especially if there’s a developing story.

What can the airline industry learn from the entertainment industry?

Early windows are very important in the entertainment industry and passengers do expect to see the latest content available.

When licensing the BBC Programme Catalogue to airlines, we’re still working with 10- to 12-week delivery deadlines for assets before play periods, and this needs to change. Therefore, late-load capability in flight is key. The new series of Top Gear with Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc will imminently launch, and wouldn’t it be great to make this available in flight soon after transmission?

Late-load capability can enable this.

How has the bring-your-own-device trend changed things for you?

It has changed things for the better by

creating many new commercial opportunities for the business. Historically, we could only target customers with embedded systems, but connectivity is enabling us to now target untapped markets such as low-cost airlines, business jets, trains, buses, taxis.

It also means the availability of live news and sports in flight, which to me are the two essential genres when traveling.

What type of programming do you usually watch in flight?

I love long-haul flights, which always give me the opportunity to catch up on movies that I never had time to watch in the cinema. I also like to watch comedy, usually stand-up. I’ve also been known to go through entire box sets in flight, too.

What are your ritual travel habits?

I never travel lightly and always have a choice of outfits and shoes. I never know how I’m going to feel on any given day and I usually dress based on the way I’m feeling each day. I always pay a visit to duty-free shops when traveling!

Two things that you miss most about home when you’re traveling?

My son and a good cup of Greek tea.

Your top three films of all time?

Scent of a Woman, Casablanca and The Green Mile.

If you could sit next to anyone on a plane, who would it be?

Sir David Attenborough.

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NDC

Delivering the Goods In the ever-growing, multifaceted digital retail landspace, how can airlines ensure their full range of products and services is showcased across all platforms?

by Howard Slutsken | illustration Jorge Roa

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N

ew Distribution Capabilities. No, it isn’t a drone-based package delivery system. And it isn’t a viewing infrastructure to binge watch your favorite programs on a smartphone. New Distribution Capabilities, or NDC, is a data protocol, a standard to permit the interchange of electronic information between airlines and travel agents, ultimately benefiting travelers.

Airlines have been upgrading and streamlining their websites and mobile apps to give customers a rich and enhanced user experience. Electronic boarding passes are de rigueur on smartphones, and now seat maps, document scanning and

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real-time baggage tracking are improving the passenger experience. Travelers receive an ongoing stream of e-mail offers from airlines and other travel providers before, during and after their trips.

But with all this technological and software wizardry, there’s been a growing disconnect between what airlines provide on their apps and websites and what’s available to both the bricks-and-mortar travel agents and online travel services. Travel agents worldwide continue to play an integral role in trip planning, and want to have access to the rich content being created by the airlines to improve their client service offering.

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“Airlines will be able to distribute the entirety of their product portfolio.”

Yanik Hoyles IATA streamlining distribution In development since 2012 by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), NDC has the potential to level the playing field.

“Airlines will be able to distribute the entirety of their product portfolio, including ancillaries, in a consistent manner, across all channels, using rich format such as photos and videos, with the ability to bring new product offerings to market much more quickly,” says Yanik Hoyles, IATA’s director, NDC program.

“Consumers will benefit from a more transparent shopping experience, with access to all of an airline’s products and service offerings regardless of shopping channel.

They will be able to compare the entirety of an airline’s offerings, not just the base fare.”

“The biggest benefit is that all parties in the travel supply chain will benefit from NDC, and that is a first in our industry for a very long time,” says Jim Davidson, CEO of Farelogix, an airline distribution technology provider.

“Farelogix develops both the NDC Application Program Interface for airline connectivity and the merchandising and pricing engine, which is controlled by the airline. In other words, the airlines use these applications to create, price and deliver their content to third-party providers. We donated to IATA the original, or baseline schema, which is today the foundation of the NDC schema.”

The industry has come a long way since travelers had to make bookings directly with the airline on the telephone. There may have been an airline ticket office in the biggest hotel of major cities, and travel agencies began springing up in towns in

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Online Purchase Satisfaction Leisure travelers rate airline booking behind most online purchase categories.

US 9.2 8.8 8.3 7.8 6.8 5.6 4.4 3.7

Books Entertainment Electronics / Mobile Phones Banking Apparel Lodging Airlines Rent a Car

Germany 9.0 8.9 8.2 7.9 5.8 5.1 3.4 3.8

Books Entertainment Electronics / Mobile Phones Banking Apparel Lodging Airlines Rent a Car

Brazil 9.2 8.7 8.6 8.2 5.7 5.5 4.4 4.5

Books Entertainment Electronics / Mobile Phones Banking Apparel Lodging Airlines Rent a Car

China 9.1 9.2 9.0 8.6 7.4 6.0 4.7 5.0

Books Entertainment Electronics / Mobile Phones Banking Apparel Lodging Airlines Rent a Car 0

5

10

Source: Atmosphere Research Group’s Travel Online Studies, Q1 2015 (US), Q3 2012 (Germany), Q3 2014 (Brazil, China).

International Air Transport Association

the 1930s. “In ‘ancient times,’ airlines were very interested in having travel agencies sell tickets because it was a distribution network for them,” explains Mike Premo, president and CEO of the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). Operating since 1964 in the US, Air Traffic Conference of America (ARC’s predecessor) initially focused on ticket transaction settlement and, more recently, on providing the travel industry with technology solutions.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

“Airlines had everything from chalkboards to Rolodexes to lazy Susans, all sorts of efforts to try to manage inventory in a non-automated era,” Premo explains.

Computers and data processing were a quantum improvement for the airlines, and gave rise to Global Distribution Systems like Sabre, Amadeus and Travelport. “The combination of commercial practices and technology all came together in the early 1980s. You could not be an economically viable travel agent and not have a computer in your office,” he says.

Now, online travel companies like Expedia and Priceline give people another way to purchase services via the web.

Travel metasearch sites, such as Hipmunk, Kayak and Skyscanner, add a new layer of aggregated travel information. But the overload of information can be overwhelming for the user. >

Sixty-five percent of leisure travelers and 69 percent of business travelers say that they would be more likely to visit a travel agency that presented flight options online using richer retailing concepts.

Source: IATA’s Atmosphere NDC PAX Report (October 2015)

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truer airline retailers “The consumer wants a more straightforward and easier way to plan and book flights. They want to be the traveler; they don’t want to be the travel agent,” says Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst and adviser, and cofounder of the Atmosphere Research Group. “They want experiences that are richer in context. If I’m choosing a seat on a plane, a seat map is fine, but why not show me the view out the window. What travelers want is context and understanding. And NDC can bring that to the marketplace.”

If a traveler shares information – such as his or her frequent flyer number – during an

NDC-enabled travel search, an airline could provide an offer tailored to that individual.

Recognizing the traveler’s status, the offer might include a lounge pass or perhaps a time-limited “book now!” meal voucher to entice bookings on off-peak flights.

“What this really does is introduce, for the first time, the potential for airlines to be true retailers. Once NDC starts to be implemented on a wider basis, it will enable airlines to be much more creative in how they choose to go to market with their various products and offers,” says Harteveldt.

British Airways is one of the airlines that’s rolling out NDC-enabled processes. “The

Business Travelers Purchase on Multiple Platforms Airline website

51% 35%

OTA Company travel portal

23%

Call an airline directly

22%

Call company travel agency

21%

Call/visit retail travel agency

17%

Airline city / airport ticket

17%

None of the above

5%

Other

6%

Source: IATA NDC Online Airline Passenger Study Q3, 2015, conducted by Atmosphere Research Group

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“Consumers want to be the traveler; they don’t want to be the travel agent.”

Henry Harteveldt Atmosphere Research Group

introduction of NDC is a critical chapter in the evolution of distribution for the travel industry,” says Ian Luck, the airline’s head of distribution. “There are more channels than ever for customers to buy through and more products for them to choose from …

Customers have a choice of who they fly with and we want to make sure they can choose from our full range of products and they know as much as possible about what British Airways offers. NDC enables us to do that.”

IATA’s Hoyles recognizes that there’s work to be done to have greater adoption of NDC by the industry, but signs are pointing in the right direction. “As the benefits of adopting a single data transmission standard have become clearer, we have seen the major players climb on board,” he says. “Amadeus, Travelport and Sabre each have endorsed NDC, as have 15 other IT providers. To date, 13 airlines have deployed all or part of the range of NDC schemata, and 15 of the top 20 airline groups by revenue have either deployed components of the NDC standard or have plans to do so in the next two or three years.”

And as NDC gets integrated into the industry, ARC’s Premo reminds us where the focus needs to be. “We’re in the very early days of actually solving our customer problems in a way that’s going to create loyalty and customer satisfaction,” he says. “The good news is that now, with NDC, we have the tools to enable us to do that. You’ll never go wrong if you keep your eye on the customer.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Application development specialists for in-flight entertainment and communications systems.

Our software is installed on hundreds of aircraft and used by thousands of passengers every day in every corner of the world all in their own languages.

Applications we have developed allow passengers to view their location on the map, watch on-demand video & audio, play games, go shopping, reserve a hotel, car or just browse for information all from 30,000ft.

Established in 1998 with development facilities in Chichester, UK and Lake Forest, CA and a team of over 40 experienced developers we provide unrivalled expertise in the IFEC industry.

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“One thing that is especially fun is working on the exterior appearance, the actual shape of the aircraft.�

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> FAST FACTS LOCATION:

SEA

THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT WILL BE:

Amazing

FAVORITE AIRCRAFT:

B787

Blake Emery

PASSPORT STAMP YOU WISH YOU HAD:

Tahiti

Director, Differentiation Strategy, Commercial Airplanes The Boeing Company

PHOTO: MARIAN LOCKHART

Blake directs differentiation strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. His goal is for stakeholders to prefer Boeing aircraft. He conducts research with the flying public on both exterior and interior design, and is named on a variety of patents for exterior, interior and seat design. He is an avid practitioner of taijiquan, a Chinese martial art.

To read Blake’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ BLAKEEMERY

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D

id you choose the airline industry or did it choose you?

My grandpa had a Stinson Voyager floatplane, so I was imprinted with flying at an early age. As I was growing up, most of the dads in the neighborhood worked for Boeing. So, an independent streak in me meant I did not want to work for Boeing when I grew up! Eventually I joined, though, as an instructor of interpersonal and management skills. Then I became a manager of instructors and later worked as an organizational psychologist. Even though I worked at Boeing, I was far from airplanes. But I got fascinated with differentiation strategy and managed to convince the leaders at the time to let me do research with the flying public. So there I was in the industry!

Every job has a cool factor.

What’s yours?

My job is really cool! My bosses are very supportive of the projects I want to do, so the secret is to just make sure I work on cool projects. One thing that is especially fun is working on the exterior appearance, the actual shape of the aircraft. It was quite a journey to convince structural and aero engineers to listen to the research we

had done on what attracts people to an airplane. But we did it on the Dreamliner.

And occasionally we get to influence, from an industrial design standpoint, something like a wing-to-body fairing or a wingtip treatment.

I was fortunate to have help from a talented industrial designer who could really speak the language of engineers.

What is the most overlooked aspect of the aircraft cabin?

Although the economy-class seats are an easy target for this question, they actually get a lot of attention. I think the better answer is the lavatories. Over the past decade, some designs have improved, some plumbing has improved and the footprint has gotten smaller. I’d call that “overlooked.”

What’s the one item you can’t travel without?

A good book.

What is the best seat on an airplane?

The window seat.

If you could sit next to anyone on a plane, who would it be?

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

If you weren’t doing your current job what would you be doing?

Playing guitar and singing in a band.

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LSG Sky Chefs

PHOTO: KATIE SEHL

The Logistics of Everything Loose

Food is not the main priority for LSG Sky Chefs – it’s the punctual loading and unloading of trolleys containing thousands of pieces of equipment on 450 flights a day that keeps them busiest.

by Caroline Ku Airline Passenger Experience Association

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F

light catering is one of the most complex global supply chains in the world, linking a network of airlines, distributors, caterers and suppliers. Not many businesses involve receiving used or dirty things, cleaning them and sending them off to be used again. But this is the labor of LSG Sky Chefs, sorting, washing and loading trolleys that contain everything loose from inside an aircraft: from meal trays to dutyfree goods, and even customs declaration forms. On an A380, that’s 37,000 pieces of equipment weighing up to 6.5 tonnes.

As soon as a trolley enters the catering facility, it is emptied. Organic waste is sucked into an underground cellar to be burned, while trolleys are whisked off on a monorail to be washed. Cutlery, dishes and trays are sorted by their cabin class, because not all dishes are treated equally.

“Glasses require a different kind of water, heating, and a different kind of chemical,” says Olaf Mauthe, managing director of the LSG Sky Chefs Frankfurt facility. “At the end of the cleaning, you need special water to prevent dots that stay on.” Artificial sunlight emanating from beneath the conveyor belt

PHOTOS: KATIE SEHL

Inside LSG Sky Chefs Frankfurt, home of the largest dishwashing facility in Europe.

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LEFT Trolleys fresh off flights are emptied, washed and readied to be packed again.

BELOW Clean dishes are sorted into bins, so they can be transferred to food prep for plating.

domino effect, “Everything depends on the step before,” Mauthe emphasizes. “Our task is to create a circle, a never-ending circle.”

order of the day

“Everything depends on the step before.”

Olaf Mauthe LSG Sky Chefs

Airline Passenger Experience Association

helps to verify the glasses are crystal clear.

“The quality you have to produce for airline catering is much higher … At home, it’s not very important, but here, it’s a big quality issue … Our task is to prevent that, because a passenger on a flight has enough time to check all the different things.“ Every step has its set of procedures to fulfil its purpose in the cycle. In the kitchen, even raspberry compote is reduced to a list of ingredients, their weight in grams and a photo for what the dish should look like. In a system that has been set up to run like an infinite

Even on a scheduled flight, there is always a short order – a last-minute request that sends a passenger car speeding down the tarmac to deliver a couple of meals because airlines always load less food than ordered.

“If an airline books 300 passengers, it could be that the airline ordered only 250 meals … and at the end of the day, it’s a short order to fill up the right amount,” Mauthe says.

Mauthe receives the first figures for an airplane load one week before departure. At this point, he has a rough idea of how many blankets, pillows, headsets and in-flight magazines to load, but he receives updates every few hours, and it’s not until six hours before a flight that he has a clear picture of the exact numbers to deliver – kind of.

Mauthe explains the last call agreement with airlines: “Even 40 minutes before departure you can still have changes… and you have to deliver because the passengers cannot be without food.” > volume 6, edition 3

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Loading extra meals increases weight and costs for airlines looking to minimize buffer.

“They kind of really transfer the risk to us,” says Josefine Corsten, senior vice-president of Corporate Communications at LSG Group.

And with a product as fickle as food, it’s not easy. “To work with food with a high volatility, it’s extremely sensitive,” Mauthe adds. Cooked foods need to be chilled at

“Today there are so many business models in catering.”

Josefine Corsten LSG Sky Chefs 114

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41°F or frozen all the way to the aircraft, and depending on what gate it’s at, at Frankfurt Airport, for example, it could be a 45-minute drive from the catering facility.

“You have to make sure that the food is safe,” he explains. “That’s the number one priority.

But it’s only one priority.”

complexity of choice In a 24/7 production cycle that involves managing the preparation of 85,500 meals, 2,000 employees, 150 high loaders and delivering equipment to 450 flights a day, it seems that automation would be key to efficiency. But when you’re producing a multitude of small items with high levels of complexity, automation isn’t necessarily more efficient. “We are looking at automation … [But it’s] not easy because we have so much hand work … We have so many different things to produce because of the demand of the airline, because of the passenger,” Mauthe says. As a result, the

variety of service concepts makes it difficult for LSG Sky Chefs to automate en masse.

Variety may be the spice of the passenger experience, but it creates a challenge for flight catering, which the president of KLM catering once described as 70 percent logistics and 30 percent cooking. “Today there are so many business models in catering,” Corsten says. The options are as varied as the color combinations on a Rubik’s Cube. “It can’t be planned for. And we see airlines changing their concepts overnight.”

Part of this demand is driven by trends on the ground: on-demand delivery, digitalization, personalization; the turnaround cycle is becoming shorter and shorter. “You can compare passenger or consumer expectations when it comes to airline catering with shopping behavior on the web,” Mauthe says. “Today, you can order anything from Amazon. This trend will for sure also influence passenger demand in the airline and airline catering business.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: KATIE SEHL; MAXIM SERGIENKO

Airline meals are cooked at the catering facility, then chilled or frozen to maintain their freshness, and assembled or reheated on board.

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LSG Sky Chefs

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As this year’s World Traveling Catering & Onboard Services Expo in Hamburg, Germany, LSG Group displayed a variety of service concepts for airline meals, from premium to economy.

Find out more about in-flight catering at > APEX.AERO/ INFLIGHTCATERING

“You can order anything from Amazon. This trend affects the airline business.”

Olaf Mauthe LSG Sky Chefs

To cater to the 108 million passengers that the Lufthansa Group airlines fly in a year, meals are tailored to passengers on routes to and from China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and the United States. Airlines are continually rotating their menus, making them seasonal, collaborating with different chefs to market in-flight dining.

The growing movement toward personalization has also led LSG to develop a concept that would allow passengers to create their own vacation keepsake by sending a photo that could be printed on an amenity kit bag and having it delivered to their seat. Personalization may add another layer of complexity, but pre-ordering and technology-enabled buy-on-board options are also helping to simplify things.

so much more than sandwiches PHOTOS: MAXIM SERGIENKO

At the end of the day, Mauthe says complexity is what keeps things interesting. “Some people think we only deliver beverages and sandwiches on a plane,” he says. “The mix of logistics, time pressure, people management, different cultures and everyday [management of] different things. That’s the most interesting part of all, I think.”

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“Digital assistants through mobile devices are the future, and AI will power that.�

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Q&A

> FAST FACTS LOCATION:

LGW

NOW WATCHING:

Game of Thrones

THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT WILL BE:

Daniel Coleman

Personalized

FAVORITE HOTEL:

Marina Bay Sands

Founder Future Travel Experience

PHOTO: COURTESY OF DANIEL COLEMAN, PPS PUBLICATIONS

Daniel’s enthusiasm for aviation led him to PPS Publications, where he has developed publications and events for a range of air-transport associations.

His proudest career achievement is the creation of Future Travel Experience, which, through its range of events and online media, creates dialogue and knowledge sharing between stakeholders worldwide.

To read Daniel’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ DANIELCOLEMAN

Airline Passenger Experience Association

D

id you choose the travel industry or did it choose you?

I would say it probably chose me. I was obsessed with flying from an early age.

My granddad was in the RAF and my mom was obsessed with the Concorde – every night when it was flying over our house, she would run outside screaming with excitement, so I think it quickly got into my blood and I was always set to work within the industry somehow.

I grew up with the aim of being a fighter pilot, but after spending two years successfully passing aptitude and medical tests while studying, I was told my legs were two inches too long to safely eject from any of the RAF’s jets!

What are some trends you’ve got your finger on the pulse of?

Virtual reality, the Internet of Things and biometrics have been gaining steady traction in recent years, but artificial intelligence (AI) is coming on very fast now. I know many airlines were already looking at it, but the recent announcements by the likes of Microsoft and Facebook in this space are sure to accelerate their interest. Digital assistants through mobile devices are the future, and AI will power that.

Your top three films of all time?

I actually ask this question to everyone I interview as I find you can understand

someone better from knowing their favorite film versus anything else they will say in a two-hour interview. Mine would have to be Saving Private Ryan, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back and The Big Lebowski.

In October, Future Travel Experience Asia will be colocating with APEX EXPO and Aircraft Interiors. What are you looking forward to?

Asia is of course an extremely exciting and fast-growing market, and I think between us, the overall event offer will be incredibly dynamic, comprehensive and diverse. It will give airline executives, and industry providers from across the continent and beyond so many good reasons to get on a plane to Singapore. I think to have a gathering of such scale for the region with a core focus on enhancing passenger experiences is very powerful. We look forward to carrying that momentum forward as APEX and Aircraft Interiors head back to the US in 2017, while we continue building FTE Asia Expo at the Marina Bay Sands in 2017 and 2018, making it the home of Asia’s biggest passenger experience expo going forward.

Is there a buzz term or phrase you wish the industry would let go of?

Not necessarily let go of, but terms like “collaboration” and “co-creation” are key to the future in this sector, and too often the industry just pays lip service to them. volume 6, edition 3

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IRENE CASELLI, VENEZUELA

TOMI OLADIPO, NIGERIA

With journalists in more countries, we break stories from more places than any other international news broadcaster.

ORLA GUERIN, TURKEY

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Travelogue

Planespotter Portraiture As a photographer and planespotter himself, the decision to point the lens at the people spotting planes led to a portrait series and a reflection on the wonder of flight writ large.

Photography and words by Laird Kay

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Everyone has a story, and people love talking about their favorite planes, favorite liveries and best spotting memories.

ABOVE “Planespotter Portrait No. 9,” Airport Road and Viscount Drive. LEFT “Planespotter Portrait No. 13,” Dixie Road and Director Gate. All photos from the series displayed here were taken at Toronto Pearson International Airport, February and August, 2015.

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Travelogue

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There are different types of spotters. Some are there to record the registration numbers, so they can say they’ve seen every Air Canada plane, for example. There are the spotters who are there to see loved ones land or take off, and they always wave at the plane. There are the spotters who make a day of it, and bring a picnic. And then there are spotters like me, who take photos.

CLOCKWISE from LEFT “Planespotter Portrait No. 10,” “No. 5,” and “No. 3,” Airport Road and Viscount Drive.

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“Planespotter Portrait No. 12,” Airport Road and Viscount Drive.

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Travelogue

It’s quite remarkable how airplanes can be a great equalizer.

Planespotters come from every cultural background and every age group. They all share the same anticipation, followed by a giant smile and laughter as the plane flies overhead. volume 6, edition 3

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Upcoming APEX Events

For the most up-to-date event calendar visit > APEX.AERO

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multimedia market 24–26 April 2017 Berlin, Germany #APEXMARKET

4 3 expo 2018 24–27 Sept. 2018 Boston, MA USA #APEXEXPO

expo 2017 25–28 Sept. 2017 Long Beach, CA USA #APEXEXPO

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expo 2016 24–27 Oct. 2016 Singapore #APEXEXPO

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expo 2016 24–27 October 2016 Singapore #APEXEXPO

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expo 2017 25–28 September 2017 Long Beach, CA USA #APEXEXPO

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multimedia market 2017 24–26 April 2017 Berlin, Germany #APEXMARKET

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expo 2018 24–27 September 2018 Boston, MA USA #APEXEXPO

expo 2019 13–20 September 2019 Los Angeles, CA USA #APEXEXPO

Tweeting from one of our upcoming events? Be sure to use the designated hashtag so other members can join the conversation!

Follow us on Twitter > @THEAPEXASSOC

next up: EXPO Issue 2016: volume 6, edition 4

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ILLUSTRATION: FREEVECTORMAP

With the upcoming APEX EXPO located in Singapore, this issue will take a close look at the thriving air travel industry in the Asia-Pacific region. And, with passenger demographics in mind, we tour Airbus’ A350 XWB Customer Definition Center in Hamburg, Germany, to see how the airframer is anticipating the market demands of its customers, along with passenger needs. The issue will also explore emerging technologies and retail models that improve the passenger experience while helping airlines boost revenues.

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APEX Poised to Launch Landmark FlightTrack Program

Read more about NDC > ON PAGE 103

PHOTO: VANCE WALSTRA

With the right tools, APEX members can dramatically change the in-flight experience.

APEX is just months away from giving members an invaluable resource for smarter collaboration and in-flight entertainment content planning.

APEX FlightTrack will be the industry’s first real-time worldwide centralized database to serve airlines, studios, distributors, hardware service providers and content service providers. FlightTrack will allow real-time synchronization of content across the passenger experience industry. In future years, airlines may individually elect to include in-flight entertainment data in New Distribution Capability (NDC), allowing a passenger to select his or her flight simultaneously with in-seat entertainment.

FlightTrack is tentatively scheduled to launch in beta later this year. Spearheaded

by APEX leadership, the FlightTrack program was made possible by close collaboration with member companies.

APEX airlines, studios, distributors, content service providers and hardware manufacturers have been invited to put forward one individual to be a part of the program’s Launch Team – led by APEX technical director Bryan Rusenko. The Launch Team reviewed member bids and proposals to select a vendor and provided initial data for APEX FlightTrack. The group also set tight data control guidelines and made certain that all members of the APEX community were represented in this important new initiative.

An update on the program was presented at APEX TECH. Keep an eye out for developments over the summer, and contact info@apex.aero with any questions.

Bryan Rusenko, Technical Director, APEX

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ICYMI: APEX MultiMedia Market in Amsterdam

For full coverage of APEX MultiMedia Market, visit > APEX.AERO/ MMM16

Questions tested attendees’ knowledge of Top 20 Spotify streams, movie villains, international TV factoids and Star Wars trivia, spanning all seven episodes. The Amsterdamners won first place and took home the lot of Emirates swag and industry-wide bragging rights. (Rumor has it that, if there had been a tiebreaker, the questions would have centered on Donald Trump quotes.)

The last day of APEX MultiMedia Market was devoted to learning and discussion.

Education Day kicked off with a presentation from Juha Järvinen, chief commercial officer 126

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of Finnair, who was recently appointed as an APEX Board member. Other topics included a panel on content streaming, featuring representatives from airberlin, American Airlines and Air Canada; fresh concepts on presenting audio and music on board; the significance of metadata in helping passengers find what they want on the in-flight entertainment system; insights from Qantas’ experiment with in-flight virtual reality, and much more.

To read our full coverage from APEX MultiMedia Market, visit apex.aero/MMM16.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: RICHARD THEEMLING

APEX MultiMedia Market 2016 took place April 18–20 at the RAI convention center in Amsterdam. Airline representatives, content service providers, studios and entertainment companies mixed and mingled over the first two days of appointments.

The highlight was, of course, trivia night, sponsored by Panasonic. The main event was held at Koepelkerk, a 17th-century church admired for its dome top. Drinks swirled and glasses clinked alongside a buffet-style dinner while a band played jazzy renditions of popular songs. As Andy Grant, manager of Passenger Entertainment and Communications at Emirates and quizmaster for the evening, took the stage to introduce the trivia rounds, the atmosphere grew competitive.

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

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EXPO Anticipated to Be Largest PaxEx Event in Asia APEX is revving up for what is expected to be the largest and most comprehensive passenger experience tradeshow Asia has seen. APEX EXPO, October 24–27, 2016 in Singapore, has partnered with Aircraft Interiors Expo Asia (AIX Asia) and Future Travel Experience (FTE Asia Expo) for a tradeshow fully representative of the air travel experience from start to finish.

APEX leadership made an investment in this growing region by hosting three regional meetings over the past few years, and is excited to further commit to

Asia. This new collaboration represents a strategic shift toward working with like-minded groups to the benefit of the industry as a whole.

why you cannot afford to miss this event > An event on this scale is certain to draw some of the biggest names – and the most airline buyers – in the passenger experience industry. If your brand isn’t in the mix, you will be missing out. > Asia is emerging as a crucial hub for the future of the passenger experience industry.

The time to start making inroads is now, and EXPO gives you an incredible opportunity. > EXPO has been growing into new sectors in recent years and we are excited to launch the Future Technology Pavilion featuring major tech players as well as smaller companies ready to jump into the airline market. This year’s show builds on that progress and gives you valuable exposure to more companies than ever before. With the addition of FTE and AIX, attendees will have access to more representation of the ground experience and interiors, in addition to the full PaxEx APEX floor.

PHOTO: MARINA BAY SANDS

With the expanded tradeshow footprint, attendees can expect the same popular event features as always, including worldclass keynote presentations from top airline and vendor leaders and unmatched networking opportunities.

Registration for APEX EXPO will open in the summer of 2016. Visit the EXPO section of apex.aero for more information, including updates leading up to the event and how your company can be a sponsor.

Contact info@apex.aero with any questions you may have. Connect. Learn.

Create together.

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APEX in the Spotlight at Upcoming Global Travel Events

In addition to hosting tradeshows, APEX representatives have been busy on the event circuit – not only attending industry-related conventions, but also partnering with organizers and appearing on hot-topic panels. These initiatives keep the airline passenger experience at the forefront of the travel industry and open up new opportunities for APEX members.

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future travel experience global September 7–9, 2016 Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas

As the headliner of this year’s Future Travel Experience (FTE) Global event, APEX CEO Joe Leader, alongside other travel industry heavyweights, will participate in a think tank conversation that envisions passenger experience in 2025 as part of FTE Global’s “Up in the Air” conference stream. “We’re delighted that Joe Leader and various other air-transport industry experts will collaborate on this think tank project,” says Daniel Coleman, founder of FTE. In addition to exhibitions and workshops, FTE’s keynote will feature Eash Sundaram, EVP Innovation and CIO, JetBlue Airways, and chairman of JetBlue Technology Ventures. “Thanks to a headline partnership agreement with APEX, I’m confident we can look forward to our best show yet,” Coleman says.

skift global forum September 27–28, 2016 Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC

At this year’s Skift Global Forum, an event that covers the travel industry at large, Joe Leader will be hosting a series of interviews with prominent airline CEOs. “The travel industry is at its best when it thinks of itself not as disassociated, independent silos, but as one giant interconnected business that’s vital to the global economy,” says Jason Clampet, cofounder and head of Content, Skift. Besides the benefits of hearing speakers talk about challenges and successes from all sectors of travel, Clampet says attendees will “discover solutions they didn’t think of” and “walk away utterly shocked that a travel conference provided them with the inspiration to power them through another year.” Confirmed speakers include James Hogan, president and chief executive officer of Etihad Airways.

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APEX Heart Awards Recognize Above and Beyond Acts of Kindness The APEX Heart Awards recognize individuals and airlines behind everyday and extraordinary gestures that elevate the air travel experience. Here are three flight attendants who have gone out of their way to make passengers feel special.

LouAnn Alexander had dedicated 34 years of her life as a Southwest Airlines flight attendant when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, forcing her to abruptly leave her job. An impromptu “final flight” was held on her behalf, during which 95 messages of encouragement were collected from passengers – whom Alexander loved interacting with most on the job. “I don’t think she could fully take in every single gesture, but she was able to appreciate everything as a whole,” her brother said in response.

Alexander passed away May 23, 2016.

PHOTOS: LAYNE SALVO VIA MAMA LOU; SOUTHWEST AIRLINES; TAYLOR TIPPETT

Mark Murphy was working a flight when he noticed a deaf child and started to communicate with him using sign language.

“He just kind of brightened up and so I said hello to him a couple of times …” Murphy said.

The action was typical for the flight attendant, who had learned American Sign Language, but it elicited a congratulatory tweet from a proud Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, and made a difference for two-year-old Leo and his mother.

For more acts of kindness in the passenger experience, visit > APEX.AERO/APEXHEART-AWARDS

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Taylor Tippett turned a personal insecurity upside down when she scribbled a few words of motivation to herself, taped the note to a passenger window, photographed it and posted it on Instagram. The #WordsFromTheWindowSeat hashtag caught on and inspired copycats, spreading Tippett’s brand of kindness even further. “We live in a world where it’s all about the big picture stuff, and at the end of the day, that’s not really what matters. It’s how you make people feel and how well you love,” Tippett said.

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IFSA Regional Event Flies to Miami This Summer We are excited to announce our next Regional Networking Event will be held in warm Miami, Florida!

Please plan to join industry colleagues at 94th Aero Squadron on Thursday, August 4, 2016 from 4–6 p.m. EST. This informal networking event is a great way to build relationships and learn more about how IFSA can benefit you and your business. Feel free to pass this information on to colleagues.

Visit us at apex.aero

For more information visit > IFSANET.COM

WHEN: Thursday, August 4, 2016 WHERE: 94th Aero Squadron 1395 NW 57th Avenue Miami, Florida 33126 Contact Liz Johnson at ejohnson@kellencompany.com or T 1 678 303 2969 To register, please visit IFSAnet.com/events

PHOTOS: IFSA

Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be provided at 94th Aero Squadron, an aviationthemed eatery.

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What to look for in the months ahead

Coming Attractions w

A Faster Horse

Director: David Gelb Exploring the drama, passion and challenges behind the creation of the new Ford Mustang, this documentary chronicles the powerful history that turned a car into a cultural icon.

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A Quiet Passion

Director: Terence Davies Cast: Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine, Emma Bell, Cynthia Nixon Emily Dickinson wrote a poem a day, but only a fraction of her output was published throughout her lifetime. She was extremely shy, but with a wry, lively sense of humor. Her friendships were intense but it was within the family that she found her greatest happiness.

DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LIMITED CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG * EXCLUDING US AND CANADA

A Violent Prosecutor

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A Year in Port

Director: David Kennard

Director: Lee Il-hyeong Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Kang Dong-won Byun Jae-wook is a short-tempered prosecutor who is framed and convicted of murder. While in prison, he meets good-looking con man Chi-won who he feels could carry out a counterattack on those who framed him. He gets Chi-won acquitted in order to implement the plan.

Featuring the extraordinary history and mythology of port, this film paints intimate portraits of port-makers and their families and reveals some of the secrets of creating legendary port.

DISTRIBUTOR: TERRY STEINER INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: NADJA RUTKOWSKI

DISTRIBUTOR: EMPHASIS VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD. CONTACT: GRACE LAU * EXCLUDING KOREA AND JAPAN

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PHOTOS: © A FASTER HORSE, LLC 2015; © 2016 A QUIET PASSION LTD.; COURTESY OF EMPHASIS VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD.; © 2015 RUPPERT INTERNATIONAL

DISTRIBUTOR: TERRY STEINER INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: NADJA RUTKOWSKI

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Director: Mandie Fletcher Cast: Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks, June Whitfield, Chris Cooper

Director: James Bobin Cast: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen

Edina and Patsy ooze glitz and glamour, always shopping and partying at London’s trendiest spots. When they accidentally push Kate Moss into the River Thames, they become entangled in a media storm. Fleeing penniless to the French Riviera, they hatch a plan to escape and live the high life forever!

When Alice comes across a magical looking glass and returns to the fantastical realm of Underland, she discovers that her friend the Mad Hatter has lost his Muchness and embarks on a perilous race to save him before time runs out.

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PHOTOS: © 2016 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; © 2016 DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.; © HILARY BRONWYN GAYLE / HBO; © 2015 BLOOM MEDIA; © 2016 PARAMOUNT PICTURES; © 2016 STORYTELLER DISTRIBUTION CO., LLC, DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. AND WALDEN MEDIA

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DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

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All the Way

Director: Jay Roach Cast: Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, Melissa Leo, Bradley Whitford, Stephen Root, Marque Richardson A riveting behind-the-scenes look at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s tumultuous first year in office as he navigates the escalation of the Vietnam War and balances opposing interests to launch his landmark civil rights bill and win election to his first full presidential term.

DISTRIBUTOR: HBO CONTACT: KALLIOPE DIAKOS

DISTRIBUTOR: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONTACT: JULIAN LEVIN

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Ants on a Shrimp

Director: Maurice Dekkers Cast: René Redzepi Renowned chef René Redzepi of Copenhagenbased Noma relocates his restaurant and entire staff to the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Tokyo for eight sold-out weeks of specially created menus.

But for Redzepi to succeed in Japan, he has to reinvent himself on the other side of the world.

DISTRIBUTOR: JAGUAR DISTRIBUTION CORP. CONTACT: FRANCE CAPOR

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Director: Timur Bekmambetov Cast: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi, Sofia BlackD’Elia, Morgan Freeman A prince endures years of slavery to take vengeance on his adopted brother, a Roman officer who falsely accused him of treason.

DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONTACT: VINCE CRUZ

DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS CODES

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Ben-Hur

N: NORTH AMERICA

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The BFG

Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because unlike his peers, he refuses to eat boys and girls.

DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

* WORLDWIDE (W) EXCLUDING EMEA AND INDIA

* EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH AFRICA ONLY

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Blood Father

Director: Jean-François Richet Cast: Mel Gibson, William H. Macy, Thomas Mann, Diego Luna

An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 16-year-old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.

DISTRIBUTOR: SKEYE CONTACT: ISABELLE BÉGIN * EXCLUDING US AND CANADA

Jiao moved to Macau with her father when she was 15. Feeling lonely, the local casino becomes home to her. When she meets Daniel, a real estate broker and father of a teenage son, love blooms between the two as they start exchanging letters and sharing their most intimate selves with each other.

DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LTD. CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG * EXCLUDING MAINLAND CHINA

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The Boss

Director: Ben Falcone Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage Michelle Darnell, a titan of industry, is sent to prison after she’s caught for insider trading.

She soon discovers a new empire-building opportunity, enlisting Girl Scouts to sell cookies. But as she begins to rebrand herself as America’s sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.

DISTRIBUTOR: UNIVERSAL PICTURES CONTACT: PHYLLIS BAGDADI

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Directors: Gerardo Olivares, Otmar Penker Cast: Jean Reno, Manuel Camacho, Tobias Moretti The story begins in an eagle’s nest where the firstborn chick pushes his weaker brother to a certain death on the forest floor. But fate intervenes and the chick is found by Lukas, who cares for the bird while finding a love and companionship denied to him at home.

DISTRIBUTOR: JAGUAR DISTRIBUTION CORP. CONTACT: FRANCE CAPOR * EXCLUDING GERMANY, AUSTRIA, GERMAN-SPEAKING SWITZERLAND, LUXEMBOURG

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Captain Fantastic

Director: Matt Ross Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Missi Pyle, Kathryn Hahn Ben, a free-thinking father of six, is raising his kids in the woods of Washington state.

When a family emergency forces them to leave their self-created paradise home, Ben finds his unconventional ideas about parenting challenged by the world he has worked so hard to create a refuge from.

DISTRIBUTOR: SKEYE CONTACT: ISABELLE BÉGIN * EXCLUDING AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, UK

W: WORLDWIDE

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PHOTOS: © CATHY KANAVY; © 2016 EDKO FILMS LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; © 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; © 2015 TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS GMBH; © REGAN MACSTRAVIC

Director: Xue Xiaolu Cast: Tang Wei, Wu Xiubo

WB NON-THEATRICAL SALES wbnts.warnerbros.com

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JEFF CRAWFORD jeff.crawford@warnerbros.com

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ANGELICA McCOY angelica.mccoy@warnerbros.com

© 2016 Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights reserved.

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Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Aaron Paul A geek who grew up to be a lethal CIA agent enlists the help of the former “big man on campus,” now an accountant who misses his glory days. But before the staid number cruncher realizes what he’s getting into, his new friend drags him through a world of shootouts, double-crosses and espionage.

The Conjuring 2

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Criminal

Director: James Wan Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O’Connor, Madison Wolfe, Lauren Esposito, Patrick McAuley

Director: Ariel Vromen Cast: Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Gal Gadot, Alice Eve

Based on a real case from the files of renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, the couple travels to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone, in a house plagued by malicious spirits.

In a last-ditch effort to stop a diabolical plot, a dead CIA operative’s memories, secrets and skills are implanted into an unpredictable and dangerous death-row inmate, in the hope that he will complete the operative’s mission.

DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

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Don’t Breathe

Director: Fede Alvarez Cast: Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.

DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES

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Equity

Director: Meera Menon Cast: Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Sarah Megan Thomas, Alysia Reiner

When investment banker Naomi Bishop is passed over for a promotion at her firm, she takes a startup public, hoping the promising IPO will secure her a place at her firm’s highest level.

But soon, Naomi finds herself tangled in a web of deception and office politics and begins to question who she can trust.

DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES * EXCLUDING CANADA

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PHOTOS: © 2016 WARNER BROS. ENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; © 2016 WARNER BROS. ENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; © JACK ENGLISH; COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES RELEASING; COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES RELEASING

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Director: Gary Ross Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, Keri Russell

Finding Dory

Director: Andrew Stanton Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Hayden Rolence, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell

Dory, the forgetful blue tang, is living happily in the reef with Nemo and Marlin. But when she suddenly remembers she has a family who may be looking for her, the trio set off on a lifechanging adventure to find them.

DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

Newt Knight leads a band of small farmers and local slaves from Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating the Free State of Jones. He continues his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing himself as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the war.

DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

From Vegas to Macau 3 w

Directors: Wong Jing, Andrew Lau Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Jacky Cheung, Nick Cheung, Andy Lau, Carina Lau Ken is holding a wedding ceremony in Macau for his daughter. On the wedding day, Ken’s friend, Mark, receives a phone call warning him that a mysterious tycoon has hired mercenaries to assassinate Ken. The wedding is then sabotaged, while Ken and Mark are accused of stealing DOA’s illicit money.

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Genius

Director: Paul Feig Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Charles Dance, Michael Kenneth Williams

A stirring drama about the complex friendship and transformative professional relationship between the world-renowned book editor Maxwell Perkins and the larger-than-life literary giant Thomas Wolfe.

Thirty years after the beloved original franchise took the world by storm, the supernatural comedy makes its long-awaited return, rebooted with a fresh take and a cast of hilarious new characters.

Ghostbusters are back to save the world.

DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES

DISTRIBUTOR: TERRY STEINER INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: NADJA RUTKOWSKI

* EXCLUDING CHINA

* EXCLUDING US

DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONTACT: VINCE CRUZ * EXCLUDING US

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Ghostbusters

Director: Michael Grandage Cast: Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Guy Pearce, Laura Linney, Dominic West

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Hunt for the Wilderpeople

The Huntsman: Winter’s War

Ice Age: Collision Course

Director: Taika Waititi Cast: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rachel House

Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt

A hard-to-handle foster kid from the big city and a grouchy bushman in his sixties are forced to forge an unlikely alliance to survive in the New Zealand wilderness, after their misinterpreted relationship triggers a national manhunt.

Freya is forced to raise an army of Huntsmen as protectors, with the caveat that no two of them should ever fall in love. However, her most elite Huntsman, Eric, soon finds himself trying to conceal his forbidden love for his fellow warrior in arms, Sara, while tasked with stopping the evil Queen Ravenna.

Directors: Michael Thurmeier, Galen T. Chu Cast: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg

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Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that threaten the Ice Age world. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego and the rest of the herd must embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters.

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Director: Roland Emmerich Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, William Fichtner, Sela Ward It is now 20 years after the first Independence Day invasion in 1996 and the battle to save Earth’s freedom is gravely threatened by advanced alien technology.

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Director: Edward Zwick Cast: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Robert Knepper

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Jack Reacher returns to the headquarters of his old unit, only to find out he’s now accused of a 16-year-old homicide.

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The Magnificent Seven Director: Antoine Fuqua Cast: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Peter Sarsgaard

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Director: David Yates Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, John Hurt, Christoph Waltz

The Man Who Knew Infinity w

Director: Matt Brown Cast: Jeremy Irons, Dev Patel, Toby Jones In 1913, Ramanujan, a self-taught mathematician from India, traveled to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he forged a bond with the eccentric professor G.H. Hardy and fought against prejudice to reveal his mathematic genius to the world.

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Tarzan left the jungles of Africa for a gentrified life with his wife, Jane, at his side. He is invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge. But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.

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With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue, the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns. As they prepare for the violent showdown, the mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

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Me Before You

Director: Thea Sharrock Cast: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, Matthew Lewis, Vanessa Kirby Lou Clark’s cheery outlook is put to the test when she takes a job as a caregiver to Will Traynor, a wealthy young banker who is wheelchair bound.

No longer the adventurous soul he once was, Will has all but given up – until Lou shows him life is worth living – changing their lives in ways neither could have imagined.

Mechanic: Resurrection i

Director: Dennis Gansel Cast: Jason Statham, Tommy Lee Jones, Jessica Alba, Michelle Yeoh Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations and do what he does best – make them look like accidents.

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Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Particular Children

Director: Jake Szymanski Cast: Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, Adam DeVine, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root

Director: Tim Burton Cast: Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O’Dowd, Ella Purnell, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett

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Hard-partying brothers Mike and Dave place an online ad to find the perfect dates for their sister’s Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves out-hustled by the uncontrollable duo.

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When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies.

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The Monkey King 2

Director: Cheang Pou-soi Cast: Aaron Kwok, Gong Li, Feng Shaofeng, Xiao Shenyang, Him Law Five hundred years after the Havoc in Heaven, the Tang priest is appointed by Buddha to go to the West to fetch the sacred scriptures, only to accidentally free the Monkey King. With Lady White aiming to break up the team assembled to defeat her, the Monkey King must fight in order to save his world!

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Director: Nicholas Stoller Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Chloë Grace Moretz After surviving their battle with the fraternity next door, Mac and Kelly Radner are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they were safe to sell, they learn the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than their previous neighbors.

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The Nice Guys

Director: Shane Black Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger, Angourie Rice, Beau Knapp

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Set in 1970s Los Angeles, down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy must work to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches the highest circles of power.

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Nina

Director: Cynthia Mort Cast: Zoe Saldana, David Oyelowo, Kevin Mambo, Mike Epps

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The Night Of

Director: Steven Zaillian Cast: John Turturro, Michael Kenneth Williams, Riz Ahmed, Jeannie Berlin, Glenne Headly, Bill Camp

Delving into the intricacies of a complex New York City murder case with cultural and political overtones, this miniseries examines a police investigation, legal proceedings, the criminal justice system and the feral purgatory of Rikers Island, where the accused await trial for felony crimes.

Nina Simone was one of the 20th century’s most extraordinary talents, but fame and fortune came with a price. Rediscovering the meaning of her life and work took courage, strength and the help of her true friend and manager, Clifton Henderson.

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Nobunaga Concerto: The Movie w

Director: Hiroaki Matsuyama Cast: Shun Oguri, Kou Shibasaki, Osamu Mukai, Takayuki Yamada Saburo travels back in time and arrives in the Sengoku period of 1549. There, he meets Nobunaga Oda, son of a warlord and magistrate, who looks and sounds just like him. Tasked with unifying Japan, but physically weak, Nobunaga Oda asks Saburo to take his place.

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Now You See Me 2

Director: Jon M. Chu Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco The Four Horsemen return for a second mindbending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights in hopes of clearing their names and exposing the ruthlessness of a dangerous tech magnate.

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Our Kind of Traitor w

Director: Susanna White Cast: Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgård, Damian Lewis, Naomie Harris Based on the best-selling novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré is the story of an ordinary couple being drawn into a world of political corruption and international espionage, propelled on a perilous journey across Europe with dramatic consequences.

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PHOTOS: © 2016 BARRY WETCHER / HBO; © 2016 NINA PRODUCTIONS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; © AYUMI ISHII / SHOGAKUKAN © FUJI TELEVISION NETWORK, SHOGAKUKAN, TOHO, FNS27; © JAY MAIDMENT; COURTESY OF PENNY BLACK MEDIA

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PHOTOS: © 2016 BEMYBABY FILMS / NUESTROS AMANTES AIE / LA FERME PRODUCTIONS; © 2016 DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.; © 2015 BLOOM MEDIA; COURTESY OF SKYLINE IFE; COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES RELEASING

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Our Lovers

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Director: Miguel Ángel Lamata Cast: Eduardo Noriega, Michelle Jenner When Irene meets Carlos, she decides she wants to “play” with him, improvise, without any hurry or obligations. Both need someone to help them deal with their recent love failures.

And so, without telling each other their names or exchanging phone numbers, they start dating at the same bookstore-bar where they met.

Pete’s Dragon

Director: David Lowery Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence, Robert Redford A reimagining of the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon.

DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LTD. CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG

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The Sea of Trees

Director: Gus Van Sant Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts, Ken Watanabe Love and loss lead Arthur Brennan to the Sea of Trees, a forest lapping the foothills of Japan’s Mount Fuji where many go to die. He encounters Takumi who has lost his way. Their struggle to survive and escape the forest beckons painful memories. In reconnecting to his own story, he ultimately restores his will to live.

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The Seed of Silence w

Director: Juan Felipe Cano Cast: Andrés Parra, Angie Cepeda, Julián Román After the mysterious murder of a human rights lawyer, the detective working with her on their last case investigates the crime at the risk of becoming the next victim.

DISTRIBUTOR: SKYLINE IFE CONTACT: RICHARD BARSBY

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The Shallows

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra Cast: Blake Lively

Nancy is surfing alone on a secluded beach when she is attacked by a great white shark and stranded just a short distance from the shore.

Though she is only 200 yards from survival, getting there proves the ultimate contest of wills.

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Serenity S1

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Please link to our official website:

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Skiptrace

Director: Renny Harlin Cast: Jackie Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Fan Bingbing Hong Kong detective Bennie Black has been tracking crime boss Victor Wong for over a decade. When Bennie’s beautiful young niece, Samantha, gets into trouble with Wong’s crime syndicate, he must track down the one man who can help her: fast-talking, American gambler Connor Watts.

PHOTOS: © 2015 BLOOM MEDIA; © 2016 PARAMOUNT PICTURES; © 2016 PARAMOUNT PICTURES; COURTESY OF SKYLINE IFE

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Star Trek Beyond

Director: Justin Lin Cast: Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho Stranded on a hostile planet, Captain Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew face an alien threat.

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Director: David Green Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Pete Ploszek, Jeremy Howard

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Teli and Toli

Director: Aleksandr Amirov Cast: Kakhi Kavsadze, Dagun Omayev, Anatoly Dzivayev

The turtles spring into action to battle Shredder, mad scientist Baxter Stockman, Bebop, Rocksteady and the notorious Krang.

Georgian Teli and Ossentian Toli are two villages officially divided by an international border along the river that separates them. For centuries they have lived in harmony, but when the government decides to build a border fence, the intrusion on their way of life becomes the subject of derision and comedy among the villagers.

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DISTRIBUTOR: SKYLINE IFE CONTACT: RICHARD BARSBY * EXCLUDING ARMENIA, BELARUS, GEORGIA, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN, UZBEKISTAN, MOLDOVA, UKRAINE, RUSSIA

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Terra Formars

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Toro

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Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Hideaki Ito, Emi Takei, Tomohisa Yamashita, Takayuki Yamada, Shun Oguri

Director: Kike Maíllo Cast: Mario Casas, Luis Tosar, José Sacristán

Cockroaches were sent with algae to make Mars habitable for humankind. The mission now is to exterminate them and colonize Mars.

The roaches, however, have evolved into huge creatures with unbelievable strength and they mercilessly attack humans. Crewmembers must now undergo an operation to fight against them.

Toro, López and Antonio are brothers who worked for the dangerous gangster Romano.

After a robbery gone bad, Antonio died, Toro went to prison and López vanished. Five years later, Toro is out of jail and wants nothing to do with his old life. But then López shows up with his daughter, asking for Toro’s help.

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* EXCLUDING JAPAN

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Unlocked

Director: Michael Apted Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Douglas, John Malkovich, Toni Collette, Orlando Bloom When the CIA apprehends a suspect who is believed to have knowledge of an imminent terrorist attack, Alice, a former interrogator, is called in unexpectedly. Quickly realizing she has been set-up, she narrowly escapes and finds herself on the run, while trying to prevent a deadly biological attack on the city.

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Warcraft

Director: Duncan Jones Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. One army faces destruction and the other faces extinction.

From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their people and their home.

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PHOTOS: © YU SASUGA, KENICHI TACHIBANA / SHUEISHA © 2016 TERRAFORMARS FILM PARTNERS; © 2016 APACHES ENTERTAINMENT / ATRESMEDIA CINE / ZIRCOZINE / ESCÁNDALO FILMS / MAESTRANZA FILMS / TELEFÓNICA STUDIOS / RAN ENTERTAINMENT; © 2015 BLOOM MEDIA; © 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Reading List

Summer Reading List

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Find more summer read recommendations at > APEX.AERO/BOOKS

In this industry, we know the importance of content on the go. These are the latest books we’ve had our noses in at the APEX offices.

West With the Night

Beryl Markham Markham’s autobiography takes the reader to 1930s East Africa, where she is a bush pilot and racehorse trainer. In her world, she is threatened by lions and blackwater fever, and befriended by zebras and the Nandi. Markham captures this life in such words that impressed even Hemingway.

M Train

Skyfaring: A Journey With a Pilot Mark Vanhoenacker

Much acclaimed and celebrated, the seasoned 747 pilot’s literary debut explores the experience of flight with aerodynamic poise and precision. Vanhoenacker’s unique perspective from the cockpit restores wonder to modern aviation. A must-have on the bookshelf of any avgeek.

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Smith’s memoir takes its reader along her train of thought, flights of fancy and poetic departures, all of which lead steadfastly back to a corner chair in a coffee shop in New York City. As she drifts thoughtfully from past to present and place to place, Smith reminds us that to be a wanderer is to know, always, where home is.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF VINTAGE; NORTH POINT PRESS; BLOOMSBURY.COM

Patti Smith

Hotels

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Room and Board These hotels will swathe you in luxury and comfort while you’re at FTE Global or APEX EXPO, with one option to stir up some inspiration for a timely impromptu getaway – pour the rum and light up a cigar.

Marina Bay Sands

Mandalay Bay

Hotel Saratoga

Singapore

Las Vegas, United States

Havana, Cuba

SIN, Changi Airport Singapore Dollar

LAS, McCarran International Airport Calling code: +65

PHOTOS: MARINA BAY SANDS; MANDALAY BAY RESORT; HOTEL SARATOGA

Commute time to airport: 20 mins

US Dollar

Calling code: +1

Commute time to airport: 10 mins

HAV, José Martí International Airport Cuban Peso

Calling code: +53

Commute time to airport: 40 mins

why you’ll go

why you’ll go

why you’ll go

There’s more reason to stay at Marina Bay Sands than just APEX EXPO – bet on extravagant shows, a lavish casino, celebrity chefs and its famous rooftop park with an infinity pool that offers panoramic views.

In true over-the-top Vegas style, this hotel manages to fit a casino, wave pool and shark reef aquarium into one complex.

And if none of that suits your fancy, step onto the Strip to browse all that Sin City has to offer.

Step back in time. This refurbished 1930s hotel exudes timeless Cuban charm while keeping up with modern amenities. Old Havana and the bars Hemingway frequented are just a short walk away.

why you’ll stay

why you’ll stay

why you’ll stay

Swap the resort bubble for some local culture. See and taste the city-state’s unique blend of Chinese, Malaysian and Indian cultures through laksa spicy noodle soup or chili crab at the hawker stalls.

When you’ve had enough of the orange tans, neon lights and tassels, take a car out to Red Rock Canyon, 40 minutes away, and be reminded this town was built in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

Warm weather, white-sand beaches and laid-back Cuban vibes will have you wanting to linger. Life here is slowgoing, so allow yourself some extra time to extend that break.

fun fact

fun fact

fun fact

Sands familiar? The super-hotel was developed by Las Vegas Sands Corp. and designed by Moshe Safdie, famous for the Lego-inspired Habitat 67 in Montreal.

Get an airport-facing room and watch the airplanes take off and land at McCarran International or go in for the close-up.

LAS is known to be spotter-friendly.

Lost your impulse to shop? Since consumption was associated with capitalism, Cuba has very few ads and billboards.

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Throwback

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What should a soundtrack recorded expressly for airports sound like? In the late 1970s, British electronic musician Brian Eno tried to find out.

by Fergus Baird

Digital streaming has made it easy to find the perfect playlist for any occasion, even something as mundane as waiting to board your flight. But back in 1978, long before Internet tastemaking, Brian Eno recorded Ambient 1: Music for Airports in an attempt to define how an airport should sound.

Given Germany’s appreciation for electronic music, it’s fitting that the Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) inspired Eno’s project.

While waiting for a connecting flight, Eno was struck by CGN’s beautiful architecture, but disturbed by the awful music playing over 154

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the loudspeakers. Why, in such a majestic space, was so little consideration given to ambience? His response, Music for Airports, aims to soothe weary travelers and give them space to think.

For Eno, ambient music should be “as ignorable as it is interesting.” His approach to Music for Airports was carefully considered and tailored to the passenger experience. Tonally, he wanted something that could be played at higher or lower frequencies than human voices to avoid disrupting conversation. Songs should be long and consistent to avoid being distracting, and easily interruptible to account for flight announcements and other airport communications.

Painstakingly recorded without computers, Music for Airports is a meditative, nostalgic and provocative ensemble of looping instrumentals and wordless vocal harmonies.

The album was installed at LaGuardia Airport’s Marine Air Terminal for several

months in 1980, and played at MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport for a “New Music America” showcase in the same year.

Many critics consider Music for Airports to be among Eno’s finest experimental works and well before its time, but public reactions weren’t wholly positive. Some travelers found it depressing, and even Eno himself was horrified after experiencing the album played at deafening volume (not as he intended) at an airport terminal in Brazil.

Although Music for Airports needs to be heard in the right context, the album remains a testament to what air travel can inspire, at every stage of the journey.

If you are an APEX member who is interested in contributing to the Throwback page, please submit your personal stories relating to the airline industry, or a moment or product in aviation history, to editor@apex.aero.

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PHOTO: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS / PUBLIC DOMAIN OF THE UNITED STATES

Ignorable, Yet Interesting

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