Mock-up Builder

AIX 2026 previews landmark 25th edition. By AIX in partnership with PAX Tech AIX returns to the Hamburg Messe in Germany for its 25th edition this April Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) has revealed full details ahead of its landmark 25th edition, taking place from April 14 to 16 at Hamburg Messe, Germany. Marking a quarter-century at the forefront of cabin innovation, the milestone edition promises to be the most ambitious in the show's history, with brand new features and experiences befitting a landmark anniversary - including a celebratory evening on April 13 to mark 25 editions of the show. Since its launch in 2000, AIX has charted the remarkable evolution of the aircraft cabin - from the rise of lie-flat seating, enhanced inflight entertainment and brand-driven interior design, to today's highly engineered environments shaped by sustainability targets, advanced materials, seamless connectivity and holistic passenger wellbeing. The 2026 edition will offer exhibitors and attendees a unique opportunity to reflect on how dramatically the cabin has evolved over the past quarter century, while keeping the focus firmly on what's next: the innovations redefining efficiency, accessibility, premium travel and the connected passenger experience of tomorrow. Innovations landing on the show floor This year, nearly 500 companies are set to exhibit - including 74 first-time exhibitors, 14 in the new BizJet Zone and 77 in the IFEC Zone. The 25th edition will also welcome some true show veterans. 12 exhibitors have been attending for more than 20 years, among them names such as B/E Aerospace, Belgraver B.V, Botany Weaving Mill, and Lantal Textiles AG, joined by the likes of Percival Aviation Ltd, Rohi Stoffe GmbH, Tex Tech Industries, CELSO, Enflite, Panasonic, SCHOTT and Isovolta. Among the innovations on this year's show floor, Airchair will present its expanded wheelchair range, headlined by the Airchair II, following a global distribution deal with Satair, and WestJet's order of 22 units for its 737 fleet. In connectivity, ThinKom will unveil a new small form factor antenna supporting ultra-fast GEO, MEO and LEO operation, engineered with reduced weight, lower cost and a smaller footprint. SES will be showcasing how it's aiming to make inflight connectivity easier by standardising how Android devices connect to inflight Wi-Fi through a new partnership with Google.Panasonic Avionics is set to demonstrate the progress being made across in-flight systems, connectivity, digital solutions and technical services. On the galley equipment side, DKA Aerospace will showcase WasteLite, a lighter waste cart designed for easier handling, and ThermalCool, an insulated cart capable of keeping food below 7°C for 24 hours. A third product, addressing what the company describes as "an issue airlines have been asking to solve for years," will be revealed exclusively at the show. Enflite will be showcasing its Modular Refrigerator. This advanced galley appliance separates the compressor-based cooling module, storage module, and door panel, allowing each component to be routed to the appropriate teams for fit and finish. The result is improved material flow and a more streamlined aircraft completion process. In cabin lighting, SCHOTT and F/LIST introduce SCHOTT(R) Opal Terra, a new premium reading light line incorporating natural materials such as wood and stone. SCHOTT will also debut SCHOTT(R) SeatSpot, a projector-based solution integrated into business-class seat shells that projects seat numbers, logos or messages to streamline boarding and enhance the passenger experience. Further, SCHOTT and jetlite are advancing their partnership to deliver a new generation of chronobiology-based cabin lighting for next-generation aircraft interiors. SOGECLAIR will unveil three concepts at AIX 2026 using its new VISTA demonstrator: an enhanced Privacy Door designed to elevate personal space, acoustic comfort and cabin aesthetics; a Meal Table including a single-piece business-class console table and a bifold side-ledge version enabling companion dining in front-row mini suites; and the Front Row Monument Minisuite, introducing a more open and flexible layout that maximises space and elevates the traditional front-row experience. On the sustainability front, Gen Phoenix has partnered with Boeing, Teague, Elevate Aircraft Seating, Aerofoam and Müller Textil Group to launch the CirculAir Guide - a practical resource embedding circularity into seat design from the outset. The company will also unveil new premium leather finishes reflecting smarter material choices across the aircraft lifecycle. Many more companies are expected to reveal brand new products and solutions exclusively at the show. Top airlines and innovators talk passenger experience The Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) returns on April 13, the day before AIX opens its doors, and this year's edition is set to be even bolder than previous years. With speakers from a record 20+ airlines, including United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Saudia and Fiji Airways, alongside innovators from Panasonic Avionics, Teague and Tangerine, the one-day conference will deliver more than 30 sessions across three focused streams: Digital First, Wellness & Human-Centric Design, and Sustainability & the Eco-Conscious Traveller. The day will close with a networking reception open to all delegates, marking the 25th edition of the show, and rounding off a day of big-picture thinking ahead of the show floor opening. Insight on industry horizons CabinSpace Live, the show's dedicated conference program, free to attend for AIX visitors, will run more than 15 sessions across three days of the exhibition. Expert panels, in-depth Q&As and practical case studies will shine a light on the trends and technologies. Sessions will feature speakers from APEX, Airbus, Vueling, Thales InFlyt Experience and many more. Fireside chats will return this year, offering clear, candid conversations led by senior voices from airlines, manufacturers and industry associations. Informal yet insight-driven, these sessions are designed to make complex topics accessible and engaging, while equipping airlines and industry professionals with the insights they need to make informed decisions around passenger experience improvements, product development and service delivery. The program will open with a session on antennas and satellites and the next leap in in-flight coverage, before exploring how airlines can better link pre-, in- and post-flight touchpoints through smarter use of data and personalization. Sessions will also examine how airlines can deliver diverse inflight entertainment that meets evolving passenger tastes and regulatory compliance requirements while maximising monetization opportunities. Further topics include improving cabin comfort through seating, materials, lighting and air quality; advancing inclusive design; and how evolving passenger expectations and sustainability goals will shape the cabin of 2030 and beyond. Commercial aviation will also be in focus, alongside a session offering practical insights for aviation start-ups. Delegates can also look forward to discussions on rethinking comfort on long-haul flights, the future of regional flying in North America, and the unveiling of this year's Crystal Cabin Award winners. Speakers in the program will include Marc Landgraf, Partner at Porsche Consulting GmbH; Paul Edwards, Head of Advanced Design at Airbus; Nils Stoll, Owner and CEO of Green Mobility Interior; Tammo Bahns, Accessibility and Inclusive Design Expert at Diehl Aviation; Steven Greenway, CEO of flyadeal; and Arendse Baggesen, Founder and CEO of SMALLrevolution. Details of additional talks taking place on Thursday, April 16 will be announced soon on the AIX website. Complementing the program, Viasat's Women in Aviation Leaders Luncheon will take place on Wednesday, April 15, bringing together professionals from across the aviation interiors ecosystem for an inclusive and engaging networking opportunity. Open to all ages and genders, the session will offer a relaxed setting to connect, share experiences and gain practical insights from peers and industry leaders, alongside a complimentary buffet lunch. Recognizing fresh industry perspective The Crystal Cabin Awards 2026 will reveal its winners on the evening of April 14. The shortlist of 24 finalists was selected by an international jury drawn from companies including British Airways, Collins Aerospace, Lufthansa Group and Safran. The awards will crown winners for eight different categories, including a new Breakthrough Start-ups category, recognising fresh perspectives with the potential to reshape the industry. Archana Dharni, Event Director, Aircraft Interiors Expo, said, "Twenty-five editions in, and innovation in the aviation interiors sector is accelerating at speed. What AIX uniquely delivers is the entire interiors ecosystem in one place, moving at the pace the industry now demands. This anniversary edition is both a moment to reflect on how far the sector has come since our very first edition, and a critical launchpad for the transformational technologies that will come next. It will be simply unmissable." The event will be co-located with the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE).

How to design a space station: meet the Seattle company that's helping define the look of the final frontier. by Alan Boyle on Feb 9, 2026 at 11:45 am How do you design a living space where there's no up or down? That's one of the challenges facing Teague, a Seattle-based design and innovation firm that advises space companies such as Blue Origin, Axiom Space and Voyager Technologies on how to lay out their orbital outposts. Mike Mahoney, Teague's senior director of space and defense programs, says the zero-gravity environment is the most interesting element to consider in space station design. "You can't put things on surfaces, right? You're not going to have tables, necessarily, unless you can attach things to them, and they could be on any surface," he told GeekWire. "So, directionality is a big factor. And knowing that opens up new opportunities. ... You could have, let's say, two scientists working in different orientations in the same area." Over the next few years, NASA and its partners are expected to make the transition from the aging International Space Station to an array of commercial space stations - and Teague is helping space station builders get ready for the shift. Space is one of the newer frontiers for a company that's celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding this year. Teague is best-known for helping to design the interiors of Boeing airplanes as well as the first Polaroid camera and Microsoft's first Xbox gaming console. In the 1980s, Teague helped Boeing and NASA with their plans for Space Station Freedom, an orbital project that never got off the ground but eventually evolved into the International Space Station. Teague also partnered with NASA on a 3D-printed mockup for a Mars habitat, known as the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog. Nowadays, Teague is focusing on interior designs for commercial spacecraft, a business opportunity that capitalizes on the company's traditional expertise in airplane design. Mahoney said Teague has been working with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture on a variety of projects for more than a decade. The first project was the New Shepard suborbital rocket ship, which made its debut in 2015. "We partnered with their engineering team to design for the astronaut experience within the New Shepard space capsule," Mahoney said. "It's all the interior components that you see that come together, from the linings to the lighting. We created a user experience vision for the displays as well." Teague also worked with Blue Origin on design elements for the Orbital Reef space station and the Blue Moon lunar lander. "We were involved in initial concepting for the look and feel of the vehicles," Mahoney said. "In other cases, we designed and built mockups that were used for astronaut operations and testing. How do we navigate around the lunar lander legs? How do we optimize toolboxes on the surface of the moon?" Other space station ventures that have benefited from Teague's input include Axiom Space (which also brought in Philippe Starck as a big-name designer) and Starlab Space, a joint venture founded by Voyager Technologies and Airbus. Starlab recently unveiled a three-story mockup of its space station at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas. The mockup is built so that it can be reconfigured to reflect tweaks that designers want to make in the space station's layout, before launch or even years after launch. "One of the things that's been very helpful along this development path has been working with Teague, because you have to have a really good idea on how you lay out this very large volume so that you can optimize the efficiency of the crew," said Tim Kopra, a former NASA astronaut who now serves as chief human exploration officer at Voyager Technologies. Kopra compared the Starlab station to a three-story condo. "The first floor is essentially like the basement of a large building that has the infrastructure," he said, "It has our life support systems, avionics and software, the toilets, the hygiene station - which encompasses both the toilet and a cleaning station - and the workout equipment." The second floor serves as a laboratory and workspace, with a glovebox, freezer, centrifuge, microscope and plenty of racks and lockers for storage. "We are very focused on four different industries: semiconductors, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and materials science," Kopra said. He said the third floor will be a "place that people will enjoy... because Deck 3 has our crew quarters, our galley table, our windows and a little bit more experiment capacity." The galley table is a prime example of how zero-gravity interior design differs from the earthly variety. "No chairs," Kopra said. "Just like on the ISS, all you need is a place to hook your feet. There are little design features, like where do you put a handrail, and how tall is the table?" (He said the designers haven't yet decided whether the table should be round or square.) Kopra said one of his top design priorities is to use the station's volume, and the astronauts' time, as efficiently as possible. "Time is extremely valuable on the ISS. They calculate that crew time is worth about $135,000 per hour," he said. "Ours will be a fraction of that, but it really illustrates how important it is to be efficient with the time on board." Starlab is laid out to maximize efficiency. "We have a really cool design where the middle has a hatchway that goes all the way through the three stories," he said. "So, imagine if it were a fire station, you'd have a pole that went from floor to floor. We don't need a fire pole. We can just translate through that area." Mahoney said human-centered design will be more important for commercial space stations than it was for the ISS. "In the past, space stations have been primarily designed for professionally trained, military background astronauts," he said. "Now we'll have different folks in there. ... How do we think about how researchers and scientists will be using these spaces? How do we think about non-professional private astronauts? As the International Space Station gets retired, how do these companies step in to fill the void, serving NASA but also a lot of these new customers?" When will commercial space stations step in? The answer to that question is up in the air. Last year, NASA reworked its process for awarding further funding for the development of commercial space stations. The revised plan was aimed at giving commercial partners a better chance of putting their orbital outposts in operation by 2030, the date set for the International Space Station's retirement. But NASA has been slow to follow through on the revised plan, sparking concern in Congress. Late last month, the space agency said it was still working to "align acquisition timelines with national space policy and broader operational objectives." Now some lawmakers are calling on NASA to reconsider its plan to deorbit the ISS in the 2030-2031 time frame. The timetable for the space station transition may be in flux, but Mahoney and other space station designers are staying the course - and taking the long view. "We may not know right now how the space station is going to be used 20 years from now," Mahoney said. "How do we start to future-proof and create a system within that's modular and flexible, so that we can add technologies and add systems, or we can configure in different ways? ... Those are the kinds of things that we're thinking about designing for."