For the 12th year running, the Crystal Cabin Award Association is preparing to recognise and honour the best ideas for the aircraft cabin.
The prize, launched and still presented in Hamburg, has become a trend barometer for a whole industry: the ideas and products that win here shape and guide the cabin industry now and in the future.
In 2017, major players in the industry such as Airbus and Delta Air Lines got to take trophies home. But the next generation of talent from the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences also managed to convince the Judging Panel. With 85 shortlisted submissions, the most recent iteration of the Crystal Cabin Award set a new record.
With a new category for 2018 — “Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity” — the award is addressing the growing market for (wireless) in-flight entertainment. Submissions for the Crystal Cabin Award 2018 may be lodged until 27 October at www.crystal-cabin-award.com. The winners will be announced, as always, as part of the Aircraft Interiors Expo (10 – 12 April, 2018) in Hamburg.
The Crystal Cabin Award stands for the future of the passenger experience. It honours efficiency and sustainability, but also creative “outside the box” thinking for the aircraft cabin. The winning innovations in the most recent round of awards included a flexible seat rail concept developed by Recaro in cooperation with Airbus and THK which allows for spontaneous configuration of seating rows depending on the load factor for a flight.
Diehl’s winning idea promised to reduce cabling requirements and thereby significantly reduce the weight of aircraft by transmitting data via the existing power cables in an aircraft. It is precisely this sort of connectivity and communication solution, along with in-flight entertainment concepts, that deliver the greatest possible flexibility for passengers. These things are becoming more and more important for the industry. The Crystal Cabin Award is giving due attention to this trend by adapting the former category of “Electronic Systems” into the new “Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity” category.
The Crystal Cabin Awards are followed and debated around the world
Being chosen by the 28 expert members of the Judging Panel to be amongst the three finalists in each category means having the opportunity to present the concept to leading figures of the industry in person at the Final Viewing. A victory at the Crystal Cabin Award is unmistakeable recognition by the global community of specialists in the sector. The appeal here is not limited to newcomers in the annual University category.
The fascination reaches beyond the aviation industry, and the latest trends in the cabin attract global attention. To date, more than 600 online publications in almost 60 countries have reported on the 2017 awards ceremony.
An overview of the 8 Crystal Cabin Award categories:
Cabin Concepts
This category is provided for full cabin concepts that are already existent or at a market-ready stage. The Cabin Concepts category is tailored for airlines as well as manufacturers and design companies.
Cabin Systems
The Cabin Systems category comprises all innovative products that will bring airlines a major benefit in operations and efficiency. Such products could include galleys, lavatories, trolleys, air conditioning systems and seat concepts, with a focus on operating efficiency (e.g. lightweight structures, easy installation, better use of cabin space etc.)
Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity
The IFEC category caters for the fastest growing product range in the aviation industry and includes inflight entertainment as well as on-board connectivity and communications solutions.
Greener Cabin, Health, Safety and Environment
This category combines different classes of innovations. An entry for this category must either reduce negative effects on the environment, or minimize health & safety hazards and security problems for passengers, staff, or live cargo.
Material & Components
In this category, the CCA jury is looking for new materials or new material applications for cabin systems that cut production costs and maximize usability.
Passenger Comfort Hardware
Entries to this category must improve passenger comfort within the cabin, either for all passengers or for specific groups of passengers. The category includes all hardware directly noticeable for the passenger, including seats and seat-related products such as tray tables, partitions, lavatories, premium class and VIP products.
University
This category provides room for college and university students to present their visions for innovative products and concepts for aircraft interiors.
Visionary Concepts
Visionary Concepts can give us an impression of aircraft cabins of tomorrow, through technical concepts, ergonomic ideas, and aesthetic design. The category relates to engineering concepts and design studies that have not yet been implemented.
A detailed explanation of all categories as well as the Entry Form for the Crystal Cabin Award is available online from the official website, completely redesigned for the jubilee year www.crystal-cabin-award.com.
About the Crystal Cabin Award
The Crystal Cabin Award is THE international prize for innovations in the field of aircraft cabins. A high-calibre jury made up of renowned academics, engineers, specialist journalists and airline and aircraft manufacturer representatives comes together under the slogan “Let your ideas take off” to honour extraordinary cabin concepts and products. The competition was launched by Hamburg Aviation and is organised by the Crystal Cabin Award Association. The award, to date the only one of its kind, has been presented in association with the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg every year since 2007. The trophies have become a seal of quality, known and coveted around the world.
