The Crystal Cabin Award Association — the non-profit organization that oversees the world’s biggest industry award for innovation in the aircraft cabin — is pleased to announce that Ralf Gust, Managing Director of Hamburg Aviation, has assumed the role of President of the Association. He succeeds Lukas Kaestner, who stepped down as President in September 2023 and will remain involved as an Association member.

“I am very pleased to take on the role of President of the Crystal Cabin Award Association, especially given the long and successful history of the Award and our determination at Hamburg Aviation to further develop the Award to ensure its long-term success as the industry transitions to a decarbonized future,” says Ralf Gust.

“I would also like to thank the outgoing Association President, Lukas Kaestner, for his many years of dedicated work for the Award and its community. We want to build on the highly successful 2023 edition and drive forward innovations such as the new, sustainably produced trophy. We have exciting plans for the Award in 2024 and beyond and look forward to welcoming the judges, entrants, sponsors and media to the awards ceremony on 28 May 2024, which will be once again held in Hamburg during the Aircraft Interiors Expo at the prestigious Chambers of Commerce venue.”

Hamburg Aviation, the cluster network for the aviation industry in the Hamburg metro region, has managed the award since its first edition in 2007. The Crystal Cabin Award has since grown to become the world’s most prestigious prize for innovation in aircraft cabins and passenger comfort. It honors the best concepts and products in the industry, from visionary designs to practical solutions that enhance the travel experience.

The award is a multi-stage process, involving an international jury of nearly 30 independent aviation experts who select the finalists and winners in eight categories. The awards ceremony takes place during the Aircraft Interiors Expo, the world’s largest trade show for cabin interiors, in Hamburg, Germany.

The Crystal Cabin Award is a unique opportunity for companies, institutions and students to showcase their creativity and excellence in the field of cabin innovations and on-board products. Yet the award is also a platform for networking and exchange among the key players and decision-makers in the aviation industry. The Crystal Cabin Award is more than just a trophy. It is a symbol of quality, innovation and inspiration for the future of flight.

The Future of Flight in Eight Categories

The Crystal Cabin Award is one of the aviation industry’s most coveted and hotly contested international awards. Winners in 2023 included New Zealand, Collins Aerospace, Lantal Textiles, Teledyne Controls, Thales Avionics and TU Delft. Together, the winning entries represented a vision of air travel that’s more connected, more comfortable and more sustainable than ever before.

The eight Crystal Cabin Award categories at a glance:

Cabin Concepts

This category rewards holistic cabin concepts. This category features designs already in use or nearing market launch, but also incorporates visionary ideas for the future. “Cabin Concepts” is aimed at manufacturers as well as design companies and airlines.

Cabin Systems

This category collates innovative products that provide operators such as airlines with a significant advantage in operation or efficiency. Examples are galleys, toilet systems, trolleys, air-conditioning systems as well as seats, primarily defined by efficiency aspects such as weight and space utilization. Digital solutions for passengers have their own category, “IFEC & Digital Services”.

Health & Safety

This category is a repository for innovation in concepts and products with an impact on safety, security, health and hygiene on board, or on the physical well-being of aircraft travelers. Entries may focus on passengers, crew or cargo.

IFEC & Digital Services

One of the fastest developing arenas in the aviation industry, IFEC is changing at breath-taking speed. Entries here must demonstrate technological superiority over competing products and cover in-flight entertainment solutions, connectivity equipment such as antennas and Wi-Fi, passenger apps or complete software solutions for a smart, connected cabin.

Material & Components

This category recognizes new materials and applications in the cabin that reduce costs and increase usability. It covers an enormous variety of different aircraft components; individual components or materials may be submitted, but not a fully developed product such as a seat.

Passenger Comfort

Entries in this category must demonstrate how they improve passenger comfort in the cabin. Innovations that benefit a large group of people may be rated higher due to greater impact on airline success. This category includes seats, toilets, storage, partitions, lighting solutions, trims, premium and business products, First Class and VIP products, to name but a few.

Sustainable Cabin – presented by Panasonic Avionics Corporation

The aviation industry is committed to decarbonizing within the next 30 years. This requires a high level of innovation covering every aspect of aviation, including the cabin and passenger experience. Customers are also becoming increasingly sensitive to travel sustainability issues, requiring operators to take action and provide solutions that are closely aligned to this growing trend. This is reflected in the Sustainable Cabin category of the Crystal Cabin Awards, which rewards contributions with a demonstrable effect on the environmental impact of aviation.

University

The University category gives students the chance to present forward-looking products and ideas for the aircraft cabin and to establish important contacts within the industry. The concepts submitted should make flying more comfortable, intelligent or lessen its ecological footprint.

The application form and conditions of entry, an overview of the 2023 winners and a more detailed explanation of all Crystal Cabin Award categories can be found online at www.crystal-cabin-award.com. The application period runs until January 17th, 2024.

Confirmed Sponsors for the Crystal Cabin Award 2024:

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Category Sponsor: Sustainable Cabin), AERQ, Airbus, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Diehl Aviation, Lufthansa Technik, Safran Cabin, Thomson Aero Seating, Krüger Aviation, Jetliner Cabins

Crystal Cabin Award Show Partner: Aircraft Interiors Expo

Media Partners: Aircraft Interiors International, APEX, Flight Chic, Flightglobal, Inflight Magazine, PaxEx Aero, Runway Girl Network

About the Crystal Cabin Award

The Crystal Cabin Award is the world’s most significant industry prize recognizing innovation in the aircraft cabin. 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. This unique honour has been presented at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg every year since 2007. The trophies have become a seal of quality, known and coveted around the world.

Featured image credited to Daniel Reinhardt/Hamburg Aviation