By Ju-Wei Chen, Design Director at Txengo
Understanding AIX
The Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) is the world’s leading event dedicated to cabin interiors, inflight entertainment, and passenger experience. Since its launch in 2000, AIX has become a cornerstone for the aviation industry, a place where design, engineering, and innovation intersect.
Held each year in Hamburg, the expo attracts airlines, suppliers, and consultancies alike, all focused on one thing: shaping the future of flight from the inside out.
Just back from Hamburg, and still digesting the conversations, prototypes, and design provocations from AIX 2025. The atmosphere this year was one of transformation not just incremental improvement, but a deeper shift in how we think about inflight experience.
Amongst the buzz of sleek new seats and smarter lighting systems, a few standout ideas stayed with me, ones that speak directly to the challenges and opportunities facing design teams today.
Rethinking Onboard Dining: Can Less Really Be More?
One of the most powerful sessions explored an often-overlooked issue: food waste. As passengers, we’re used to choice multiple meals, snacks, beverages but this abundance comes at a cost, both environmental and operational.
The conversation turned towards pre-ordering and on-demand dining as viable alternatives. These aren’t just menu tweaks represent a cultural and systems-level shift. Less waste, greater efficiency, and a more personal experience. For designers, this opens the door to rethink everything from galley configurations to service UX.
A Win for Sustainability: Tracking Waste with Purpose
Following that, it was encouraging to see the introduction of a standardised method for measuring cabin and catering waste first for the industry.
It’s a seemingly small change, but a critical one. Without consistent data, true sustainability remains aspirational. With it, we can make informed design decisions about materials, logistics, and circularity hold ourselves accountable.
What’s Shaping Cabin Design in 2025 (and Beyond)
Across the exhibition floor and in conversations with partners, several trends emerged again and again:
Retrofits are back in focus, particularly for long-haul workhorses like the 777-300ER. With delays in new aircraft, many airlines are opting to upgrade what they already have.
First class is making a quiet comeback, driven by the return of premium leisure travellers. Comfort and exclusivity are once again becoming design priorities.
Free inflight Wi-Fi is becoming the default, moving towards a hotel-style service model. Connectivity is no longer a luxury - it’s a baseline expectation.
Accessibility remains behind the curve, especially on narrow-body aircraft, where PRM lavatory retrofits still aren’t required by regulation. Inclusive design is not just a moral imperative; it’s a design opportunity.
Supply chains are shifting, with US tariffs impacting sourcing strategies and costs. Flexibility and local manufacturing are becoming part of the design conversation.
Sustainability continues to dominate the agenda, though meaningful implementation still requires alignment across design, regulation, and operations.
Designing for Evolving Expectations
What AIX 2025 underscored is this: passenger expectations aren’t static - they’re accelerating. People want more personalisation, more transparency, and more intentional experiences, not just more features.
This is where design can lead. At Txengo Studio, we believe in starting from the human need, working collaboratively across disciplines, and building solutions that are as responsible as they are refined. Whether it’s rethinking meal service, elevating accessibility, or finding creative paths to circularity, design has a central role to play in shaping the next era of air travel.
AIX 2025 reminded me why we do what we do and how much more is possible when we ask better questions at 35,000 feet.
Until next year, Hamburg.
