The Inflight Europe Awards recognise exceptional contributions to passenger experience offerings from European airlines, manufacturers and suppliers. Of the six Awards, five are decided through nominations, giving industry professionals the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of their peers. The final Award is judged independently by the Inflight team, who deliver industry-leading coverage of the end-to-end in-flight experience through the Inflight international media portfolio.
The 2020 award categories are as follows:
- Commercial Airline Cabin
- IFE System Provider
- Connectivity Enablement
- Airline IFEC Experience
- Content Provision
- Supplier Innovation
- Inflight Airline of the Year
The award for Commercial Airline Cabin recognises innovation in cabin interiors and on-board products. The judges will be looking for new features/functionality which improve passenger comfort and demonstrate revolutionary design aspects, whilst simultaneously reducing disruptiveness. In the 2019 Middle East edition of the Awards, Oman Air received the Commercial Airline Cabin award for its three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which impressed the judges with its blend of Omani culture and bespoke luxury. The award for IFE System Provider recognises the handheld, wireless or embedded IFE system delivering the most superior experience for passengers. Entries will be assessed on level of innovation, usability of the platform and system performance.
The Connectivity Enablement award acknowledges the leading IFC, satcoms or telemedicine service provider. Security of service, future-proofing, speed/bandwidth offered and delivered, geographical coverage and scalability are all factors which the judges will consider. The Airline IFEC Experience award acknowledges an airline which has elevated the passenger experience through in-flight entertainment and connectivity. The assessment criteria comprise design decisions, complexity of technical innovation, customisation/personalisation, quality of cabin Wi-Fi and connectivity and choice of platforms/content available. In the 2019 Middle East edition of the Awards, Saudia received the Airline IFEC Experience award for leading the way in the introduction of a complimentary social media messaging plan onboard flights in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
The award for Content Provision celebrates an outstanding contribution to content creation, management and/or delivery. The judges will be looking for innovation in service, software and content, variety of content, relevance to region, customisation and language/accessibility. Through Inflight Middle East 2019, Global Eagle received the Content Provision award in recognition of its locally based teams, recruited from the region, who understand the tastes, trends and cultural sensitivities of each market. The award for Supplier Innovation recognises the most revolutionary IFEC or cabin technology development within the past 12 months. Entries will be assessed on uniqueness and inimitability, value to airline customers, benefits to passenger experience, sustainability and technical complexity.
Inflight Airline of the Year, the crowning and most coveted award, recognises the airline which best demonstrates an ongoing and sustained commitment to delivering the ultimate passenger experience combined with a creative and innovative approach to customer service. The Inflight team will evaluate IFE availability and content, IFC availability, cabin comfort and amenities, added values and uniqueness. ‘For a long time, flying somewhere was simply about getting there as quickly as possible. But today, the journey is just as important as the destination. Passengers want and expect to fly in comfort – even luxury – whilst being entertained and remaining connected. The Inflight Airline of the Year award, along with the other awards in the series, aim to both recognise achievement and inspire continued innovation within the constantly evolving in-flight industry.’ Mark Howells, Managing Director of HMG Aerospace, Publisher of Inflight
Nominations for the Inflight Europe Awards 2020 are now open. To nominate a European manufacturer, supplier or airline, follow the rules detailed below and then email your entry to emma@hmgaerospace.com. The closing date for nominations is 12pm on Wednesday 22 April.
Rules
All entries must adhere to the following regulations:
- Entries are limited to a 500-word summary for each category.
- Up to two A4 pages of additional supporting materials – including photos and videos – may be supplied.
- Files over 10MB should be sent using a suitable file sharing website.
- Nominations should outline the organisation’s suitability for the award based on the criteria outlined in this press release.
- Organisations can enter multiple categories but must submit a separate entry for each category.
