En Route to Hamburg

From the Control Tower

AIX is still a week away, but the Aircraft Interiors news is starting to roll in. And with it a massive question: Given the backdrop of a war with significant impact to the always fragile industry, will the annual conference be more of a celebration or a wake? Will the industry show up and be shopping, wo will it be a shell of itself, all vendors and no airlines?

We'll find out soon enough. Hope to see you there!

Connectivity

Delta Picks Amazon Leo for Next-gen Inflight Internet

Delta Air Lines will activate (at least) 500 aircraft on the Amazon Leo inflight internet service from 2028. The deal will bring low-latency, high-bandwidth capacity to the fleet, boosting performance for passengers and crew alike.

In-Flight Entertainment

Tigerair Taiwan Adds Streaming IFE with Bluebox Wow

Tigerair Taiwan will launch inflight entertainment on board for the first time, partnering with Bluebox to deliver the service. The streaming IFE offering is driven by Bluebox Wow, a portable, battery-powered system.

Cabin Design

Iberia, Recaro Team for Sustainable Seating

Recaro's R Sphere sustainability efforts are set to fly, with Iberia implementing key components of the program on an A320neo as part of a trial program.

Basic Fares Coming to United's Premium Cabins

Basic Business is coming to United Airlines. The carrier will further segment its premium cabin fares, splitting out Base, Standard, and Flexible options for its Polaris cabin, as well as the Premium Plus premium economy seats on its long-haul routes.

Alaska Airlines unveils its first-ever International Business Class Suites experience, setting a new standard for long-haul travel

Seems a bit of a nothing announcement here, but Alaska Airlines is providing some details on what the long-haul experience will be from Seattle to Europe (and eventually Asia). Nice enough, I suppose.

Loyalty

JetBlue Launches TrueBlue Points (and Other Benefits) Subscriptions

JetBlue aims to attract annual commitments from customers with the launch this week of its TrueBlue Subscriptions "Points on Repeat" product. Members will have access to three different package options, with benefits beyond just the points.

Other Industry News

IndiGo names aviation heavyweight Willie Walsh as new CEO

IndiGo named industry veteran Willie Walsh ‌as CEO on Tuesday, tapping the voice of the global airline industry from lobby group IATA to steer India's largest carrier out of a recent operational crisis and drive its overseas expansion.

The surprise appointment of Walsh, 64, was seen as a coup for the privately owned budget carrier after Pieter Elbers left following a scheduling meltdown that halted travel and drew regulatory scrutiny.