Crystal Cabin Award 2026 Opens Final Call for Entries
The application period for the Crystal Cabin Award 2026—one of the aviation industry’s most prestigious honours for cabin innovation—is now open, with organisers highlighting that this is the last chance to submit entries. The Crystal Cabin Award Association regularly updates its categories to reflect evolving industry trends, and for 2026 a new category has been added to recognise emerging innovation.
The new category, Breakthrough Start-Ups, invites young companies operating for no more than seven years to present bold ideas and technologies that reimagine future air travel. It offers start-ups a dedicated platform to showcase visionary solutions for passengers, airlines, OEMs, and suppliers, evaluated by an expert industry jury.
Eight categories of innovation
Breakthrough Start-Ups joins seven other categories, each addressing a key area of cabin innovation, from sustainability to digitalisation and passenger comfort.
Sustainable Cabin – Honours concepts that reduce aviation’s environmental impact and support the industry’s net-zero 2050 goals.
Accessibility – Awards solutions that enhance travel for passengers with disabilities, including improved seating, lavatories, cabin layouts, and assistive technologies.
IFEC & Digital Systems – Recognises advances in inflight entertainment, inflight connectivity, and digital platforms that enhance passenger experience and airline efficiency.
Passenger Comfort – Covers improvements in seating, lighting, storage, and overall cabin comfort for travellers.
Cabin Technologies – Focuses on innovations in cabin systems such as galleys, lavatories, waste systems, safety components, and environmental controls.
Cabin Concepts – Honours complete cabin designs that combine multiple elements into cohesive, forward-thinking inflight experiences.
University – Provides students with a platform to propose future cabin concepts with real-world potential.
Next steps
Applications for the Crystal Cabin Award 2026 are open until 22 November 2025 at www.application.crystal-cabin-award.com. Submissions will undergo a multi-stage evaluation by a 27-member international jury, with finalists announced in spring 2026. Winners will be revealed on 14 April 2026 during Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.
An early-bird discount is available for entries submitted by 5 October 2025, reducing the participation fee from €380 to €280. Students may enter free of charge. Full details on categories, eligibility, jury members, and sponsorship opportunities can be found at www.crystal-cabin-award.com.
Related News: https://airguide.info/category/magazineonline/airlines/airline-in-flight-services/
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, aircraftinteriorsinternational.com