Connectivity takes centre stage: Bluebox Aviation at AIX 2025

The Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2025 in Hamburg once again brought together aviation leaders, innovators, and influencers to discuss the future of the industry.

Bluebox was proud to be an exhibitor once again, represented by CEO Kevin Clark and EVP of Sales & Marketing, Kevin Birchmore, alongside a dedicated team including Dougie Brown, Raj Dhamu, Sek Boon Foo, and Gordon Livingstone. 

Setting the pace from Day 1, Bluebox team had a packed schedule of meetings with airlines, aircraft manufacturers, technology partners, and some of the industry heavyweights. Kevin Birchmore described this year’s expo as our “best ever AIX in terms of airline meetings, both quantity and quality,” underscoring the strong engagement and genuine interest in our solutions from industry stakeholders. 

CEO Kevin Clark noted that airlines are more prepared than ever to embrace digital technologies to enhance the passenger experience. Visitors showed that they are open to investment opportunities, demonstrating responsiveness to evolving customer expectations and broader industry demands for innovation and change. Overall, the event itself stood out as the most energetic and engaged that Bluebox has experienced in recent years. All participants were clearly focused, whether airlines reviewing technologies or vendors positioning and strengthening partnerships within the ever-evolving ecosystem, and it is clear that airlines and their passengers will benefit as a result.  

Key trends & industry directions 

Several major themes stood out this year: 

Enhanced digital experiences & on-board retail 

There is growing interest in integrated digital passenger experiences, extending beyond traditional inflight entertainment (IFE) toward comprehensive digital ecosystems incorporating advanced retail opportunities. Airlines of all tiers are increasingly looking to elevate the passenger journey by seamlessly integrating connectivity, entertainment, and retail. 

Connectivity gains momentum 

Connectivity was a dominant theme, with significant interest around multi-orbit, multi-network solutions. The expo highlighted technological advancements such as Panasonic’s and Viasat’s new offerings , showing a clear industry shift toward greater flexibility in connectivity infrastructure, enabling airlines to offer consistently excellent passenger experiences across varying operational regions. 

Bluebox’s own news on partnership with Viasat as a founding participant in its Connected Partner Platform, received considerable attention, positioning Bluebox at the forefront of the industry’s evolving connectivity needs. This is in line with the Blueview software’s ability to utilize bandwidth where available to enhance the delivery of digital services, such as retail. There are a variety of decision parameters in a connectivity choice and the Bluebox perspective is to support all, from low to high bandwidth, rather than seeking to push airlines down a potentially constraining, route. Bluebox focuses on the digital inflight experience. 

The connectivity discussion among airlines has decisively shifted from ‘if’ to ‘when’, with airlines increasingly focused on outlining clear, long-term pathways to connectivity. 

CabinSpace Live: “IFE content: prioritising personalisation” 

Kevin Clark participated in the CabinSpace Live discussion panel hosted by Inflight, discussing “IFE content: prioritising personalisation.” Moderated by Maryann Simson, Director of Jetway Communications.  This insightful session explored how data and AI are revolutionising passenger experiences, making travellers feel more at home than ever in-flight. The discussion was insightful, emphasizing practical steps airlines can take to enhance passenger engagement through personalized content. 
 
Kevin joined a panel that included Dimitrios Tsirangelos (VP Business Development, Spafax), Antonio Penim (Airline Engagement Director, APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association), Daniel MacInnes (Director, PriestmanGoode) and Patrick Biggerstaff (Digital Solutions, Panasonic). 

Looking ahead 

Overall, AIX 2025 reinforced the Bluebox commitment to providing industry’s gold-standard level, innovative, passenger-centric solutions. As the industry continues to evolve, we look forward to further developing these promising conversations and continuing our contribution to shaping the digital future of passenger experience. 

Stay tuned for more insights from the Bluebox Aviation newsroom and LinkedIn.

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