Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) will once again be showcasing the latest innovations in the aircraft interiors market, covering all areas of the aircraft cabin.

The two-day event, which takes place on 25–26 February at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will this year feature free-to-attend seminars on inflight entertainment and connectivity.

Speakers from Emirates, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, South African Airways, Pakistan International Airlines and Oman Air will be exploring a wide range of topics, including communication, cyber security, satellites and antennas, digitisation and balancing hardware and software on aircraft.

AIME is organised by Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East. Aircraft Cabin Management editor Satu Dahl caught up with the company’s aerospace director Caryn McConnachie ahead of the event to get an exclusive preview of the exciting features the event has in store for delegates.

How many visitors are you expecting?

Aircraft Interiors Middle East is co-located with MRO Middle East and includes the IFEC Seminars – overall, we are expecting more than 5,000 attendees across the two days. AIME visitors include airline buyers and decision-makers, or anyone who is responsible for aircraft interiors.

What’s new for this year’s event?

AIME is the ideal place for aircraft interiors companies to present products and industry innovations. The strength of the show really lies in the exhibiting companies. Each year, there are some wonderful new exhibits to discover and 2020 will be no exception. This year, we are expecting new exhibitors and products ranging from seating materials and flooring to cabin lighting and logistic support solutions.

The IFEC Seminars agenda is looking great. Which of these sessions are you most excited about?

The IFEC Seminars programme is a fantastic platform for inflight entertainment and connectivity airline experts, related suppliers and providers. The agenda truly offers insights and learning opportunities for the whole IFEC industry. With so many industry-leading speakers, it would be difficult to choose just one session, but I’m excited to learn more about digitisation and the future of passenger experience.

Connectivity and the internet of things are changing all aspects of daily life, so I’m looking forward to insights on how it will impact airlines in the future – both in terms of opportunities and challenges such as cyber security. I’m sure that all the attendees to the IFEC Seminars will come away with a wealth of knowledge that can add true value to their own companies, in addition to new contacts from networking.

Could you tell us a bit about the Airline Buyers Programme?

AIME has always had a reputation in the industry for being the premier place for aircraft interiors suppliers to meet with the key regional airlines – it’s the only dedicated aircraft interiors event in the Middle East. We designed our official airline programme for airlines to maximise their experience.

The Airline Buyers Programme is a part of that – as organisers, we work with carefully selected airline buyers who have met certain criteria and host them at the event, as well as arranging pre-scheduled meetings with exhibitors. It’s a fantastic way to demonstrate the core role of AIME – to bring the right people in the aircraft interiors industry together with the right people from airlines in a dedicated environment.

Other benefits for airline attendees include access to the airline club lounge on the show floor, giving them a space for networking and meetings within the event, in addition to access to all the products, services and innovations on display from the exhibitors at AIME.

To see the full agenda for the IFEC seminars and register to attend, please visit aime.aero.