Archana Dhami, event director of Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) discusses what business aviation professionals can expect from this year’s event, to be held in Hamburg, Germany, on 14-16 April 2026.
The number of exhibitors showcasing business jet solutions grew by 53% between 2024 and 2025. What do you attribute that to?
Business aviation has experienced sustained momentum since the pandemic, with elevated demand for private travel, fleet expansion and significant investment in refurbishment and VVIP completions. According to an April 2025 forecast by Fortune Business Insights, the global business jet market is projected to grow from around US$48bn in 2025 to nearly US$68bn by 2032.
We attribute the growth to three key drivers. First, business jets continue to serve as a proving ground for innovation. Advanced materials, bespoke craftsmanship techniques and personalised digital systems are often trialled in business jets before being scaled for commercial fleets. Second, there is increasing crossover between sectors: suppliers are designing products with dual certification pathways and modular architectures. Third, operators and completion houses are seeking collaboration with the wider interiors supply chain, and AIX provides a unique environment where the entire interiors ecosystem converges.
What is your strategy for the commercial/business aviation weighting going forward?
Our strategy is to treat commercial and business aviation as equally valuable. Commercial aviation remains the largest segment and it will continue to anchor AIX. However, business aviation plays a highly influential role in shaping future cabin concepts. Going forward, we will ensure dedicated visibility for business jet innovation through the BizJet Interiors Zone, ensuring completion centres, VVIP procurement teams, charter operators and designers can efficiently source tailored solutions.
What can visitors expect from the Bizjet Interiors Zone?
The BizJet Interiors Zone has been curated to reflect the precision engineering, craftsmanship and technological sophistication that define modern VVIP and business jet cabins. Visitors can expect an emphasis on bespoke materials, advanced surface treatments and tailored cabin completions from companies such as Jet Aviation and Townsend Leather, alongside innovative finishing and composite solutions from exhibitors including High Tech Finishing.
Companies like CTT Systems are demonstrating environmental control technologies, while digital cabin management and modification capabilities from organisations including Fokker Services highlight how personalisation, safety and operational efficiency are becoming more integrated. Other companies include Galley Support Innovations, Gogo and Alma Design.
Importantly, the zone sits within a broader business aviation presence, with exhibitors such as Lufthansa Technik, Safran and Airbus operating across both business and commercial aviation, reinforcing the cross-pollination of ideas across aircraft categories.
How else are you developing AIX’s offering for business aviation?
Cabin refresh cycles are shortening, digital systems are evolving, and sustainability requirements are becoming more rigorous across all aircraft categories. By spanning both commercial and business aviation, we create a space where innovation can move more fluidly between segments.
The co-location with the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) further reinforces the idea that cabin hardware, onboard services and digital ecosystems are increasingly interdependent. Ultimately, the BizJet Interiors Zone is not about separating business aviation from the wider show, but about recognising its catalytic role.
This interview was conducted by Izzy Kington and first published in the March/April 2026 edition of Business Jet Interiors International. The full preview is available here.
