Summary

The European commercial aircraft cabin interior market is projected to reach USD 8.9 billion in 2026, with a CAGR of 5.24% during the forecast period (2021-2026).

Europe is one of the earliest and most affected regions in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline in passenger traffic and flight activity in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 resulted in huge losses for the airlines in the region, with several airlines, including some of Europe’s most prominent flag carriers, requesting substantial economic support from governments for their survival. Major commercial airlines have grounded a majority of their fleets and have canceled orders of new aircraft. This is expected to impact both the line-fits and retrofits of cabin interiors in the region in the short term.

However, once the effect of the pandemic subdues, airlines are expected to continue their investments in the modernization of their cabins (retrofits) to provide unique experiences to consumers during the journey. The provision of luxury and comfort to passengers with amenities, like comfortable seats with more leg space, high-speed internet connectivity, and ambient lighting throughout their fleet, is again expected to gain traction in the latter half of the forecast period, thereby driving the commercial aircraft cabin interior market in Europe.

The European commercial aircraft cabin interior market is highly fragmented due to the presence of many local and global manufacturers that provide a wide range of products, such as seats, in-seat power supplies, cabin lighting, flooring, curtains, and entertainment systems to the customers across the region.

Key Market Trends

Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity Systems to Experience Growth in Demand During the Forecast Period

Inflight entertainment systems are expected to experience a growth in demand during the forecast period. Though the demand for the IFEC systems came down in the region in 2020, the resumption of airline services will again generate demand for IFEC services as airlines look to attract passengers during the forecast period. Also, the demand for connectivity for BYOD devices is expected to increase during the forecast period due to the growing preference for contactless IFEC. Growth in the BYOD demand has led to an increase in investments in high-speed internet connectivity onboard. To cater to this growing demand, in December 2019, Panasonic Avionics Corporation signed a multi-year agreement for Ku-band capacity on two multi-beam payloads on the EUTELSAT 10B satellites, due to be launched in 2022. This contract with Eutelsat Communications will enable Panasonic to provide multiple GHz of new extreme throughput Ku-band connectivity to airline passengers flying over Europe. Airlines were testing integrating new entertainment systems, such as VR and enhanced inflight retailing, to increase the ancillary revenues from providing paid content, advertisements, and e-commerce offerings. For instance, TAP Air Portugal selected Panasonic Avionics Corporation plans to provide inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions onboard the new A321neo LR aircraft scheduled to be delivered during the forecast period. Also, airlines are introducing new content, depending on flight destinations, in order to cater to passengers’ demands. In May 2019, Inflight Dublin was selected by Ice Land Air and TUI Group to provide IFE content services, including movies, television programs, and broadcasts in eight different languages to TUI Group Airlines operating in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Nordic countries. Such factors are expected to propel the growth of this segment during the forecast period.

The United Kingdom is Expected to Generate a Significant Demand for the Commercial Aircraft Cabin Interiors During the Forecast Period

The United Kingdom is expected to generate significant demand for commercial aircraft cabin interiors during the forecast period. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the future growth plans of carriers like EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic, a few airlines, including Ryanair and British Airways, are defying the industry’s pessimism over the COVID-19 impact and are expanding and modernizing their aircraft fleets. Such developments are expected to generate demand for line-fits of cabin interiors in the country during the forecast period. On the other hand, the demand for retrofitted cabins is also expected to increase in the country during the forecast period. In December 2020, British Airways announced it would be updating its existing fleet of 100+ long-haul aircraft with its new Club Suite business-class seats. The company aims to have 80% of its fleet flying with the new seats by the end of 2022 and all of its aircraft by 2024. The airline also plans to introduce its new first-class suite with closing doors in some of its wide-body aircraft in the coming years. On the other hand, in 2019, Virgin Atlantic started retrofitting their new aircraft with redesigned tray tables, by replacing the large tray tables in Upper Class with a new design, following the customer feedback. Companies are also collaborating in the region to offer customized cabin interiors to the passengers. For instance, in 2019, Mirus Aircraft Seating Ltd, a local aircraft seat manufacturer, announced that it collaborated with TUI Group Airlines to customize its Hawk seats that are retrofitted to a number of airplanes operated by the TUI Group Airlines in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Such developments are expected to drive the growth of the market in the country during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

Safran SA, Honeywell International Inc., Panasonic Corporation, Collins Aerospace, and Thales Group are some of the prominent players in the market. The vendors in the market focus on the designing, engineering, and manufacturing of aesthetically pleasant and high-performance cabin interior systems. Therefore, the market is directly affected by economic factors and other trends that impact the aerospace industry. Inflight hygiene was an inherent concern for several passengers even before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the safety of the passengers becoming an aspect of paramount importance during the pandemic, players in the market are investing in the development of new technologies that can help improve sanitization, including UV light, antimicrobial coating, and other technologies that can be implemented as part of the cabin design to ensure the sanity of the passengers. Also, players are looking into new materials and interior designs that can be easily disinfected to facilitate a safe and sanitary journey. Safran, a key player in the region, announced that it is working to bring several touchless amenities in its future cabin interiors to meet new hygiene requirements in the commercial aircraft cabins. Furthermore, acquisitions and mergers and partnerships between various players in the market are anticipated to propel further the innovation of new product portfolios of the companies, thereby helping their growth during the forecast period.

Additional Benefits:

The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
3 months of analyst support

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