IFSA Global EXPO is Las Vegas-bound, with Mandalay Bay set to welcome the airline catering and onboard services community from September 7 to 9, 2027. The move marks the second consecutive year the event will take place outside its longtime home in Long Beach, California. And IFSA will have plenty of company: the event will be co-located with FTE Global, while APEX Global EXPO returns to the lineup, “creating an exciting opportunity for the APEX, IFSA and FTE communities to connect in one location and engage across the broader passenger experience ecosystem,” Lauren Costello, Executive Director of the International Flight Services Association (IFSA), tells PAX International.

With all 81 A320neo aircraft now equipped, high-speed WiFi from Starlink is available on a significant share of SAS’ European flights. Through SAS’ partnership with 3, EuroBonus members can access the service free of charge, whether they want to work, stream, stay in touch or simply browse the internet throughout their journey. When SAS launched Starlink in March 2026, the ambition was to move quickly and bring high-speed connectivity to as many customers as possible. Six months later, the airline has completed the installation across its entire A320neo fleet.

Etihad Airways has launched its Beyond Borders product and experience, bringing its ambition to life through the next evolution of the Etihad guest journey. Etihad’s new Airbus A330 cabin provides a major showcase of Beyond Borders, with all-new First, Business and Economy interiors and a signature design language that will progressively extend across the airline’s growing fleet and premium spaces. Alongside the A330, Etihad is showcasing how the Beyond Borders look and feel will extend to the A321LR across First, Business and Economy, creating greater consistency across the Etihad journey.

The International Flight Services Association (IFSA) has launched its 2026 IFSA World Food Safety Guidelines, designed as a practical framework that unifies the association’s previously separate Guidelines and Implementation Guide to simplify and strengthen food safety management across airline catering operations. The updated Guidelines have been developed collaboratively by IFSA members and informed by internationally recognised food safety management standards, to establish the minimum requirements that airline caterers should consider when developing, implementing, maintaining and improving food safety management systems.

For Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar, 45, the challenge is not only where the airline flies to next, but how it makes the long journey feel easier, smarter and more restful. Speaking to Business Traveller at Trenz, New Zealand’s largest international tourism business event, held alongside the International Media Marketplace, he discussed the need for disciplined expansion, Air New Zealand’s new Christchurch services, and why sleep may become one of the carrier’s strongest competitive advantages.

From a blanket that wraps around the body to a cushion that adapts as passengers shift in their seats, Buzz is rethinking Premium Economy comfort with a suite of products developed in partnership with Tangerine. Buzz showcased the collaboration’s four comfort concepts at IFSA Global EXPO in Dallas last week, following the initial launch at WTCE. At the Buzz booth, Meagan English demonstrated the collection for PAX International and said the partnership has received a positive industry response. 

One of the most exciting initiatives in the aircraft interiors sector is preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Since the annual Crystal Cabin Award was launched in 2007 by the Hamburg Aviation cluster, its judging panel has assessed and celebrated hundreds of products, technologies and concepts that represent the state of the art and potential for the future air passenger experience. The awards scheme recognises excellence in creating products and concepts that enhance the inflight experience, from seating to galleys, to cabin design, inflight entertainment & connectivity (IFEC), lighting, sustainability, and accessibility.

Recognise the products, services and programmes that are making a meaningful impact on the passenger experience and advancing innovation across the industry. Nominations are now open for the 2027 APEX Awards, with four categories celebrating excellence in cabin innovation, inflight connectivity, inflight entertainment and safety videos. Submit your nomination by 30 September 2026. Winners will be announced at the APEX Awards Ceremony on 19 November in Singapore.

Air France will open its largest lounge outside of France at New York JFK Airport. The 29,000-square-foot lounge will debut in 2027 in the airport's $9.5 billion new Terminal 1, which is in the late stages of construction. Air France, which now flies out of JFK's existing Terminal 1, will also move its operations to the new terminal. The lounge will span two levels, offering seating for more than 400 people. Along with dining and bar space, the lounge will have dedicated areas for beauty treatments, relaxation and work, Air France said. An exclusive space will also be open only to Flying Blue Ultimate members, Air France's highest tier status.

Rosen Aviation and Axinom have co-developed the Connected Seatback Platform, a lightweight, Cloud-powered wireless seatback platform with a screen that operates as the airline’s own ‘digital surface’, with use cases beyond in-flight entertainment (IFE). The platform is designed to give airlines a single seatback environment for entertainment, commerce, loyalty, disruption management, and any other service they choose to build, with the Cloud serving as the brain. The platform combines Rosen Aviation’s display technology with Axinom’s software platform, to create what the companies say is a “genuinely new approach” to the seatback in a LEO-connected world.

Kaelis has introduced the next-gen Rotus 3 Business Class coat hanger to improve cabin operations. Already adopted by several airlines including Air Côte D’Ivoire, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, the re-engineered hanger transforms a traditional onboard accessory into a high-performance operational tool. Designed to streamline crew workflows and enhance the premium passenger experience, the hanger replaces temporary paper tags and handwritten labels with an integrated three-wheel mechanical selector. Cabin crew can instantly dial in a passenger's exact seat number during boarding, ensuring fast garment identification and virtually eliminating misplaced coats upon retrieval.

Egyptair is to launch a new route later this year linking Cairo and Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport. The North African carrier will operate the year-round Cairo-Stockholm route four times per week starting on 18 December. Egyptair plans to use Airbus A321neo aircraft on the route, which are configured with 182 seats across economy and business class cabins. Flights will operate on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Aron Backström, chief commercial officer at Swedavia, which operates Stockholm Arlanda Airport, said Egypt was a “popular” destination for business travellers.

Flydubai is moving to fully lie-flat business class across its entire Boeing 737 fleet, as the sharply-priced sibling of Emirates continues its push for the hearts and wallets of premium travellers. But these aren’t the private Vue suites first promised in May 2023, as seatmaker Safran has yet to receive regulatory approval for the innovative design. Instead, Flydubai has cannily opted to extend its current 737 MAX business class – based on the popular Vantage platform from Thompson Aero Seating – across the entire single-aisle fleet.