At the Aircraft Interiors Expo, taking place from 14 to 16 April 2026 in Hamburg, DLR will showcase pioneering cabin concepts for a competitive and sustainable aviation industry.
The focus will be on AI-assisted safety analyses, digital infection control models and disruptive, collaborative cabin design.
Focus: Aviation, digitalisation, climate-compatible and ergonomic flying
Digital design methods for new cabin concepts are now indispensable tools for accelerating the transition towards sustainable aviation. At the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), taking place from 14 to 16 April 2026 in Hamburg, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) will present its latest research on the aviation of the future at its Stand 6C102 in Hall 6.
At the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2026, DLR will demonstrate how digital transformation is paving the way for competitive and climate-compatible aviation. With AI-assisted safety analyses and digital models for cabin design and infection prevention, we are setting new standards. In collaboration with industry and research, our system expertise is making a decisive contribution to the next generation of air transport.
Through a holistic digital approach, the needs of passengers and cabin crew, as well as climate compatibility and safety requirements, are integrated into the design process from the very outset. At its exhibition stand, DLR will bring these research topics to life through a range of exhibits:
Passenger safety simulation
This project extends safety analysis to realistic aircraft crash scenarios by combining high-precision models with AI. Using the PANDORA tool, complex crash simulations are automated by integrating design data directly into structural analyses and combining it with AI-supported seat dummy models. This hybrid approach predicts injury risk at each individual seat without additional computational effort and allows innovative cabin layouts to be validated early in the design phase.
Digital infection risk model
To assess cabin ventilation, this interactive tool enables the rapid investigation of infection scenarios. Based on aerosol dispersion models, it visualises individual risks and the effectiveness of countermeasures against various pathogens, with the aim of minimising the health and economic impact of outbreaks.
Immersive cabin laboratory
Trade fair visitors can step into the front section of a virtual cabin environment to experience first-hand the user-centred, collaborative design methods developed at DLR. A modular system consisting of seat and table models allows visitors to design and virtually test layouts in real time, with support from experts.
Disruptive cabin DISKUS
This concept explores new approaches to system and seat integration to reduce weight, complexity and material usage. Highlights include a novel ventilation system architecture and suspended textile seats, developed in collaboration with the aviation industry and other research institutions to ensure maximum recyclability and new spatial qualities.
