Apex Daily Experience

No Images? Open in Browser

December 4, 2020

Go to APEX.AERO

Today's Top Stories

Warner Bros. to Stream All 2021 Releases

Warner Bros. plans to release all of its new movies in 2021 on the HBO Max streaming platform concurrently with movie theaters. That means passengers could soon be streaming new releases on board, a massive shift in the content market. And it opens an opportunity for airline content service providers to negotiate including the content as a local option on board, skipping the in-flight connectivity link. Early window content historically has been challenging to deliver in flight. The company calls it a one-year plan for now, but it may run into resistance switching back.

SHARE

Checking in With the Next-Gen at FTE’s Trailblazer Showcase

The FTE Trailblazer Showcase highlights some of the aviation industry’s most forward-looking companies. Panasonic Avionics, OARO, AviLabs, Breeze Technologies and Sequestim are developing ideas to aid in the aviation industry’s recovery from COVID-19, from blockchain-based identification to air quality sensors. This article originally appeared in the Expo Daily Experience: Preview. Read the full issue and register for FTE APEX Virtual Expo.

SHARE

Delta Launches Contact Tracing for International Arrivals

Delta Air Lines is the first carrier to establish a contact tracing program for all international passengers arriving in the US. Passengers will be asked to provide the required contact information, which will be relayed to the CDC, as part of the airline’s plan to reduce or remove quarantine requirements for international travel. The goal is to reduce the time required to notify travelers in case of a confirmed COVID-19 case on a flight. Today the CDC must request that information from the airline after the fact, slowing the process.

Delta Air Lines | Related U.S. international airline passenger contact tracing plan stalls, sources say – Reuters

SHARE

Risk and Size of Furloughs Grows at Southwest Airlines

Last month Southwest Airlines began issuing WARN notices of impending furloughs. This week, however, the numbers became much larger. The carrier could now furlough as many as 7,000 employees if it cannot cut costs. Southwest has never furloughed employees in its history. The company also notes that a revival of the CARES Act funding from the US government could solve the payroll shortage issue.

Bizjournals | Related Southwest Aims To Keep Costs Lower Than Competitors By Saying No To More Federal Debt – Forbes

SHARE

Volocopter’s Flight Path Takes Shape

Volocopter is getting its electrically powered, zero-emission VoloCity air taxi ready for takeoff. The company has plans to test and eventually deploy flying taxi services in Paris, says Hon Lung Chu, head of Volocopter for Singapore and Southeast Asia. This article originally appeared in the Expo Daily Experience: Preview. Read the full issue and register for FTE APEX Virtual Expo to learn more about urban air mobility.

SHARE

TSA’s Quiet Skies Program Under Renewed Scrutiny

An audit by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security found that Quiet Skies, a program subjecting some travelers to increased scrutiny, lacked proper oversight or controls. Moreover, the program did not include appropriate metrics for measuring its success. While some monitored under Quiet Skies eventually were added to the government’s “no-fly” list, the program operates independently from that watchlist, raising concerns about civil rights abuses.

Travel Pulse | Related The TSA Is Scaling Back a Controversial Program That Monitored Everyday People – Popular Mechanics

SHARE

LSG Adds Virtual Reality to Product Prototyping Portfolio

How can a catering company show off new concepts and designs to airline customers when in-person meetings and travel are so restricted? LSG has turned to virtual and augmented reality systems to help bring their offerings to life. The digital solutions can even help the company launch products that don’t yet exist. New non-food concepts are digitally generated in the virtual world for consideration. Robin Sippel, head of Global Procurement Digitalization, Data Management & Tools, is clear that these are "a supplement to a conversation when touching, smelling and tasting do not play a central role. Of course, these are things that cannot be simulated even with the best 3D technology. At least not yet."

SHARE

> PHOTO OF THE DAY

The gravity-defying portion of Jeppe Hein’s All Your Wishes features 70 glossy, steel balloons with affixed ribbons mounted as though they had floated to the ceiling.

The photo essay featured in the latest issue of APEX Experience magazine takes a close look at the dazzling artwork that fills the new Terminal B at LGA.

> Tweet of the Day

@AirCanada’s transformed @Aeroplan loyalty web and mobile experience was built with IBM Canada to create greater personalization, flexibility and ease of use.

IBM Canada @IBMCanada

Association News

What Will You Miss by Missing Out on FTE APEX Virtual Expo?

FTE APEX Virtual Expo kicks off December 7 at 7:00 p.m. EST. If you're not in attendance, you'll miss out on the air transport industry's first major digital trade show. Don't squander the opportunity to partake in high-tech virtual networking sessions with reps from over 330 airlines and airports, view interactive supplier showcases, witness product launches from 77 suppliers and learn the latest strategies from senior industry speakers. Airline and airport delegates get a free Premium Pass! Register now.

Anticipation is building for FTE APEX Virtual Expo

The Hear & Now page of the Expo Daily Experience: Preview compiles some messages that stakeholders have been sharing on LinkedIn. Want to join the conversation? Use the official event hashtag #FTEAPEXVirtualExpo when posting about the event on social media.

> Quote of the Day

"Our research led us to develop multiple channels of interaction – voice, movement detection and contactless scanning – between the passenger and the technology, to suit their preference.”

Ilya Gutlin, Elenium
Read the article

Until next week

ABOUT APEX

The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) encompasses a network of airlines, businesses and professionals that are committed to providing a world-class airline experience for passengers around the globe. Every day, APEX members are improving every aspect of the airline experience, from designing, building and installing seating, entertainment and communications systems on commercial aircraft, to airport lounges and in-flight dining. Visit apex.aero for more information. APEX is professionally managed by Kellen Company, the premier global association management firm with offices and representation in the United States, Europe, China, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.

Connect with APEX

You have received this email because you are subscribed to this newsletter from apex.aero.

Change email frequency | Unsubscribe