Israeli firm Eviation Aircraft took home one of the top prizes at the 14th Crystal Cabin Awards at a ceremony in Hamburg livestreamed around the world.
The particular award is meant to recognize leaders in the field of aircraft cabin innovation. However, the ceremony took on a greater meaning this year, as they come after the aviation industry as a whole suffered heavy losses across the board due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eviation took home the trophy in the Cabin Concepts category with its new innovation, Alice, the first purely electric commuter jet. It had first made its debut in the 2019 Paris Airshow and can carry nine passengers over a 1,000-kilometer distance. However, its innovative cabin setting is what really won the prize. Developed with Portuguese firm Almadesign, the cabinet concept consists of a fishbone seating layout.
Other prize winners included Airbus, e2ip, Diehl Aviation and Safran, the latter of whom took home three prizes.
Two additional special categories have also been announced, the Judges' Choice Award and the Clean & Safe Air Travel category, the latter especially important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are set to be presented at the Aircraft Interiors Expo on August 31 in Hamburg.