The latest Inflight Lab event took place on 9–10 June 2026 at The Leo Grand in Vienna’s historic first district, hosted in collaboration with Austrian Airlines.
Thirty attendees made the trip, representing a strong cross-section of the industry: Finnair, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Aegean Airlines, ITA Airways, Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, alongside a carefully selected group of industry partners, all present by invitation.
Every session was built for participation, airlines and suppliers in the same room, on the same terms, working through the same problems.
It’s a format that keeps producing the same result: when you remove the sales mechanism, the conversations go deeper.
Aegean Airlines gave attendees an early look at its upcoming long-haul product, a significant moment for the carrier as it prepares to launch A321LR service on routes of 6 to 7 hours.
Sandy Koutsogianni, Head of Product Marketing and Flight Services, walked through the experience vision, the four product pillars, and the genuine design challenge of meeting widebody passenger expectations on a narrowbody aircraft.
Finnair updated the group on their current inflight programme.
Austrian Airlines presented some new service changes across its network.
Lufthansa walked attendees through their new Fox programme in detail, new service concepts, serviceware, and the thinking behind the changes across cabin classes.
Vassilios Georgakopoulos of Hôte Advisory joined as a special guest, leading four sessions across the two days.
Covering product strategy, brand authenticity, lessons borrowed from other industries, and the tension between premiumisation and cost discipline, his sessions drew on peer-reviewed research and generated some of the most animated discussions of the event.
Gispol, the event’s headline sponsor, presented on inflight equipment trends, taking attendees inside the process of sourcing inspiration for new designs and which concepts are gaining traction right now.
Plane Talking Products ran the amenity kits workshop, handing out physical samples and content cards for participants to design their own amenity kit concepts.
It produced some of the loudest moments of the two days, the good kind.
The programme also included sessions on crew incentives and onboard selling, sustainability and AI-driven demand forecasting, buy-on-board and pre-order trends, and a premium breakfast workshop where attendees examined and sampled business-class breakfast concepts.
This isn’t a trade show. Airlines talk to each other, yes, competitors, about the challenges they face daily.
Suppliers show up as thought partners rather than vendors: people who’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and why.
It’s the same formula that has worked across previous editions worldwide, and most recently in Melbourne in February 2026.
The Inflight Lab is organised by Nik Loukas, founder of Inflight Feed. Nik believes that great food, great spaces, and the right people in a room create the conditions for honest conversation, and that’s where the best ideas come from.
The event was made possible with the support of headline sponsor Gispol, alongside platinum sponsors Global-c, MyDrap, ELAG, Intervine, Plane Talking Products, and Goedhart Bakery Kitchen Group.
The next Inflight Lab is planned for November 2026 in the USA, February 2027 in Asia and June 2027 in Europe.
Airlines interested in attending can register here.
Sponsors can contact us here.
Photos: Austrian Airlines and Inflight Feed
Nik founded Inflight Feed in 2012, blending his passion for inflight dining with over a decade of experience in the airline industry. For the past 13 years, he has travelled the world, exploring and reviewing airline meals across countless carriers.
CNN Travel, The New York Times, and BBC World News have featured Nik’s expertise. When he’s not on the ground, you’ll find him at 35,000 feet, camera in hand, capturing the unique flavours of air travel. Follow his inflight meal adventures on Instagram: @InflightFeed.