World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) announced that it has changed its name to The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), a move that reflects the evolving role in-flight entertainment systems play in the airline industry. The vote change was approved with two-thirds majority vote by the association’s membership.
"As our industry evolves, it is the association’s obligation to stay ahead of the curve and accurately capture the pulse of our membership," said WAEA/APEX President Patrick Brannelly. "The word ‘entertainment’ in our name was somewhat limiting the association’s ability to define its’ future, although of course entertainment is very much our heritage, and will remain at the heart of our activities."
Brannelly of Emirates Airlines announced the new name Monday in Hamburg, Germany, at the WAEA Conference focusing on airline seats and in-flight entertainment systems. More than 250 delegates from airlines and systems and seat vendor companies attended this event, which was hosted at the Airbus facility.