Exclusive: Inside Lufthansa Technik's Touchscreen Tray Table

A cabin divider would usually be an unlikely place to find the next development in aircraft interiors. But the divider unveiled by Lufthansa Technik, F/LIST, and Pilatus at NBAA-BACE offers a new way to interact with the cabin.

Enter the new “nice” intelligent cabin divider, which integrates a 14.5-inch, high-resolution OLED display into a finish described by the companies as “brushed hairline dark,” combining wood veneer with a metallic appearance. The device was unveiled at a press conference on October 20.

The device is inconspicuous at first. A “Pilatus” logo adorns the face, almost as if it were permanently printed. Tap the screen, however, and a digital interface appears. When the display is no longer needed, it disappears from view again, allowing the divider to return to its role as merely a piece of cabin furniture.

The partners signed a collaboration agreement to advance the concept toward series production, with the Pilatus PC-24 as their current focus. Its customizable interface can display flight information, a moving map, and even content mirrored from a personal device, alongside seat and lighting controls.

Yet the divider is only one application of Lufthansa Technik’s Hidden Touch technology. During a hands-on demonstration with the Lufthansa Technik team, AeroXplorer explored a particularly compelling possibility: bringing those same functionalities directly into a folding tray table.

A Tray Table With a Second Purpose

The device itself is unassuming, folded and stowed into the armrest as a standard tray table would. However, upon unfolding, a small blue stripe hints at something more.

Lufthansa Technik’s Gregor Magersuppe, Regional Sales & Account Director Cabin Management Systems, showed more. A swipe brought the tray table’s integrated display to life. The interface offered access to entertainment and cabin functions, with options for movies, TV shows, magazines, and seat controls.

“You have the same content as you would have on the actual big screen,” Magersuppe shared. “You can even use it as a working station. For example, a keypad down here, and plug in your device – laptop, phone – via USB-C, and then screen mirror and actually work on the table while you have your lunch.”

Essentially, Lufthansa Technik is redefining the relationship between the passenger and the tray table. A surface historically used to support a laptop, tablet, or meal now becomes a full interface in its own right while remaining usable as a conventional table. Passengers could browse entertainment directly on the tabletop, check their flight’s progress, or adjust supported seat and lighting settings without reaching for a separate controller.

The screen also doesn’t have to occupy the entire usable surface. Magersuppe demonstrated how the interface could be minimized and repositioned, leaving key flight data visible while freeing up space to be used for another activity.

A passenger could, for example, keep a moving map or seat controls visible in a smaller area while eating. When the digital functionality is no longer required, the display can be put to sleep and the surface used as a regular tray table.

Next-Gen Design

The divider and tray table share the same underlying design principle: make digital functions available when they’re needed, and hide them when they’re not. Ultimately, this helps reduce clutter and contributes to a more relaxing cabin experience overall.

A conventional screen remains visible when it’s switched off. But Hidden Touch allows the surrounding material to retain its character when the interface is inactive.

“Our customers want technology that makes life on board easier while preserving the calm and comfort of their cabin. For us, luxury means intuitive, effortless interaction, with technology integrated so naturally into materials and furniture that it becomes part of the experience,” F/LIST’s Anita Gradwohl, Group Director of Customer Relations and Sales for New Aircraft Interiors, said in the announcement.

Within the divider partnership, F/LIST supplies the furniture and integrates Lufthansa Technik’s display technology, while Pilatus brings the aircraft application and cabin requirements into play.

When Can We See This Onboard?

The clearest development path currently belongs to the cabin divider. According to Michael Lagemann, Press Spokesperson for Lufthansa Technik, the final scope of the device’s functionality is still under discussion. Their joint objective is to bring the intelligent divider into series production within approximately two years, although that timing could move in either direction.

Customer installations will require further development and certification. Lagemann identified the next steps as “defining the detailed functional specification and completing the engineering development, particularly on the software side, to ensure alignment with the current and future PC-24 cabin experience.” He added, “This will be followed by more advanced prototype builds, pre-qualification and qualification campaigns, and the required certification activities before customer installations can begin. We have already completed a substantial amount of engineering and testing to date, which gives us confidence as we move into these next phases.”

The partners are considering both a potential production-line installation and a retrofit solution for the PC-24. Neither availability nor the final production configuration has been confirmed.

The tray table has no separately announced entry-into-service timeline, but Lagemann suggests it can see potential integration into commercial aviation aircraft, alongside business aircraft, specifically in first- or business-class cabins. However, the significance of these technologies lies in demonstrating what the technology could support beyond the divider.

But, as explained by Magersuppe during the demonstration, commercial aviation implementations would introduce their own set of challenges. Different handling demands would be the main considerations, along with making the hiliesn controls discoverable for passengers unfamiliar with the technology. A subtle visual cue – such as the blue stripe – would help indicate that the otherwise ordinary-looking surface contains an interface.

For now, the divider provides the development program to watch. But the tray table provides a fascinating glimpse into what could follow, namely, cabin furniture that lets passengers watch, work, and adjust their surroundings before transforming back into a simple, usable surface with only a tap of a screen.