‘Nice intellitable’: Lufthansa Technik debuts interactive smart tray table at Dubai Airshow
November 19, 2025
Lufthansa Technik has brought a new concept in cabin user-interface integration to this year’s Dubai Airshow, unveiling the ‘nice intellitable’—a fold-up tray table that incorporates a high-definition hidden touchscreen directly into its haptic surface.
The development adapts the company’s Red Dot Award–winning Hidden Touch Display into a compact, passenger-facing format designed for premium commercial cabins and VIP aircraft.
A tray table that becomes a touchscreen on demand
The ‘nice intellitable’ looks like a traditional tray table until it’s activated. At the passenger’s request, digital controls and content appear through the material surface. When the display is no longer needed, the interface disappears seamlessly, returning the table to a uniform and tactile finish.
Lufthansa Technik says the system retains full dining functionality. The surface is designed to withstand spills, silverware, and pressure from regular use.
The technology represents a miniaturised evolution of the company’s Hidden Touch Display, enabling interactive controls to be embedded into spaces where conventional screens are impractical. Operators can customise the table’s visible material—wood, carbon fibre, metal or others—to blend with cabin décor.
Expanded control options for the cabin environment
For its Dubai Airshow demonstrator, Lufthansa Technik has integrated a broad set of passenger-facing functions into the table. These include flight information, a moving map, seat controls, food and beverage previews and ordering, audio and video players, and a “flipping book” interface for digital magazines. The company says the interface is fully customizable depending on airline or VIP operator needs.
When passengers need the table for meals, the digital interface can be minimised into a slim strip at the edge or switched off entirely. The table then returns to its primary role as a stable surface for service.
Redefining cabin interactions with intelligent surfaces
Andrew Muirhead, Vice President Original Equipment and Special Aircraft Services at Lufthansa Technik, said the development aims to close the gap between cabin design and how passengers actually use their space.
“Sometimes, there seems to be a disconnect between how airlines and VIP operators design their control solutions and how their passengers actually interact with the cabin environment,” Muirhead said. “To get rid of traditional control interfaces, which sometimes can feel bulky and outdated, we are permanently rethinking how technology integrates with interior design, creating more cohesive and natural interactions.
“The ‘nice intellitable’ exemplifies this approach, redefining VIP, but also commercial business or first class cabins, through more intuitive and seamless technology that puts both passenger experience and airline needs at the centre.”
The technology could bridge the gap between passenger demand for screens and aircraft equipment weight limitations, especially considering sustainability targets. Operators can avoid installing additional in-flight entertainment screens without requiring passengers to use their own personal devices for flight information and other content.
Lufthansa Technik is presenting the ‘nice intellitable’ to airlines, OEMs and VIP completion centres during the Dubai Airshow.
The AGN team is on the ground in Dubai, bringing you all the latest airshow news.
Featured Image: Lufthansa Technik
