Every completed aircraft tells two stories. There’s the one everyone sees: the seamless design, the flawless finishes, the cabin that feels exactly right. And then there’s the story underneath, the one that made all of that possible.
After almost three decades in this industry, I’ve learned that the second story is almost always the more interesting one. It’s where a ‘VIP paint finish’ gets defined precisely so that it doesn’t become a six-figure argument later. It’s where a detailed review of the cabin insulation design reveals a better way to perform the installation to allow access to critical components without damage and lengthy downtimes. It’s where someone notices that a stitch line sits in a wear zone and moves it a few millimetres, turning a detail that would fail in months into one that lasts the life of the aircraft.
None of this is glamorous. Most of it never gets talked about. But 2025 has reinforced what we’ve always believed at Camber: the invisible work is what makes the visible results not only possible, but impressive.
Industry Presence
September’s RedCabin Business Jet & VIP Interior Innovation Summit in Vienna was a highlight for me. I was honoured to chair this year’s event and to deliver a dedicated session on specification documents. The response confirmed what I suspected: this isn’t a topic that excites headlines, but it resonates with anyone who’s lived through a completion gone wrong.
What I valued most about the summit was the candour. Designers, engineers, OEMs, and completion specialists talking honestly about the realities behind bespoke aircraft interiors. The morning at F/LIST‘s facility in Thomasberg gave us a first-hand look at their F/Lab, where they’re developing innovations like morphing table surfaces and bendable stone veneers. Walking through that space reminded me that the future of cabin design are ideas being shaped in workshops, not boardrooms.
Earlier in the year, I moderated the Passenger Experience Panel at the ELITE WINGS Aviation Summit in Montreal with Natalie Rodriguez, Lisa Ventimiglia, Nolan Kiely, and Louis Lefebvre. We kept coming back to the same point: good cabin design goes beyond aesthetics. It’s about flow, function, and how people actually feel in the space.
The year also took us to Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, the Boeing Business Jets Owner & Operator Conference in Toronto, and the Sea to Sky event in Hong Kong. My son, Colin, served as official photographer at Sea to Sky, and watching him work against that Hong Kong skyline was something else.
Sharing What We Know
I’ve continued writing the Airborne Café series for JetCabin FRESHBOOK Magazine, and this year’s articles covered a lot of ground. ‘Flights of Fancy‘ looked at how the most extraordinary changes in our industry rarely announce themselves with fanfare. They arrive because they solve real problems for real clients. ‘The Document That Makes or Breaks Your Aircraft Interior‘ made the case for comprehensive specifications. ‘Why Use a Completion Manager‘ drew on stories from across our team to show what independent expertise actually looks like in practice. I also wrote a step-by-step guide to the interior design process and traced the evolution of airborne connectivity from Harry Ogg’s 1929 flying office to today’s Starlink-equipped cabins.
Beyond JetCabin, we contributed to Aviation Week’s analysis of aircraft graphics as a sustainable alternative to paint, shared insights on ex-fractional aircraft purchases in AvBuyer, and explored head-of-state transportation in the Elite Wings Bizliner Guide.
People sometimes ask why we share so openly. The truth is, I see other completion managers as industry colleagues, not competition. This is such a specialised field that we all serve different clients and fulfil different roles. Sharing knowledge and lifting the industry as a whole, matters more to me than guarding information. When standards rise across the board, everyone benefits, especially the clients we all serve.
A New Way of Explaining
This year, we started experimenting with short-form video. Aircraft completions are genuinely complex, and I wanted to find ways of breaking down that complexity into something accessible and, hopefully, enjoyable to watch.
A video explaining why your Nespresso machine won’t work as well at 45,000 feet struck a chord with viewers. Others explored why certain luxury features that work beautifully in penthouses will never make it to altitude, the physics of sleep at 40,000 feet, and why private jets cruise so much higher than commercial airliners. A question from a student “Where Does Poop Go in Flight?” allowed us to answer the question few really know the answer to, with humour. The format suits the kind of questions people actually ask, and we’ll keep developing it in 2026.
Project Work
It’s been a busy year. The nature of our work means we can rarely discuss specifics, but I’m proud of what we’ve delivered for our clients.
One project we were pleased to share was a complete Global 6000 transformation at Bombardier’s Tucson Aviation Services Center. Systems, flight deck enhancements, a bespoke interior, new paint, and a thorough inspection. The aircraft came out looking and feeling renewed, ready to serve its owner for many years to come.
Acceptance flights remain one of the most rewarding moments in this work. Walking a client through their completed aircraft, knowing that every detail has been considered and every specification met. Those moments make the months of planning and detailed oversight worthwhile.
Authentic Photography
Colin’s work continues to elevate how we present aircraft and how our clients present theirs. Beyond Sea to Sky and NBAA-BACE, he’s photographed everything from helicopters to ACJs this year. His understanding of these aircraft shows in the images.
We also published an article on why authentic photography matters in private aviation. AI-generated imagery is flooding stock platforms, and in an industry defined by precision, the flaws are obvious to anyone who knows aircraft. Doors on the wrong side. Wings that don’t match the model. Cockpits with impossible configurations. These details get noticed. I believe every aspect of our services should be guided by aviation experience, and that includes photography.
Mentorship and the Next Generation
Through our Sea-to-Sky Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Scholarship, we sponsored Trish Bromley through the 2024-2025 academic year at Northern Lights College. Watching her progress from battling imposter syndrome to confidently working in the engine shop has been genuinely inspiring, and we were delighted to share her story in a feature article earlier this year.
This year, we’re proud to sponsor Alexis Hodacsek as she pursues her own path to become a licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. We’ll be interviewing Alexis shortly to learn more about her journey, and we look forward to sharing her story in the coming weeks.
Looking Ahead
As we enter our twelfth year, the principles that have guided us remain unchanged. Independence, transparency, and an unwavering focus on our clients’ interests. Technical rigour balanced with creative ambition. A commitment to sharing knowledge and nurturing the next generation.
The best aircraft interiors are built on foundations that most people never see. A comprehensive specification. A team with overlapping expertise who challenge every assumption. Attention to details that only become visible when they’re wrong.
That’s what we’ll continue to deliver in 2026.
Thank you to our clients, partners, and team for making this year what it was. Here’s to building on what we’ve learned and forging new paths ahead.
Tom Chatfield
CEO, Camber Aviation Management