ABC INTERNATIONAL is an EASA Approved Design Organization (EASA.21J.529) able to manage and approve any minor/major modification to aircraft cabin Interiors and external livery by means of Engineering Order/Service Bulletin or STC
As part of our exhibitor interviews series, AIX sat down with ABC INTERNATIONAL’S Chief Commercial Officer, Rodolfo Baldascino to understand how the company is helping their customers to “enhance their aircraft cabin, optimise space on board and ultimately, improve the passenger experience”.
“All of our industry is concentrated at AIX in these few days once a year. You won’t find the same “cocktail” in any other place in the world”.
Rodolfo Baldascino, Chief Commercial Officer, ABC INTERNATIONAL
Can you introduce yourself, your company, and your products and services to us?
“I am Rodolfo Baldascino, Chief Commercial Officer at ABC International. I have spent almost my entire career within the aviation industry and the last eighteen years in aircraft cabin interiors. I love this world and I enjoy working in this industry, dealing with planes daily and having the opportunity to meet and work with lots of great professionals from all around the world.
For me, this is a unique value that this job offers me; it is a privilege to be part of this industry.
And ABC INTERNATIONAL is my baby. The company was born approximately fifteen years ago but is still promising and fast-growing. We look after cabin modifications and cabin revamping by helping our customers to enhance their aircraft cabin, optimise space on board and ultimately, improve the passenger experience.
As an approved DOA (Part21J) we can approve several modifications under our privileges, and we are extending continuously the number of STCs we are obtaining from EASA on commercial aircraft platforms such as the A320 or the B737”.
What will you be showcasing at AIX 2023?
“We will present our entire range of products and services for cabin modifications such as soft furnishings, small monuments including stowages and partitions and many other customised solutions.
However, we are also well known in this industry as the cabin branding specialist, and we are very proud to display branding elements, logos and signs that we have developed for our wide customer base spanning years of successful projects delivered. This year we will add ITA Airways, LATAM and Air France”.
What innovations or trends are you anticipating in the aviation and interiors industry this year?
“Our dynamic MCD for A320 is registering remarkable success among our customers and we are delivering many units to both airlines and lessors. We will also showcase new products such as a customised and newly designed seat track cover for Embraer jet family aircraft and different models of rigid life-vest boxes that have been fully designed, certified and approved in compliance with the latest and extremely stringent FAA requirements.
A rigid box appears to be an easy seat component to create but we have developed a very sophisticated design exercise in cooperation with our seat OEMs’ customers to achieve a proven design able to fulfil their requirements.
We mainly supply services, so we speak of performance, and we have to deliver tangible added value to our customers to be successful. Often, it is not a matter of innovative products but innovative ways to give them what they need, when and as they need it.
This is what I call “process innovation”. To be able to do that ABC INTERNATIONAL which is a DOA — a design and engineering company without internal manufacturing capacity — has, in the last few years, equipped itself to be able to become a real integrator of products and services.
ABC INTERNATIONAL’s offering is integrated into more or less complex packages to be delivered to final customers (namely small and medium-sized airlines and lessors). The aim is to relieve them and make their process pertaining to aircraft cabin modification and revamping across their entire value chain easier. That is how we deliver added value.
“AIX is the perfect place for a “first appointment”.
Rodolfo Baldascino, Chief Commercial Officer, ABC INTERNATIONAL
To be able to do that we have strongly invested not only in design and engineering skills but in supply chain ability and our own warehouse of raw materials. We are able to guarantee fully integrated solutions for our customers delivered with competitive lead times and with the right value for money”.
What are looking forward to seeing/experiencing again at AIX and why?
“That’s very simple: all of our industry is concentrated at AIX in these few days once a year. Customers, suppliers, partners, other stakeholders and also all your competitors are there. You won’t find the same “cocktail” in any other place in the world. This allows you to maximise the experience and be exposed to many stimuli and new opportunities.
The only limit, despite efforts to be well organised and have a large delegation attending the event, is the inability to catch all the potential opportunities you see there!”
Why are you coming back to AIX? Can you share any notable experiences or customers that you’ve gained during the show?
“Participating at AIX, as I have done for many years, is all about opportunities to meet the right people and initiate the right relationships that can bring you new business in the future. Sometimes, I meet people at AIX who contact me after several months or even more than one year.
In other cases, AIX is the opportunity to meet for the first time with other potential customers you were already talking to before but hadn’t met in person yet. AIX is the perfect place for a “first appointment” because your company wears its best dress! It helps to catch customers’ interest and secure new opportunities”.
Would you recommend AIX to other companies? Please share why.
“Of course! Afterwards, you will identify how important it is and it will be much easier to spend/invest that money for the next year.”
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