Spafax Leadership Q&A Series – Niall McBain

Spafax Spotlight: Meet the Spafax Thought Leaders

Meet The Spafax Thought Leaders is our Q&A series highlighting the people behind Spafax – what they do, how they think, and where they see the industry going. From day-to-day operations to big-picture strategy, these conversations offer a window into the ideas shaping our work.

Niall McBain, CEO of Spafax

Niall McBain, Spafax CEO, has been at the helm for 25 years, leading the company through its evolution into a global content and media powerhouse. Based at Spafax HQ in London, Niall has cultivated a culture prioritizing expertise, creativity, collaboration, and delivering value and innovation for clients. Under his leadership, Spafax has expanded its capabilities across content, media and technology – transforming from a collection of regional offices into an integrated, global network.

Interesting fact about Niall:

I grew up in Japan and went to school there for a time. It gave me a deep appreciation for different cultures and a lifelong curiosity about the world.

Niall, how would you describe Spafax’s role in the aviation industry?

We are the Experience Editors, we operate in the special ‘time and space’ that is the modality of the airline customer journey. And it is our work to engage, delight and enrich these customer journeys.

We guide the overall inflight experience through a joined-up approach – one that brings together data science, content strategy, entertainment, marcoms, and ancillary revenue expertise. Everything we do is about enhancing the passenger journey while delivering tangible commercial outcomes for airlines. We want to help airlines convert the full potential of the new digital travel experience – faster, smarter, and more holistically.

What makes Spafax different from other media agencies in aviation?

Our strength lies in combining creativity, technology, and deep aviation expertise. Some may view us through a narrow service lens, but for others we offer a truly end-to-end proposition: from content acquisition, creative production and media placement to digital services, personalization, and revenue generation. We’re agile, we’re strategic, and we’re deeply invested in delivering seamless experiences that boost both satisfaction and performance.

Who are Spafax’s clients, and what do we help them achieve?

We work with all types of airlines, with advertising brands, and with Entertainment partners looking to create value at key touchpoints of the journey. For airlines, we activate IFEC by evaluating passenger behaviour, optimising content performance, and unlocking new revenue streams through targeted brand partnerships. For brands, we provide access to high-value audiences through marketing and entertainment placements across the journey – from lounges to destination. For Entertainment partners we provide professional operational and technical support along with specific airline/partner creative development. It’s about delivering more than service – it’s about making complexity simpler.

Spafax’s core values include Joy, Courage, Integrity, and Respect. What do they mean to you?

They’re the foundation of everything we do. Joy is about remembering that creativity should be fun – it’s what sparks innovation. Courage is about backing ourselves and being bold in our decisions. Integrity means being open, honest, and transparent in all our dealings. And Respect underscores that every role at Spafax matters, and every colleague deserves recognition for their contributions.

Duncan Hilleary, the founder of Spafax, said to me when I first joined Spafax – “And remember too, to have fun!” – which I think remains as important as ever today.

How is Spafax leveraging new technology to stay ahead in a competitive market?

Technology is the connective tissue across all our services. We’ve embraced hybrid cloud workflows to streamline delivery, deployed automation tools like Sprint to accelerate content production, and developed advanced analytics models to better understand passenger preferences. These capabilities let us personalize and scale content faster while delivering real-time insights that improve media ratings, performance, and return on investment for our clients. We have witnessed and integrated with every media technical evolution to date and today is no different. It’s not just about being first, it is also about guiding clients to optimize value and performance.

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in the aviation media and content industry today?

Passenger expectations have never been higher and airlines face increasing pressure to deliver exceptional content and technology experiences whilst managing costs. The challenge lies in meeting these demands at speed and scale. On the flip side, there’s a tremendous opportunity in the ‘digital journey experience.’ By integrating content, advertising, and digital services into one intelligent IFEC experience – tailored, connected, and monetizable – we’re helping clients stay ahead. The future of IFEC is not just entertainment. It’s engagement, revenue, and loyalty all rolled into one.