CAPA Americas Aviation Summit – navigating uncertainty in the era of Trump and changing tides
Aviation industry leaders and stakeholders will debate the shape of aviation in the Americas in a post Trump world. There is only one event in North America this year offering great insights into new trends and challenges emerging from the new US presidential administration and the churning global aviation markets. This takes place at the annual CAPA Americas Aviation Summit, to be held in Orlando, Florida on 4/5-April-2017.
The next few years for aviation in the Americas are filled with uncertainties, ranging from potential fallout from President Trump's trade and travel policies to Brexit and the future shape and direction of US-China aviation relations.
"Information is the resolution of uncertainty" - Claude Shannon. Don't miss this opportunity to gather crucial intelligence necessary for shaping the Americas aviation industry during the next decade.
Highlights from the comprehensive summit include:
What will Trump do next?
Join Pillsbury Winthrop Partner Kenneth Quinn in discussion with: the Roger Dow of the US Travel Association, ACTE CEO Greeley Koch; Air China General Manager North America, Dr Zhihang Chi; Air France-KLM Senior Vice President North America, Marnix Fruitema; and ForwardKeys Director Airport Development, Ged Brown, to determine the international perception of the US after a tumultuous start to President Trump's administration.
Will the revised version of President Trump's travel ban ease anxiety about doing business in the US? Are international bookings set to rebound after falling away in the wake of the disjointed roll out of the first ban? Is the 'softened' version easing general fear and anxiety over travel to the US?
How will the administration's potential new trade policies and changing diplomatic tactics affect travel demand to the US over the long term? Changes to NAFTA, NATO, and the policy on China have cast a wide cloud of uncertainty over the US' worldwide stature, and knock-on effects on travel are sure to follow.
Airline Leader panel: new leadership, new challenges
What are the effects of nationalist movements behind the UK Brexit's vote, and how will the election of President Trump in the US affect existing and future open skies agreements? Although American, Delta and United have reignited their campaign against Emirates, Etihad and Qatar, the Trump Administration seems uninterested in acting on their concerns.
But will protectionism rear its head again, as reactionary forces seek to wind back liberalisation gains.
Pressure by US unions and others to change course after awarding Norwegian Air International rights to fly to the US also seems to have little sway with Trump. Will the administration cave to pressure from the Big 3 and unions to change course?
How will ULCCs and LCCs continue to disrupt US and trans-Atlantic travel? Are larger US airlines equipped to deal with new lower cost trans-Atlantic competition through their traditional alliance and joint venture structures, or will they find new ways to adapt?
As Latin America embarks on a measured economic rebound, what are the opportunities for airlines serving those markets? Latin American airlines have been forced to slash their cost structures - what kinds of advantages will this create over the long term?
Leading this important discussion is CAPA Executive Chairman Peter Harbison and joining him for the session are VP alliance and partnerships for American Airlines Joe Mohan; Norwegian chief commercial officer Thomas Ramdahl; Spirit Airlines CEO Robert Fornaro, and China's leading LCC, Spring Airlines president Stephan Wang.
US-China market: maybe there are too many impediments to airline growth
US airlines believe overcapacity in the US-China market should ease later in 2017 as airlines from both countries reach the service limits of the current bilateral between the two countries. But travel demand between the two countries continues to grow, and with no open skies discussions planned in the near future, how will airlines work around current constraints? Are there ways to alleviate the slot pressure in Beijing, New York, Chicago and Shanghai?
How can airlines capitalise on demand within the current constraints of the existing bilateral? Will hub bypass flying become more prevalent, or are deepened partnerships similar to Delta and China Eastern the most efficient way to ensure remaining competitive in the changing US-China landscape? Delta has declared through its stake in China Eastern it can serve the largest cities in China in a more capital efficient manner.
The moderator for this wide-ranging session is consultant John Byerly, and key panellists are Air China General Manager, North America Dr Zhihang Chi; All Nippon Airways VP of strategic planning Tadashi Matsushita; Hainan VP Hou Wei; Spring Airlines Jonathan Hutt, and former Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab.
Travel disruptors: the issue of what new approaches and innovations are needed
Travel suppliers face a raft of new ways to distribute tickets, promote their products, streamline the booking process and create more targeted travel offers to bolster revenue. Who are the leaders in travel industry innovation and how fast are disruptions occurring in the market?
Which of these new innovations has staying power and warrant investment? What are the challenges in convincing travel providers that investment in emerging technologies is necessary? Is available technology capable of keeping pace with changing travel preferences and trends?
CAPA Americas CEO Mike Miller leads a renowned group of panellists, including Atmosphere Research founder Henry Harteveldt; Global Entertainment EVP Joshua Marks; IBM Global Watson & Strategy Leader Travel & Transportation, Daria Gudunova; SAP Head of Travel and Transportation Paul Pessutti; Skyscanner General Manager Americas Shane Corstorphine, and Travelport Global Head of Product & Marketing Ian Heywood.