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19-Oct-2017 12:36 PM

FSCs have no future? CAPA Asia Aviation Summit: Asia's airline CEOs explore survival strategies

Asia’s vibrant and diverse aviation market is evolving at a rapid pace, with the rise of lower cost new entrants such as the Gulf airlines, LCCs and China’s airlines forcing the region’s incumbents to innovate for survival and growth.

Some full service carriers have established low cost subsidiaries, or brands, and straddled the divide between the full service and LCC business model. Meanwhile LCCs are putting in massive orders for new aircraft and targeting new markets, but face competitive and regulatory challenges of their own.

These issues will come under the spotlight at the CAPA Asia Summit, to be held on 07-08 November at the Capella – Sentosa Island Singapore. Bringing together the who’s who of aviation and corporate travel, the event is expected to attract over 300 senior executives from airlines, airports, TMCs, travel managers.

CAPA Asia Aviation Summit 2017 contains three key events

The CAPA Summit embraces three key events:

  • Asia Aviation Summit,
  • Corporate Travel Innovation Summit, and
  • CAPA Gala Dinner and Aviation Awards for Excellence.

The Asia Aviation Summit brings together over 30 CEOs of leading airlines based in Asia, as well as those serving the world’s most vibrant aviation region, to discuss strategic and commercial aviation issues, while the Corporate Travel Innovation Summit delivers a deep focus on the biggest category of corporate travel spend: air.

Attendees from each event also have the opportunity to attend the CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner, featuring the CAPA's awards that have recognised and rewarded strategic leadership in the aviation industry since 2002.

In addition to keynote addresses from the CEOs of Aeroflot, Dubai Airports, ANA, Travelport and American Express Global Business Travel, the Asia Summit is very much driven by panel discussion and interactive, with ample opportunity for audience participation.

A particular highlight is the Great Debate in the combined Aviation and Corporate Travel Innovation Summit at the end of Day 1.

 Here Asia's leading aviation executives, including Indonesia AirAsia Group CEO, Dendy Kurniawan, AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman (TBC) and outgoing Malaysia Airlines CEO Peter Bellew, argue for or against the proposition that full service airlines have no future.

Other highlights of the Asia Summit Day 1, 07-Nov-2017:

Executive panels (Aviation Summit):

1) The full service airlines’ perspective

2) The LCCs’ perspectives

Both full service and low cost carriers will participate in panels focusing on Asia’s airline market evolution, and the commercial and operational strategies those airlines are adopting to compete effectively.

How are legacy carriers realigning their networks to survive and flourish? What markets are LCCs targeting? Are they being overly ambitious with their aircraft orders? How many different ways are there to achieve the holy grail of airline business: long haul low cost flying? 

Speakers for this two part session include:

3) Panel (Aviation Summit): The key trends in airline distribution in Asia

This session will focus on two main issues:

The digital retail revolution: With the emergence of platforms like voice and bots, online marketplaces have evolved, and the point at which the relationship with the traveller switches hands has become less clear. Discussion on whether airlines really believe that a new meta-led world will be better than the world they live in today.

Can the evolving distribution landscape save premium yields? Can the New Distribution Capability, and other technological/distribution changes, successfully enrich the booking experience and boost yields?

Speakers include:

  • Expedia, Vice President, Transport Partner Services, Asia Pacific, James Marshall
  • RouteHappy, CCO, Jonathan Savitch
  • IATA, Director New Distribution Capability Program, Yanik Hoyles
  • Lufthansa Group Airlines, Vice President Sales Asia Pacific, Lufthansa, Dieter Vranckx

4) Panel (Corporate Travel Innovation Summit): Selling and paying – turmoil & irreversible changes ahead for airlines and agents?

Airlines are changing distribution and payments strategies around the world; when can we expect major change in Asia and what should we prepare for?

Speakers include:

  • IATA, Director New Distribution Capability Program, Yanik Hoyles
  • Travelport, Global Head of Product & Marketing, Air Commerce Ian Heywood
  • Mastercard, SVP for Product Development & Innovation, Global Commercial Products, Richard Crum
  • GoQuo, CEO, Ron Ramanan
  • HRG, President Americas & Asia Pacific, Greg Treasure

5) Panel (Aviation and Corporate Travel Innovation Summit): Rethinking Travel – to discuss how airports and airlines have managed to push boundaries and innovate to make air travel better.

In an era where demand for air travel continues to grow, and where competition in dynamic aviation is getting fierce, airports and airlines must rethink tomorrow’s travel and cooperate to provide travellers with a more pleasant, seamless experience.  This session will discuss how airports, airlines and their partners work together to push boundaries to revolutionise the passenger experience of the future.

Speakers include:

  • US-India Aviation Cooperation Program, Program Director, Sandeep Bahl
  • Changi Airport Group, VP, Terminal 4 Programme Management Office, Poh Li San
  • Kansai Airports, Co-CEO,  Emmanuel Menanteau
  • SITA, President, Asia Pacific, Sumesh Patel

Asia Summit Day 2, 08-Nov-2017 highlights:

1) Network Planning Masterclass: New aircraft = new routes and new markets. Is it that simple?

Network planning executives will discuss opportunities presented by the increased availability of narrow and small widebody long haul aircraft, and the number of fast-growing cities, in opening up new city pairs.

Speakers include:

  • Hong Kong Airlines, Assistant Director Commercial, Michael Burke
  • Malaysia Airlines, VP Network Planning, Philip See
  • Aeroflot, Director General, Director Strategy & Alliances, Giorgio Callegari

2) Panel: The VIPs are coming! Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines: China’s not the only growth market

Foreign airlines have been disproportionately present in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. But now airlines from those countries are increasing in number, size and scope. Full service airlines are changing and improving their product, there are new airlines coming online, and operators are enlarging their presence and extending their reach. This session will discuss growth opportunities in these markets, such as greater short haul capacity and nonstop North American services. What are the impacts to the airlines that have relied on the VIP markets?

Speakers include:

  • National University of Singapore, Professor of Aviation Law, Alan Tan
  • Indonesia AirAsia, CEO, Dendy Kurniawan
  • Cebu Pacific, Chief Executive Advisor, Mike Szucs

For additional information on the CAPA Asia Summit including the full speaker list, agenda and registration information visit https://aas17.capaevents.com/

 

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