KLM CEO Pieter Elbers at the CAPA-ACTE Global Aviation Summit: Responding to digital disruption

The CAPA-ACTE Global Aviation Summit kicked off at Hotel Okura in Amsterdam on 27-Oct-2016 with a keynote presentation from KLM CEO Pieter Elbers.

Mr Elbers addressed the 850 CAPA-ACTE attendees from 45 countries on the topic of 'Digitizing the Airline': Connecting the dots towards 2025. KLM, with its Amsterdam Schiphol hub, was a disruptor in how and where passengers connect, and now Mr Elbers is bringing change to the digital world.

KLM has experienced a rise in passenger website usage, with 33% of tickets sold online and 70% of passengers using online check-in. Mr Elbers is preparing for a shift from mobile first to mobile only: "Whatever people do, it should fit in this small machine".

KLM has embraced third-party apps like Facebook Messenger and WeChat, and believes the future is with these types of platforms. KLM is the first airline in the world to use Facebook Messenger. Mr Elbers wants KLM to be able to respond to customer service issues during the journey, eliminating situations where a passenger writes a follow-up letter or e-mail. This saves KLM time and makes for a better experience. KLM's average online response time is 42 minutes, with a target to lower this further.