Video of the week: Global aviation’s new divide - partnership power or independence?

Partnerships and alliances have become central to the structure of modern global aviation, enabling airlines to extend network reach, improve connectivity and strengthen competitive positioning without the cost of organic expansion.

Yet as consolidation deepens across the industry, airlines are increasingly confronting a critical strategic dilemma: does long-term advantage come from greater integration or from maintaining independence?

For some carriers, alliances provide scale, resilience and access to global markets that would otherwise remain out of reach. For others, independence preserves agility, brand differentiation and the ability to respond quickly to changing market conditions.

At the same time, regulators are paying closer attention to the concentration of market power created through joint ventures, strategic partnerships and industry consolidation. Questions are also emerging around whether greater cooperation between airlines ultimately reduces competitive intensity and weakens innovation incentives.

This session from the CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition in Berlin in Apr-2026 examines whether aviation's future belongs to global partnerships - or to agile independent challengers reshaping the competitive landscape.