CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026

Korean Air Chairman and CEO Walter Cho joins CAPA for an Airline Leader Interview exploring the airline's next chapter as it integrates with Asiana Airlines. Recorded at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia, the conversation examines how the merger will expand network reach, improve connections and offer passengers greater choice and flexibility, providing insight into the future of Korea's flagship carrier.

ANA Holdings, Executive Vice President and Group Sustainability Officer, Tomoko Hoya spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

Korean Air, Chairman & CEO, Walter Cho spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

Japan Airlines , Senior Vice President, Route Marketing, Ross Leggett spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

CVFR Travel Group, Group CEO, Ram Chhabra spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

Malaysia Aviation Group, President and Group Chief Executive Officer, Nasaruddin spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

Tigerair Taiwan, CCO, Bernard Hsu spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

Rolls-Royce Japan, President, Susumu Kaminaga spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

VietJet Air, Vice Chairwoman and Vice President of Finance - CFO, Ho Ngoc Yen Phuong spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.

Hokkaido Airports welcomes aviation leaders from across the region to CAPA Asia 2026. Watch the host welcome as delegates gather in Hokkaido to connect, share insights and explore the opportunities shaping the future of aviation in Asia.

CAPA's State of the Industry sets the scene for discussions at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, offering a timely perspective on airline performance, market conditions and the forces influencing aviation's next chapter.

HK Express CEO Jeanette Mao joins the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026 for an Airline Leader Interview, sharing her perspective on leading a low-cost carrier in Asia and the challenges and opportunities shaping its future.

iCoupon Global takes the stage at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026 to introduce its digital vouchering solutions for the aviation industry, helping airlines and airports streamline passenger compensation and refreshment vouchers during flight disruptions.

Asia offers some of the world's greatest opportunities for aviation growth, with rising passenger demand, expanding tourism markets and an increasingly diverse range of travel patterns. But capturing that opportunity requires airlines to think beyond simply adding capacity and opening new routes.

This panel will explore how airlines, airports and other aviation stakeholders are developing smarter approaches to network growth - identifying where connectivity can create the greatest value, how new markets can be developed, and how networks can evolve alongside changing passenger demand.

The discussion will examine the role of partnerships, market development, new connectivity models and strategic investment in building stronger networks across Asia and beyond. It will also consider how airlines can balance growth ambitions with the need to build commercially sustainable networks that deliver value for passengers, destinations and airline partners.

Key discussion points:

* How airlines identify the markets and connectivity opportunities with the greatest potential

* New approaches to building networks and serving emerging travel demand

* The role of partnerships and collaboration in extending connectivity and opening new markets

* How airlines, airports and destinations can work together to stimulate sustainable traffic growth

ANA Holdings EVP & Group Sustainability Officer Tomoko Hoya joins the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026 for an Airline Leader Interview, offering her perspective on sustainability, leadership and the opportunities and challenges facing one of Japan's leading airline groups.

The Asia-Pacific aviation market is defined as much by fierce, margin-straining competition as by its rapidly growing demand for domestic and international travel. This has resulted in fleet limitations, infrastructure bottlenecks and market fragmentation that makes traditional network expansion challenging, despite overall aggregate capacity growth in the past several years.

The traditional approach of adding aircraft and launching new routes employed by major global carriers is less efficient for performance-LCCs serving the APAC region. Increasingly, these airlines are exploring partnership-driven models to expand their reach without the extensive capital investment of fleet expansion or the time- and resource-intensive process of establishing formal alliances and codeshare agreements.

This panel will explore how partnerships, including virtual interlining and multi-carrier connectivity, are the key to entering new APAC markets, extending airlines' networks, and better serving increasingly complex traveller demand and itineraries across the region.

• Why APAC's market structure makes partnerships the preferred vector for network growth;

• Why LCCs play an important role in the APAC region relative to other global markets, and how sustainable network growth augments that role;

• How connected travel technology opens new origin-destination routes efficiently and effectively;

• How to balance customer experience, disruption handling, and operational complexity in a fragmented marketplace.

TA Connections takes the stage at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026 to introduce its airline crew accommodation and transportation solutions, supporting the logistics that keep crews moving and airline operations running smoothly.

The aviation industry stands at a transformative crossroads where digital innovation and evolving consumer expectations are converging to redefine competitive success. Airlines and airports must simultaneously advance their technological capabilities, deliver consumer-centric experiences, and strategically expand into high-growth markets to achieve sustainable growth. This session explores how aviation leaders can integrate these critical priorities to capture new opportunities while building resilient, future-ready organisations.

Digital transformation and technology integration are revolutionising the aviation industry, enabling greater operational efficiency and enhanced passenger experiences. By leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, and big data, airlines and airports can optimise processes, improve decision-making, and streamline operations. Digital solutions are also reshaping the passenger journey, offering personalised services, seamless check-ins, and real-time updates to elevate customer satisfaction.

Innovative loyalty programmes are becoming increasingly central to consumer engagement strategies, evolving beyond traditional points-based systems to offer personalised rewards, experiential benefits, and seamless integration across travel ecosystems. Airlines are leveraging data analytics and AI to create dynamic loyalty offerings that respond to individual passenger preferences, driving repeat business and deepening customer relationships. Modern loyalty programmes also serve as powerful tools for capturing valuable consumer insights, enabling airlines to refine their service offerings and create differentiated value propositions in competitive markets.

However, the increasing reliance on technology brings cybersecurity challenges that must be addressed to safeguard sensitive data and ensure the resilience of aviation systems.

Celebrating an exceptional contribution to aviation, the CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award honours a career of leadership, dedication and lasting industry impact. Watch the presentation at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026.

In this session Susumu Kaminaga - President of Rolls-Royce Japan Co. Ltd. - will give an overview of Rolls-Royce in Japan, highlighting the key role of supply chain and partners in Japan to the current and future success of Rolls-Royce.

Ramanathan Thiagarajan is the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Payments at AirAsia MOVE, where he shapes the Group's financial strategy, governance, payment ecosystem, and enterprise transformation across Southeast Asia.

Working closely with the Board and senior leadership, he drives sustainable growth, capital efficiency, commercial performance, and financial discipline across a complex, multi-market digital travel business. He also leads the Group's payment strategy, focusing on payment orchestration, merchant-of-record capabilities, cost optimisation, fraud and risk management, and improving the overall customer payment experience.

With over 15 years of experience across e-commerce, aviation, banking, and energy, Ramanathan brings deep expertise in capital raising, M&A, enterprise risk management, governance, and large-scale finance transformation. He has led regional finance operations and built future-ready teams that integrate data, technology, and commercial insight into decision-making.

Before joining AirAsia MOVE, he held senior roles at AmBank Group and KPMG Malaysia, specialising in audit, risk, and financial advisory for major financial institutions.

A Chartered Accountant with ICAEW and a holder of CISA, CRISC, and CFE certifications, Ramanathan is passionate about redefining the modern CFO as a transformative business partner-combining financial discipline, digital innovation, and strong governance to create sustainable long-term value.

Malaysia Aviation Group President & Group CEO Captain Nasaruddin Bakar joins the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026 for an Airline Leader Interview, offering his perspective on the group's strategic direction and the opportunities and challenges shaping Malaysian aviation.

JAL Group CEO Mitsuko Tottori takes the stage at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026 for an Airline Leader Presentation, sharing her perspective on the group's direction and the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of Japanese aviation.

Sustainability in aviation presents an ongoing challenge for the Asian region, requiring a careful balance between environmental progress and commercial viability. Unlike Western markets, Asia's rapid traffic growth, price-sensitive passenger base, and diverse policy landscapes demand pragmatic strategies that deliver measurable results within tighter operational margins.

For many carriers across the region, the pathway to net zero is phased and focused on immediate-impact measures. Airlines are prioritising fleet modernisation with fuel-efficient aircraft and operational optimisation, while navigating through persistent supply chain bottlenecks. Alternative fuel adoption remains constrained by cost barriers and supply limitations. Throughout Asia, the focus is shifting from compliance-driven targets to outcome-driven efficiencies, such as offsets via CORSIA, fleet and MRO optimisation, enhanced air traffic management, and digital transformation.

The region's diversity adds complexity but also fosters innovation, with emerging alternative fuel production capabilities and cross-border collaborations paving the way for scalable solutions. Real-world outcomes, such as emissions reductions through CORSIA and from next-generation aircraft as well as supply framework improvements, highlight meaningful progress without over-reliance on regulatory and policy tools.

This session will explore how aviation leaders across Asia can chart a realistic, regionally relevant path to sustainability, integrating long-term innovation with near-term impact.

Regional connectivity and infrastructure development are pivotal to fostering economic growth and meeting increasing air travel demand as emerging Asian markets experience unprecedented expansion. The rapid rise of middle-class populations across Southeast and South Asia is driving substantial growth, creating significant opportunities and infrastructure challenges that require strategic investment and innovative planning.

Expanding airport infrastructure is essential to accommodate rising passenger volumes and address congestion at major hubs. By enhancing regional connectivity, airlines and airports can unlock economic opportunities, improve accessibility to underserved areas, and capture growth potential in markets such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. Infrastructure development must balance rapid capacity expansion with affordability, sustainability, and operational efficiency.

The aviation industry must also navigate seasonality challenges that impact passenger demand and operational efficiency. Seasonal patterns in emerging Asian markets differ significantly from traditional hubs, influenced by monsoon seasons, major festivals (Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid), school holidays, and regional tourism cycles. Strategic planning, flexible scheduling, and infrastructure optimization are key to balancing peak and off-peak periods, ensuring seamless year-round operations while maximising infrastructure investment returns.

This session will explore how airlines and airports can integrate infrastructure expansion with innovative solutions to capitalise on emerging Asian market growth while managing seasonality effectively, creating resilient networks that support sustainable long-term development across the region.

Hear from Asia LCC/Hybrid of the Year winner VietJet Air in this Airline Leader Interview at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026. Vice Chairwoman and Vice President of Finance - CFO Phuong Ho Ngoc Yen brings her perspective on airline leadership and the carrier's place in Asia's competitive aviation market.

Tigerair Taiwan and Dohop unveil Tigerhop, a new partnership opening up more travel possibilities through connecting journeys. Watch the announcement and discover the vision behind the collaboration.

NABLA Mobility, Founder and CEO, Shinji Tanaka spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Asia 2026, hosted in Hokkaido, Japan, about the latest industry trends and company developments.

CAPA Events are hosted in key markets around the world and attract the highest calibre of thought leaders and decision makers in the aviation and travel industry. Delegates are provided with unprecedented access to the latest data, insights and trends from our global team, in addition to valuable networking opportunities with executives across all sectors of the aviation and travel industry. Review CAPA's full events calendar here.