CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific

Presented in partnership with Cairns Airport, the 2025 CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific took place at Cairns Convention Centre on July 31 and August 1, bringing leaders from the aviation, tourism and hospitality industries to the region for a series of strategic sessions aimed at shaping the future of air travel.

Cairns Airport Chief Executive Officer Richard Barker said hosting CAPA in Cairns presented invaluable opportunities for industry, local business and the wider region.

"Hosting CAPA enabled us to welcome the cream of the aviation and tourism sectors to Cairns, the northern gateway to Australia."

Virgin Australia is Australia's second-largest airline and one of the few carriers that has managed to successfully diversify across the airline value chain. Under the leadership of Dave Emerson, appointed as Chief Executive Officer in March 2025 after previously serving as the airline's Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Australia continues its transformation journey with a renewed focus on delivering value and choice to customers while strengthening its position in the competitive aviation market.

Join CAPA - Centre for Aviation, the world's most trusted source for aviation intelligence, for a comprehensive snapshot of the state of commercial aviation across Europe. Featuring exclusive insights generated from CAPA's extensive data and aviation knowledge tools, this session will not only examine key performance metrics for aviation, but will examine implications for major trends in regional aviation that are shaping the industry's outlook.

Australia has outlined a vision for its aviation industry to reach net zero by 2050, aligning with long term goals already well established by the commercial aviation sector. Now that these commitments are in place, the focus should be transitioning to introducing the right frameworks to put them into action, and setting the regulatory and commercial conditions to make them a reality. This panel will look at where Australia's aviation sector is in relation to the rest of the world with its net-zero journey, what needs to happen in the immediate future to support aviation sustainability and what initiatives are actually achievable in the short term.

Volt is building the global infrastructure for real-time payments. Its payment network is the first to unite domestic account-to-account schemes to a single interoperable standard. Scaling and enterprise businesses use it to accept real-time payments, initiate payouts and manage funds. Volt, which was launched in 2019, is headquartered in London, has offices in Warsaw, Kraków and Sydney, and enables payments in 31+ markets across the UK, the EU and Australia.

The next generation of airports are designed to be resilient and futureproof to address growth, the evolving passenger experience and at the same time create a sense of place and be sustainable. Through an exposition of several of Foster and Partners airport terminal design projects from Marseille to Panama to Phenom Penh, Poland to Riyadh, Antoinette will show how these objectives are delivered through design, planning, the integration of technology to redefine the entire travel experience.

Grandiose promises from the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOLs) sector appear to have run into the harsh realities around technological development and regulatory frameworks. Yet the Australian advanced air mobility sector is still taking a pioneering role in the Asia Pacific, with groundwork still underway for the arrival of commercial advanced air mobility operations. Join us session examining the current 'state of the art' for the eVTOL sector in Australia.

Western Sydney Airport, CEO, Simon Hickey spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia, in 2025, about 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.

Australasia is a key market for many Asia-Pacific airlines, both for point-to-point and connecting traffic. This expert panel will discuss Australia's role in airline network strategies, as well as carriers' plans and latest market moves. Competition is fierce in Australia's international sector, particularly for transit traffic, so how do airlines ensure they can compete profitably? The panel will also discuss trends and challenges in the broader Asia-Pacific region, and how airlines are adapting to an uncertain environment.

Critical discussion points:

• Updates on airline strategies in the Australian market

• How changing market dynamics and external challenges are affecting airline plans

• Are inbound and outbound demand well-balanced on Australia's key international routes?

• The slow recovery of the important Chinese and Japanese outbound travel flows

• Growing competition for transit traffic - how is this affecting fares, and how do airlines respond?

• What are the main challenges for international airlines serving Australia? To what extent are air service rights, visas, and airport access curtailing airline plans?

• Is the long-haul low-cost model finally proving itself in the Asia-Pacific region?

eremy O'Brien is an experienced executive in commercial strategy, sales, and marketing across various industries. Appointed Acting Chief Commercial Officer in January 2025, Jeremy oversees global sales, brand, marketing, commercial, customer experience, customer care, and offshore airport functions. Previously, Jeremy was General Manager, International Airline, and General Manager, Brand and Marketing at Air New Zealand. Since joining in 2016, he has held leadership roles across portfolios including Contact Centre, Corporate Direct, Market Development, Retail Sales, Grabaseat, and Airpoints. Before Air New Zealand, Jeremy was Commercial Director at TVNZ, leading the company's digital transformation. He holds a BCom (Hons) in Marketing from the University of Otago and completed the Accelerated Development Programme at London Business School. Jeremy recently completed an 18-month term as a Future Director at The Warehouse Group.

In this two-part session, experts will explore the shifting distribution landscape and examine what changes and improvements are being delivered and promised by new AI technologies.

Session Format: This session is designed to provide comprehensive insights into both the changing distribution landscape and AI adoption in travel:

• The Shifting Distribution Landscape: With the global distribution landscape now more complex and fragmented than ever, this segment will explore the key trends that have tilted the balance in the travel ecosystem. Experts will look at how changing consumer expectations, channel proliferation, technology diffusion and new retailing opportunities are changing the state of play for the sector..

• The Impact of AI on Aviation and Travel: Chatbots, large language models, intelligent personalised agents and AI-powered data analysis and content curation are redefining how we research, plan, book and manage our travel. This segment will examine how consumers, as well as aviation and the travel sector at large, are embracing AI and what it means for travel retailing and beyond.

Australia has outlined a vision for its aviation industry to reach net zero by 2050, aligning with long term goals already well established by the commercial aviation sector. Now that these commitments are in place, the focus should be transitioning to introducing the right frameworks to put them into action, and setting the regulatory and commercial conditions to make them a reality. This panel will look at where Australia's aviation sector is in relation to the rest of the world with its net-zero journey, what needs to happen in the immediate future to support aviation sustainability and what initiatives are actually achievable in the short term.

In this exclusive panel, industry leaders will share insights on how they manage the diverse and ever-evolving risks affecting the region. The discussion will focus on the impact of fluctuating fuel prices, exchange rates, and volatile global markets, with airline panelists offering a deep dive into their approaches to cost management and hedging strategies.

Key Themes:

• Geopolitical shifts, such as tensions between the USA and China, including their implications for route access and open skies agreements.

• Future of network development, considering the changing landscape of global travel.

• The reliability and strategic importance of international alliances, including collaborations with major carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways.

• Responding to the rapid pace of technological advancements and AI, evaluating both the risks and rewards of these innovations.

• Navigating the complexities of ESG commitments and shareholder activism during times of network and business stress.

• Ongoing challenges of workforce shortages.

Few regions globally need aviation as much as the South Pacific, with air transport providing vital trade, travel and tourism links for regional economies. Even with this outside importance, regional aviation continues to struggle with chronic issues around workforce and infrastructure shortages, dissimilar regulations and limits to market access. This is without even considering the region's unique geography, market dynamics and political environment. This panel will bring together regional aviation leaders to look at how airlines overcome these challenges through innovation, agility, cooperation and collaboration.

Markus commenced in the role of Qantas Domestic Chief Executive Officer in October 2023, having joined the Group Leadership Team in November 2022 as Chief Customer Officer. He has previously served as the Executive Manager of Network, Revenue Management and Alliances, where he was responsible for a large part of the commercial strategy for Qantas International and Qantas Domestic. Since joining the Group in 2011, he has also held the position of Regional General Manager for Qantas based in London after serving as Head of Group Strategy and Head of International Revenue Management. Before joining the Group in 2011, Markus held senior roles at Bain and Co and in telecommunications in Australia, Sweden and Korea. Markus holds an MBA from Australian Graduate School of Management and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from University of Linkoping, Sweden.

As Australia's aviation industry evolves, airports are playing a pivotal role in driving the sector's future. This panel will delve into the critical issues shaping Australian airports, from enhancing operational efficiency to meeting the demands of growing passenger numbers.

Discussions will focus on the adoption of innovative technologies to improve the passenger experience, the push for sustainability in airport infrastructure, and how airports are preparing for the challenges of increased air travel while maintaining safety and security. Experts will also examine the role of Australian airports in fostering greater connectivity, both domestically and internationally, and how strategic planning can support economic growth and resilience in the face of global challenges.

CEO, Cairns Airport, Richard Barker spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia in 2025, about 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.

Air New Zealand, Chief Sustainability & Corporate Affairs Officer, Kiri Hannifin spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia in 2025, about 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.

Tourism & Transport Forum, CEO Margy Osmond spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia in 2025, about 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.

Qantas Domestic, CEO, Markus Svensson spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia in 2025, about 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.

Qantas Group, Chief Sustainability Officer, Fiona Messent Barker spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia in 2025, about 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.

Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA), CEO, Rob Walker spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia in 2025, about 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.

Air New Zealand, CCO, Jeremy O'Brien spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia in 2025, about 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.

The 2024 Australian Aviation White Paper seems to have been a damp squib - long on intention and ambition, but short on detail and practical measures. The vision is for an aviation sector that is safe, competitive, productive and sustainable. This session will take a hard look at what is actually being done - and more importantly what should be done - to produce the best outcomes for the air travel sector in Australia.

• What is the progress around government short-term initiatives such as the aviation industry ombuds scheme, passenger rights charter, airline 'show cause' arrangements and new disability/passenger assistance standards?

• What are the expected outcomes of proposed competitive reforms, such as changes to airport slot management and negotiating arrangements, airport economic regulation, and aviation competition monitoring?

• Are proposals around the aviation workforce such as licence reforms, training expectation and future workforce planning going to be effective?

• Will government support for regional aviation actually produce any meaningful improvements for regional connectivity, flight pricing and airport standards?

Uber For Business spoke to CAPA TV at CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2025 hosted in Cairns, Australia, in 2025, about 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.

Due to a combination of complex factors from staffing challenges to severe weather, flight disruptions today are 300% higher than in 2019. While many disruption causes are unavoidable, this understandably causes passenger frustration. Disruptions are therefore an essential moment to go above-and-beyond to secure customer loyalty.

In this panel, leaders from Menzies Aviation will explain how partnering with Uber for Business is empowering them to revolutionise data transparency and visibility, reduce costs, and significantly enhance the passenger experience for many of their airline customers in Australia. Importantly, it does this during the flight disruption moment, as well as supporting transfers, which brings the added benefit of helping secure customer loyalty when service matters most.