CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2024

Enjoy the key highlights of the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2024 from Brisbane, Australia.

Gert-Jan de Graaff is the Chief Executive Officer of Brisbane Airport Corporation Pty Ltd, a position he has held since June 2018. Gert-Jan has more than 25 years' experience in leadership roles at major airports around the world, including Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, JFK International Airport in New York and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport . Current Board appointments include the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific Regional Board and Australian Airports Association. Gert-Jan was also selected to be a Council Member of the Australian Jet Zero Council in June 2023.

Cam Wallace has over 20 years experience in the aviation, travel and media sectors. He was appointed CEO Qantas International & Freight in July 2023 and is responsible for the financial, commercial and operational performance of international flying and the freight business; as well as overseeing Global Sales and Distriubtion and Alliances. Cam’s previous executive career has primarily been with the Air New Zealand group where he was responsible for all the commercial and customer functions including the freight and loyalty business units. In that role he was instrumental in growing both the domestic and international networks and developing joint ventures with multiple airline partners. 

Aviation is crucial to the success of many South Pacific states, providing vital connectivity and a leading role in supporting tourism dependent economies across the region. Despite this importance, aviation in the region is facing a turbulent time. While some airlines are achieving record profitability, others dealing with crippling operational issues or even falling into administration. This panel will convene senior airline and aviation leaders from across the Southwest Pacific to look at the challenges, trends and outlook for a region that is at a crossroads.

Australia continues to top global lists of must visit destinations for 2024. Airlines continue to add routes and increase capacity where they can, with all signs pointing to continued growth through 2024. At the same time, some recent political decisions concerning bilateral agreements have brought Australian air services policy into sharp focus.

• With a number of international markets nearing or at the limits of bilateral capacity, is there a need to rethink the implementation of Australia's 'capacity ahead of demand policy'?

• Should more Open Skies agreements be pursued with major regional and trading partners?

• With slots limited at many major capital airports, is there a better way to coordinate rights allocations involving consultations with stakeholders like the states, airports, airlines and regulators?

Travel to/from the Asia Pacific is still playing catch-up to the rest of the world, but there are reasons to be optimistic for the corporate travel outlook in 2024. The core reasons for business travel remain undiminished and a strong majority of companies indicate that business travel remains a high priority for them. At the same time, corporate travel is not what it once was - budgets have shrunk, traveller expectations are shifting and topics like duty of care, sustainability and blended travel are ever more important. Is the regional outlook for corporate travel as bright as it seems, or will these structural shifts in the corporate travel landscape put a break on the recovery?

The role of the government in fostering the growth and sustainability of the aviation sector across Australia is absolutely vital. With a focus on policies, partnerships, and proactive measures, this panel aims to delve into the strategic initiatives and collaborative efforts required to navigate the evolving landscape of aviation in Australia.

• Policy Frameworks for Growth: Including the formulation and implementation of supportive policies that drive innovation, infrastructure development, and regulatory frameworks tailored to the unique needs of Australian aviation.

• Public-Private Collaboration: Insights into successful partnerships between government entities, private sector stakeholders, and academia to promote technological advancements, skills development, and operational efficiencies within the industry.

• Sustainability and Resilience: Discussions on strategies to enhance the sector's resilience to global challenges such as pandemics, economic fluctuations, and environmental sustainability, with a focus on achieving long-term viability.

• Investment and Infrastructure: Examination of investment priorities in aviation infrastructure, including airports, air traffic management systems, and digitalisation efforts to improve service delivery and passenger experience.

Global Competitiveness: Exploration of measures to bolster Australia's position in the global aviation market, leveraging strengths in research, development, and technological innovation.

The air travel sector is coming under ever greater pressure from customers, governments, and others to accelerate its transition to a low carbon future. Yet, sustainability is more than simply making progress towards net zero goals, and for the industry to be truly sustainable it needs to be financial and operationally stable.

• How are changing consumer expectations around sustainability changing the way that the air travel sector is doing business?

• How does the industry effectively communicate the difficulty of its climate mitigation/decarbonization journey to its customers?

• Will the Asia Pacific see regulatory action from national governments around the industry's greenhouse gas emissions?

• What is the role of national governments in supporting airlines/airports to make progress with decarbonisation?

• Can the air travel sector more effectively engage with non-government organisations to create, follow and publicise their progress towards emissions minimisation?

Jeff Moomaw is Vice President - Asia Pacific for Delta Air Lines, leading Delta's overall business strategy planning and execution across the APAC region, including Korea, Greater China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Based in Delta's regional Seoul headquarters, he also oversees Delta's trans-Pacific joint venture with Korean Air, which commenced in May 2018. Prior to his current position, Jeff served as Managing Director, International Customer Experience and Partner Consulting based in Atlanta. In that role he launched a new CX and technology infrastructure with global airline partners and leveraged Delta expertise for partners through the Partner Consulting team, Jeff also previously served as Managing Director, UK JV Integration in London where he implemented the joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. During his career at Delta, he has led many of the airline's Sales Development groups. Jeff joined Delta in 2005. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Michigan State University, where he later returned to complete his MBA. He lives in Seoul with his wife Tania and daughter Andrea.

Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024, in Brisbane, 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, Qantas International CEO, Cam Wallace spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024, in Brisbane, 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.

Join the CEO from Virgin Australia in this exclusive discussion. Hear the latest on recovery, market analysis and future strategy for the carrier.

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. Since launching in 2000 as Virgin Blue - then wholly owned by the Virgin Group - Virgin Australia has moved away from its LCC origins to become a network carrier with integrated regional and international operations.

Key Discussion Points:

• Strategic Vision for Growth: Insights into Virgin Australia's strategic priorities and initiatives to strengthen its market position, expand routes, and enhance service offerings amidst evolving industry dynamics.

• Customer-Centric Innovation: Discussions on Virgin Australia's commitment to customer experience excellence, digital transformation, and innovations in technology that elevate passenger satisfaction and loyalty.

• Sustainability and Responsibility: Exploration of Virgin Australia's sustainability initiatives, including efforts to reduce carbon footprint, promote eco-friendly practices, and contribute positively to environmental stewardship.

• Partnerships and Alliances: Analysis of Virgin Australia's collaborative efforts with industry partners, alliances, and stakeholders to drive mutual growth, network expansion, and operational efficiencies.

• Resilience and Adaptability: Insights into how Virgin Australia has navigated challenges such as global pandemics, economic fluctuations, and regulatory changes, showcasing resilience and adaptive strategies.

After playing a vital role during the pandemic, air cargo in the Asia Pacific has gone through a tough few years. With global trade still somewhat shaky but activity in the Asia Pacific picking back up, what are the prospects for regional air cargo in 2024?

• How is the move towards digitalisation changing air cargo practices? What emerging technologies are seen as the most important to embrace?

• With pharmaceuticals, cold chain logistics and eCommerce taking ever large shares of the market, how is the air cargo supply chain adjusting?

• Sustainability is playing an ever-larger part of customers' purchase decisions. How does the air cargo industry move to manage challenges around its environmental impact and effectively communicate its actions to the public?

While the Australasian aviation market appears to have recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still signs that everything is not right in the sector. Profit remains elusive for most regional operators, and fares are still depressed in many parts of the region. Operational performance is still improving, but public perception remains a challenge for regional carriers.

Join us for a free-wheeling discussion covering these and other major topics of importance for regional aviation. Serving as the culmination of the CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Asia Pacific this unique panel will involve a frank, open assessment of the situation of regional aviation and a free-wheeling discussion on the future for the region.

Interaction between participants, moderator and the audience will be a key feature of this session.

Enjoy exchanges that are unbound by the limits of traditional conference structures and engage with industry leaders on topics that are most relevant to their sectors and of greatest importance to their businesses.

Technology is playing an increasing role in eliminating the traditional travel pain points. The 'always online' traveller is being met with a wave of new technologies, platforms and solutions that are being used to solve some of the industry's more difficult problems.

• Mobile travel apps, chatbots and AI travel assistants - The age of the all-in-one personal travel aide is dawning. How are new mobile platforms and associated information technologies revolutionising the whole travel journey?

• Customer service and support - The travel industry has grappled for years with staffing problems that have impacted customer service and support. How are technology tools allowing travel firms to do more with less and help to solve traveller's problems?

• Personalisation and automation - Today's travellers are continually looking for options that make their journey easier and more aligned with their preferences. How are travel providers meeting travellers demands for personalisation and automation in a way that supports their brand image and delivers better service while also cutting costs?

• The risks - As the travel sector increasingly relies on digital applications to support the customer journey, how does the sector ensure the resilience and scalability of its technology tools?

Air New Zealand, Chief Customer & Sales Officer, Leanne Geraghty spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024, in Brisbane, 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.

Governments around the world have made continuous efforts to foster global air connectivity through various liberalisation and deregulation initiatives in the past 45 years. Today, these efforts are increasingly neutralised by a more fragmented regulatory environment for airlines where notions such as the national interest are reemerging. Fueled by geopolitics, supply chain decoupling and nearshoring, this growing trend is likely to lead to air connectivity stagnation between countries and the hyper-regionalisation of air services, inevitably impacting global air connectivity and challenging core aeropolitical principles such as reciprocity, the level playing field, and consumer benefits. Our presentation will explore global traffic flows, recent changing patterns, and discuss how the reemergence of the national interest is slowly eroding consumer benefits and air connectivity between regions/countries, using specific cases as examples. We will also discuss how airlines can navigate the highly unpredictable nature of the current market, regulatory, and operational environment.

Air India CEO & MD, Campbell Wilson, at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024, in Brisbane, 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.

Delta Air Lines, Vive President, APAC, Jeff Moomaw spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024, in Brisbane, 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.

Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company, Board of Director Member, Chu Viet Cuon, at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024spoke to CAPA TV at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit 2024, in Brisbane, 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.