CAPA Airline Leader Summit World & Awards for Excellence 2024

Day 1 - Thursday 21 November 2024

08:00-09:00

Registration, Networking & Coffee

09:00-

09:05

Chairperson's Welcome

09:15-

09:45

Airline Leader Interview

Air Serbia, CEO, Jiri Marek

Moderator: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Head of Analysis, Rich Maslen

09:45-

10:30

CAPA Airline Leaders Forum

The aviation community will gather for a dynamic session that embraces the spirit of collaboration and innovation as industry leaders come together in an open forum designed to engage in spontaneous discussions, share breakthrough ideas and explore the uncharted territories of aviation.

This session will allow participants and audience members to be more involved in the conference, suggesting and leading discussions on topics they are passionate about, encouraging dynamic exchanges, all the while defying traditional conference structures.

Join us for a unique experience that transcends the ordinary and will propel the industry to new heights.

Suggest your theme or topic during the registration process or come prepared to join in the conversation.

Moderator: Independent Advisor & Analyst, Eamonn Brennan

JLS Consulting, Director, John Strickland

Panel:

airBaltic, CEO Martin Gauss

SunExpress, CEO, Max Kownatzki

Swiss, CCO, Heike Birlenbach

TUI Airline, CEO, Marco Ciomperlik

Oman Air, CCO, Mike Rutter

10:30-

11:00

Coffee Break & Networking

11:00-

11:20

CAPA Outlook: State of the Industry {Download Presentation}

CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Senior Financial Analyst, Jonathan Wober

11:20-

12:00

Business models - Are airlines really converging in the middle, or are the airlines segregating to meet differing markets?

Airline operating models continue to slowly meet in the middle, with full-service network carriers and low-cost carriers borrowing elements from each other. Is this industry hybridisation inevitable or even necessary? This session will look at the risks and benefits for airlines that are marching up or down the curve in terms of cost and complexity.

• With price competition intensifying and service offerings increasingly commoditised and based around ancillaries, how important are brand and product differentiation?
• While simplicity and low cost offer many benefits, is there a risk that when something goes wrong the airline lacks the resources needed to respond? Does 'one size fit all' at airports and how do airlines streamline operations while also ensuring operational robustness?
• With increasing digitalisation and greater than ever knowledge about the passenger, what approaches are airlines taking to adjust themselves to different market segments?
• Are LCCs encroaching on FSNC territory in the post pandemic period?
• Is there a generational change in attitudes towards travel? Do newer travellers actually care about what they get along the journey, or do they just want to travel from point A to point B at the cheapest possible price?

Moderator: Watson, Farley & Williams, Partner, Alan Polivnick

Panel:

European Regions Airline Association, DG, Montserrat Barriga

TUI Airline, CEO, Marco Ciomperlik

VietJet Air, Vice President, Jay L Lingeswara

IndiGo Airlines, VP Strategy, Neha Narain

12:05-

12:50

Finance outlook - Is aviation entering a new golden age?

The global air travel industry is in something of a sweet spot. Demand remains strong and airlines are reporting improving profitability outlooks. Air travel is now accessible, more convenient and safer than ever. Yet, aviation is a cyclical business, and good times appear to be inexorably followed by bad.

• Where are we in the cycle? Still going up, at the peak or starting on a downswing? Should the industry be worried about softening fares and yields and a possible weakening of demand?
• Business travel is still lagging well behind leisure. Has this vital market undergone a structural change, and how has the industry responded to the loss of this profitable sector?
• Is now the best time for transformation? Should airlines that weren't able to restructure during the pandemic take the opportunity now?
• The industry is still dealing with heavy debt loads from the pandemic, combined with higher than expected interest rates and an appreciating US dollar. How does the sector strengthen its balance sheets in such an environment?

Moderator: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Chief Financial Analyst, Jonathan Wober

Panel:

Air Lease Corp, Executive Chairman, Steven Udvar-Hazy

Sun Country Airlines, President & CFO, David Davis

TAP Air Portugal, CFO, Gonçalo Pires

MUFG, Director Aviation Research, Alice Gondry

12:50-

12:55

Introduction to lunch

iCoupon, Sales Director, Viktoriya Soubra

12:55-

14:00

Lunch Break & Networking

14:00-14:30

Airline Leader Interview Pegasus Airlines CEO Güliz Öztürk

Pegasus Airlines, CEO, Güliz Öztürk

Moderator: BBC, TV & Radio Presenter, Nuala McGovern

14:30-15:10

Technology and AI - Full speed ahead or time for some perspective?

In the last few years there have been few topics as talked about, and perhaps few as misunderstood, as artificial intelligence (AI). The technology is already being implemented across the entire aviation ecosystem. While the scale of adoption is small, it is growing rapidly, and so are the missteps in application.

• AI is already in use in chatbots, revenue planning, automation, sales & distribution and more. What are the immediate use cases for the technology?
• Use of AI chatbots has already publicly backfired for a number of airlines. What are the drawbacks in turning sections of customer service to automated and often unmonitored systems? How does AI change the traveller-provider interaction?
• Airlines have begun to move away from PSS to Offer & Order and more will embrace this journey. Is it time for a long-term look at what the technology is going to do to the sector?
• The digitalisation journey can be complicated. How can AI simplify the increasing streams of valuable data and enhance personalisation and engagement?
• Do we need to be taking a wider view on the technology and the risks and benefits that come with it?

Moderator: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Head of Analysis, Rich Maslen

Panel:

airBaltic, CEO, Martin Gauss

Lufthansa Innovation Hub, Managing Director, Xavier Lagardère

Air India Express, Head Digital & E-Commerce, Harpinder Singh

Bluebox Aviation Systems, VP Global Sales, Kevin Birchmore

FLYR General Manager, EMEA, Dominic Matthews

15:15-15:45

Coffee break & Networking

15:45-16:15

Airline Leader Interview with SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki

SunExpress, CEO, Max Kownatzki

Moderator: KornFerry, Senior Client Partner, Michael Bell

16:15-16:55

Sustainability - Time for a hard talk about getting to net zero

Aviation has lofty goals around sustainability and reducing its contribution to emissions. Although progress is slow, the industry is making small gains. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is increasingly taking centre stage when it comes to decarbonisation efforts, but it remains expensive and scarce and will require heavy investment to build production for a period of decades.

• Smaller airlines are already voicing concerns that larger and more financially secure competitors are cornering the market for SAF. Is the rush to secure SAF supplies and unequal distribution locking some airlines out?
• Billions of dollars are pouring out of public and private purses to fund the expansion of SAF output, but is the level of investment enough to meet the industry's net-zero targets? What levers need to be pulled if investment is falling behind?
• Airlines are starting to impose sustainability levies on travellers. Is this the right strategy? If not, on whose shoulders should the cost of financing aviation decarbonisation fall?
• Until more SAF is available, are efforts around fleet renewal and operational improvements sufficient? What are the realistic prospects and timeframes around new and alternative propulsion technologies?
• The industry needs to recognise that even with all its efforts there is no guarantee of meeting net-zero targets. What would be the consequences of such a failure?

Moderator: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Head of Analysis, Rich Maslen

Panel:

Airbus, VP Customer Marketing, Marisa Lucas

SkyTeam Airline Alliance, Head of Sustainability, Evgenia Starkova

Air Serbia, Sustainable Development Manager, Ivana Kosic

TUI Airline, Director Communicates, Aage Dünhaupt

17:00-17:30

Airline Leader Interview

Lufthansa Group, Executive Vice President Strategy, Member of the Group Executive Committee, Tamur Goudarzi Pour

Moderator: Aviation Week Network, Executive Editor Commercial Aviation, Jens Flottau

17:30-17:35

Day 1 Closing Remarks

19:00-22:30

Pre-Dinner Drinks

Gala Dinner & Awards for Excellence ceremony