CAPA Asia Aviation Summit & Awards for Excellence

Airline Leader Interview - Wizz Air

• Wizz Air, CEO, Jozsef Varadi
• APAC Network, Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder, Oriel Morrison

There has been a lot said about the Low Cost Long Haul model in previous years however it seems like it is making a comeback in a post-COVID world. The industry is beginning to talk about the model being well-suited to the post-recovery landscape.

In this discussion, we revisit the Low Cost Long Haul market in Asia, review the model, pre-pandemic, and predict why a resurgence is happening now.

• Has the LCLH model fully proven itself yet, and what will be the challenges to success?
• In what ways will the market be more conducive to long-haul LCC operations now?

Moderator: Aviation Week, Senior Air Transport Editor - Asia-Pacific, Adrian Schofield

Panel:

• VietJet Air, Member of Board, Cuong Chu
• Lufthansa Technik, Sales Strategy Manager, Beenash Qureshi

• What are the problems and how are airlines adjusting?
• Is this all an over-reaction to accepted challenges ramping up operations after the industry’s biggest ever crisis?
• Are these operational issues forcing some airlines to make alternative strategic decisions?

Moderator: KornFerry, Partner, Torbjorn Karlsson
Panel:

• Lufthansa Group Airlines, VP Asia Pacific, Elise Becker
• ALPA-SIN, Vice President of the Technical Committee, Capt. Jaffar Bin Hassan

The Asia Pacific is the world’s factory, accounting for more than 40% of global exports of manufactured goods in 2021. With the COVID-19 induced disruption to shipping and supply chains, air cargo had a moment in the sun, reporting two consecutive years of record revenue. With passenger travel largely absent, air cargo was one of the few bright spots for Asia Pacific regional carriers in 2020 and 2021.

However, as passenger traffic comes back and shipping begins to regain some of its competitiveness, cargo sector revenues and profits are slowly coming back to earth. Worse still for Asia Pacific airlines, traditional Western export markets are increasingly moving to bring manufacturing onshore, particularly for high value goods. Geopolitics is also hurting the sector, as the relationship between China and the West becomes ever more frosty and barriers to trade are erected.

• What is the outlook for air cargo in the Asia Pacific?
• How can regional carriers benefit from major trends such as eCommerce, growing Asia Pacific regional consumption and ongoing supply chain instability?
• What does the growing regionalization trend mean for air cargo. Are agreements like the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) going to support regional trade and air cargo?

Moderator: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Jae Woon (June) Lee
Panel:

• Cathay Pacific, Regional Head of Cargo, Southeast Asia, Siddhant Iyer
• Teleport, CEO, Pete Chareonwongsak
• IBS Software, SVP for APAC, Gautam Shekar

EVTOL: How far have we come in the last 12 months

Short haul electric aircraft offer potentially the greatest revolution in aviation since the introduction of the jet engine. With the promise of helicopter-like performance and car-like costs to operate, the EVTOL concept is no longer just the playground of a few ambitious start-ups. Major aerospace OEMs, global technology firms, major car manufacturers and others are now investing billions of dollars in what they hope will be the next major frontier for aviation.

• Eve Air Mobility, Business Development Lead (APAC), Augustine Tai
• FlyNow, CCO, Andreas Schaaf
• Skyports, Head of Asia Pacific Yun-Yuan Tay
• Vertical Aerospace, Head of Commercial, Asia Pacific, Derek Cheng