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CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition 2024

Upcoming Event

7-8
Mar
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Granada: CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition 2024

The lead event in CAPA’s 2024 global summit series, the Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition examines the most challenging aspects of the global aviation recovery as air travel exits the pandemic era.

CAPA Airline Leader Summit Americas 2024

Upcoming Event

9-10
May
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Calgary: CAPA Airline Leader Summit Americas 2024

The CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Americas is part of CAPA’s benchmark regional summit series, exploring the key strategic issues facing airlines, airports, and the wider travel industry in North America.

As travel has returned across the Asia Pacific, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that consumer expectations and demands of the traveller are changing across all stages of the journey. COVID-19 has produced a transformation in expectations about the travel process for consumers in the region, from how they research, plan and book a trip, to where they want to travel, who they want to travel with and what they want to spend their money on. 

 

Given the regional lockdowns and uncoordinated nature of border closures and travel bans imposed during the pandemic, it’s unsurprising that a degree of uncertainty and caution prevails for international travel. Asia Pacific travellers have also been slower to abandon concerns around health and safety, have shortened their planning and booking windows and are retaining heightened demands concerning the level of timely information and support made available to them through the travel process.  

 

COVID-19 also accelerated a range of ongoing issues: Regional consumers continue to pivot towards online & direct sales channels and mobile booking; travellers are becoming more independent, particularly in younger generations; consumers are more conscious about sustainable travel and tourism options and their personal impact when the travel.   

 

Technology is at the heart of the air travel sector’s response to these disruptive changes. The industry is pushing digital solutions to facilitate new preferences and ways of interacting with travel.  

  • What are the key technologies that Asia Pacific travel firms need to adopt to meet changing regional travel trends?  

  • What are the technology priorities for the traveller through different stages of the journey? 

  • With the rise of the ‘always on’ traveller and greater desire to stay informed, what information does the regional traveller want, and what can they do without? 

  • How are travel research/planning, booking and payment trends changing? 

  • Should regional travel companies be pioneering technology development to create bespoke solutions, partnering with third party firms/using established systems or outsourcing development completely? 

  • Are regional travel companies falling behind, and if so, what can they do to keep up with new trends? 

Latest News Headlines

357 news items were published to CAPA Members in the past two days. What could you be missing?
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Alaska Air Group and Hawaiian Airlines entered (03-Dec-2023) a definitive agreement under which Alaska Airlines will acquire Hawaiian Airlines for USD18 per share in cash for a transaction value of approximately USD1.9 billion. Features of the acquisition will include:

  • The combined airline will maintain both Alaska Air and Hawaiian Air brands while integrating into a single operating platform;
  • The combined organisation will be based in Seattle under the leadership of Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci;
  • The airline will serve 138 destinations with a fleet of 365 aircraft;
  • Honolulu will become a "key" Alaska Airlines hub;
  • The company will maintain and grow union represented jobs in Hawaii, including preserving pilot, flight attendant, and maintenance bases in Honolulu and airport operations and cargo throughout the state;
  • No anticipated material impact on long term balance sheet metrics with return to target leverage levels expected within 24 months.

Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO Peter Ingram said: "In Alaska Airlines, we are joining an airline that has long served Hawaii, and has a complementary network and a shared culture of service. With the additional scale and resources that this transaction with Alaska Airlines brings, we will be able to accelerate investments in our guest experience and technology, while maintaining the Hawaiian Airlines brand". The acquisition is conditioned on required regulatory approvals, approval by Hawaiian Holdings shareholders and other customary closing conditions, with closing expected between Dec-2024 and Jun-2025. [more - original PR - Alaska Airlines] [more - original PR - Hawaiian Airlines]

SAS confirmed (30-Nov-2023) it "intends to eventually exit the Star Alliance and join the SkyTeam Alliance, of which Air France-KLM is a founding member". The carrier stated: "This move towards a partnership with SkyTeam determines a clear path forward for the company", and expects to "be able to further enhance SAS' offerings for the benefit of our colleagues, customers and communities" as a result. SAS noted "nothing is changing immediately", and it is still part of Star Alliance. [more - original PR]

CAPA - Centre for Aviation announced (29-Nov-2023) the following winners of the CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence at the CAPA World Aviation Summit & Awards for Excellence in Abu Dhabi on 28/29-Nov-2023:

SunExpress CEO Max Kownatzki, speaking at the CAPA World Aviation Summit & Awards for Excellence, stated (28-Nov-2023) "We've been profitable for three years in a row and will have one of the best results in 2023".

Air Serbia announced (29-Nov-2023) plans to host the CAPA 2024 World Aviation Summit, together with the City of Belgrade. CAPA Airline Leader Summit World & Awards for Excellence will take place on 21/22-Nov-2024, bringing together more than 250 global leaders from the aviation industry, including CEOs and high ranking representatives of the most significant global and regional airlines, airports, and other participants in the passenger and cargo air transport, tourism, and conference travel sectors from around 40 countries. [more - original PR - English/Serbian]

Etihad Airways announced (29-Nov-2023) plans to deploy A380 equipment on one of two daily New York JFK frequencies from 22-Apr-2024. The other daily flight will be operated with Boeing 787-9 featuring first, business and economy cabins. The introduction of the A380 marks a significant enhancement to Etihad's capacity in the US market, connecting to the broader GCC and Indian subcontinent. It will further attract an increased number of visitors to Abu Dhabi. The US route becomes the second destination after London to enjoy the remarkable A380 experience. The aircraft offers economy, business and first class seats, as well as a three room suite. [more - original PR]

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