by WAF_Contributor | Jul 30, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand
As the aviation industry rapidly evolves, the focus is shifting from fragmented travel experiences to intelligent, seamless journeys-and agentic AI is leading the way.
At Aviation Festival Americas, we caught up with Vinay Sukumar, Chief Product Officer at RozieAI, to unpack how agentic AI is transforming air travel, improving personalization, and reshaping how passengers and airlines interact.
“Agentic AI lets you break down complex, real-life scenarios into specialized agents-like gate or booking agents-that collaborate to deliver smarter outcomes.”
Sukumar explains how agent-based systems can streamline every touchpoint in the passenger journey-from booking and baggage to airport navigation and real-time communication. These agents don’t just respond-they anticipate.
“Instead of fragmented info across emails, apps, and websites, our system uses journey orchestration to guide travelers through every step with real-time, proactive support.”
With RozieAI’s Journey Orchestration Platform, airlines and airports can transform passive communication into dynamic, consultative experiences, setting clear expectations and building trust.
The conversation also touched on:
How AI and hyper-personalization benefit not just passengers, but also operational efficiency
Balancing automation and human touch, ensuring agents escalate to humans with full context
Why modernizing doesn’t mean ripping and replacing-pre-trained components allow rapid deployment without overhauling IT infrastructure
The future of agentic AI:
“We believe travelers will have their own AI personas-digital concierges living inside airline apps, anticipating needs, offering guidance, and creating truly intuitive journeys.”
🎥 Watch the full interview to discover how RozieAI is pioneering a smarter, more human-centric future for global travel.
Questions asked include:
- What is agentic AI, and why is it important for the future of air travel?
- How can AI unify the fragmented passenger journey into a seamless experience?
- What does RozieAI’s journey orchestration platform do, and how does it work?
- How does personalization benefit both passengers and airlines?
- What’s the right balance between automation and human touch in customer service?
- What are the biggest barriers to modernizing airline and airport systems?
- Where do you see agentic AI going in the next 3–5 years?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jul 22, 2025 | Airports, Interviews, On-demand
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has earned the title of “Best Airport in North America” not just once, but 14 times in the past 16 years – a feat that sets it apart on the global stage. In this interview, Gerri Sinclair, Chief Prioritisation Planning and Performance Optimisation Officer at YVR, shares the philosophies and innovations behind the airport’s sustained success and what makes it truly world-class.
“There’s something in the water there,” Sinclair jokes, before diving into the unique sense of place that YVR cultivates – from the art and architecture to the smell of the terminal itself. “The sense of beauty and the sense of arrival and the sense of welcome moves all the way through the airport.”
One of YVR’s standout approaches is their Arrivals program, which every new employee goes through – executives included. It centers on inclusivity, guest service, and proactive hospitality. As Sinclair puts it:
“We know about the look. When a passenger has got that look on their face – bewildered – we all come in and say, ‘Can I help you?’”
The conversation also explores the strategic role of flow management – covering passengers, bags, planes, and vehicles – with both physical and digital optimization efforts in play.
🎥 Watch the full interview to hear how YVR is leading the aviation industry through digital transformation, guest-centered design, and a human-first approach to AI.
Questions asked include:
- What’s been the key to YVR’s sustained success as North America’s best airport?
- How do you ensure consistent efficiency and flow management across the airport?
- Where do you see the most immediate opportunities for AI in aviation?
- What is YVR’s Digital Twin and how is it driving value?
- How do you balance innovation with safety—especially around cybersecurity?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jul 15, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, On-demand, Travel Tech
United Airlines boasts both an award-winning app and loyalty programme. As one of the largest airlines in the world, the US carrier is setting standards for customer-centric travel and modern loyalty working to stay ahead of rapidly evolving expectations.
The airline’s app is the most downloaded app of any US carrier and acts as a “digital doorway” to United. Talking through the airline’s award winning app at Aviation Festival Americas, Luc Bondar, COO and President, MileagePlus at United Airlines, explained multiple UX focused features including that:
“The app itself is contextual. It changes in the moment for your needs and it serves up the information that we think you need right now. So, for example, I’m flying out of Miami later today and my app is already pinging me to say, ‘hey, we noticed you haven’t checked in yet.’ And it will surface if I go to the app, it’ll bring check-in right up to the top to say, ‘here it is.’ It makes it really easy, just open the app, one click, and I’m where I need to be.
In contrast, I’ve flown on other airlines and when you’re trying to check in, I’m going through five clicks to try to find where I need to go. So, changing the app experience for each individual user as they’re interacting in the moment has been really powerful for us.”
Bondar also shared some of the loyalty features that reinforce value for every traveller. This includes miles pooling which will be a game changer for families, allowing members to combine points across accounts for easier redemptions. The programme has also eliminated miles expiry in a bid to establish a life-long relationship with each passenger.
Watch the full interview now to learn more about how the airline is driving personalisation at scale, building organisational resilience, and putting customers first in a period of volatility.
Questions asked include:
- What is the most critical challenge the industry is navigating at the moment?
- How are you building organisational resilience in the face of disruption, economic shifts, and the evolving landscape?
- What are you doing to modernise United’s loyalty programme to keep pace with passenger expectations?
- Follow up (1): What about the passenger experience more broadly (app features etc)
- Follow up (2): How is tech supporting this?
- What are United’s strategic priorities for the remainder of the year?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jul 9, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, On-demand, Travel Tech
According to McKinsey’s research, 80 per cent of organisations are not seeing a tangible impact on enterprise-level EBIT from their use of gen AI. However, when applied strategically and in combination with cloud and data innovation, AI is already having a tangible impact on airlines.
In this 10-minute interview with Mustafa Egilmezbilek, CIO, SunExpress Airlines discussed the substantial impact of AI at the airline including an estimated $1 million saving annually through AI fuel planning and productivity boosts of 10 to 15 per cent as a result of Agentic tools.
Highlighting the combined power of cloud, gen AI, and data Egilmezbilek said:
“When they work together all these technologies they create something truly powerful. This combination can transform how airlines operate, improve the passenger experience and open new ways to make money. With these technologies at hand, airlines can start to know their passengers better and this unlocks the opportunities for developing advanced customer service solutions and for creating hype personalised journeys.”
Egilmezbilek will be speaking at World Aviation Festival (7-9th October) in Lisbon on a panel disucssing how to unlock real business value from these three technologies. He will be joined onstage by the Fernando Rocha, CIO, Aeroméxico, Ahmed Naeemi, Group Chief Technology Officer, Gulf Air Group, and Christian Baillet, CRO, Paximize. To join us at World Aviation Festival
book your ticket now!
Questions asked include:
- In terms of broad outcomes, where can airlines unlock real business value from Cloud, Gen-AI, and Data?
- What are some of the creative ways SunExpress is applying AI and what (if any) tangible outcomes you are seeing already?
- Last year at WAF you spoke on the democratisation of gen AI and its implications on security. What has changed since October and where do you see this going in the near future?
- What are you most looking forward to at WAF this year?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jul 8, 2025 | Airports, Digital Transformation, Interviews, On-demand, Travel Tech
When it comes to tech innovation, airports are faced with an overwhelming array of options. But what are some of the trends that are actually worth investing in? At Aviation Festival Americas in May, Maurice Jenkins, Chief Innovation Officer IAP C.M., at Miami International Airport (MIA) shared his top tech investment for 2025:
“My top [tech investment] that we’re about to roll out pretty soon is going to be an omni-channel chatbot and we’re going to tie that with our hologram solution. So you can actually speak to the hologram and get airport information that’s tied to our chatbot. The great thing about it is you don’t need an app for it. You can leverage WhatsApp, Messenger, any of those other tools without having to download another app and add something else to your mobile device.”
He also shared how the airport plans to leverage robotics and automation without replacing humans. Giving the example of cleaning robots, autonomous lawnmowers, and aircraft turnaround optimisation, Jenkins talked about re-portioning human capital resources to work on detail instead of substituting one for the other.
Throughout the interview, Jenkins also underscored that innovation relates to more than just technology. Taking a holistic approach to the airport experience, MIA is looking at improving processes, enhancing customer and user experience, and establishing a culture of innovation.
For more on autonomous vehicles, partnerships, and parallel reality watch the full interview below.
Questions asked include:
- When it comes to tech innovation, airports are faced with an overwhelming array of options. What are some of the trends you think are worth investing in and which could be described as a “fad”
- How is MIA leveraging robotics to create an airport experience of the future?
- What is your top tech investment for 2025 and why?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jul 3, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand
How can reimaging the traveller journey turn airline loyalty into a meaningful experience?
Mike Petrella, MD, Strategic Partnerships at United Airlines brings a fresh perspective to aviation loyalty. Drawing on his background in AdTech to rethink the traveller journey, Petrella is focusing on personalisation and a genuine connection with the customer. He will be speaking at World Aviation Festival in a session titled ‘Traveller-First Loyalty – Creating meaningful end-to-end journeys.’ This five-min pre-interview is a glimpse into the discussion that will take place onsite and gives a valuable look into how United is rethinking loyalty.
The conversation touched on how airlines can extend loyalty beyond travel and drive personalisation through data and insights. Petrella also highlighted the importance of balancing choice with relevance to present the right content at the right moment. Speaking on the importance of understanding when to engage and when to hold back he explained:
“We didn’t want to make the airplane look like Times Square. So the idea is more to have it as a native experience. How do I integrate it into the experience such that, when the opportunity comes up, it looks like something that’s part of the confirmation path, the booking path? If you’re in the ancillary or spend mindset, then having offers that are relevant to you versus a random ad. It’s also the emotion of knowing that I’m in an environment that is conducive to my behaviours, and in some cases, as we learn more, some people may not want to see content at certain times. And we’ll test and learn and choose not to show content, where others may be in the mindset of: okay, I’m ready to think, I’m ready to plan, I’m ready to be inspired. How do you put something in front of me?”
Questions asked include:
- You’re focusing on reimagining the traveller journey – how are you approaching this differently to how airlines have before ?
- What are some practical steps to integrating loyalty programmes into people’s daily lives?
- Where do you strike the balance between giving passengers the choices they want and overwhelming them with options?
- What are you most looking forward to World Aviation Festival in Lisbon?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jul 2, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, News, On-demand, Travel Tech
zeroG is the expert centre for data driven, AI and Machine Learning solutions in aviation. Powered by the Lufthansa Group, the company has been driving change by bringing a human-centric approach to complex data.
At Aviation Festival Asia, Manuel van Esch, Managing Director of zeroG shared how the industry can leverage data and AI to serve key stakeholders and looked at the real-world impact of AI.
Speaking about the natural evolution of this technology, van Esch explained:
“Everyone is talking about moving from observability AI towards generative AI and eventually agentic AI – and I think that’s really going to be the future. A lot of decisions that are now being made by humans will still have humans in the loop, but the AI system will be orchestrating complex decision-making in airline operations.”
During the conversation, van Esch selected three trends that are set to transform the industry over the next five years: hyper-personalisation, holistic problem solving, and agentic AI in airline operations. To find out more about the potential of each watch the full interview below.
Questions asked include:
- zeroG is the expert center for data driven, AI and Machine Learning solutions in aviation. Can you explain a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
- AI has the potential to change almost every aspect of the industry – what would you say are the top three areas it will be most transformative in the next 5 year?
- While AI is frequently spoken about, we don’t always see clear proof of its impact. Can you share some statistics that show the real benefits its already bringing to the industry?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jun 23, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand, Retailing
The expectations of a digital consumer are set by the seamless, personalised experiences offered by companies like Amazon, Uber, and digital banks. Airlines are lagging behind and must rethink how they engage with customers. However, there are several obstacles to overcome first.
At Aviation Festival Asia, Gautam Shekar , SVP, IBS Software discussed the airline retail experience looking at learning points from other industries, the retail evolution, and the core challenges that need to be overcome.
Speaking on the industries setting the benchmark, Shekar explained:
“If you take the if you take the retail banking industry it is a business model that’s now delivered completely virtually. All their products, their services, their their servicing is all done virtually and it’s done through an omni channel mechanism. They’re able to do it with a high level of customer satisfaction and they’re able to solve complicated problems without any friction. It’s a great example to try and emulate.”
Shekar explained that although airlines can make a good offer, there is often friction when servicing the order. This is because although the industry is progressing on the offer side of retail is advancing with bundling, upselling, and an improved user experience, the order part continues to lag behind as a result of outdated systems.
When discussing the underlying problems holding back progress Shekar pointed to legacy systems and technology and organisational mindset. Once the digital foundations are set, the retailing possibilities are limitless:
“If you take any large transformation in any industry over the last few decades you will have naysayers you will have laggards you will have early adopters and you’ll have innovators it’s really who you choose to be.”
Watch the full interview below for more.
Questions asked include:
- What lessons can airlines learn from digital retailers when it comes to a customer-centric, frictionless experience?
- How have we seen the retail landscape evolve in recent years, and what are your predictions for the next 5 years or so?
- There are a range of obstacles slowing the industry’s retail progress. What would you say is the number one common problem you see, and what would your advice be?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jun 18, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand
This year, Garuda Indonesia, the flag carrier of Indonesia has been expanding its loyalty rewards offering exploring new ways to engage different generations of travellers. At Aviation Festival Asia, Ima Rahmaniar, Miles & Ancillary Group Head at Garuda Indonesia shared insight into the carrier’s evolving loyalty strategy and reflected on shifting customer values, preferences, and behaviours within the APAC region.
Looking at embedding loyalty into the daily lives of passengers, Rahmaniar discussed the co-branded card that was launched with a leading Indonesian digital bank. She described this as a move aimed to target younger passengers who demand seamless integration between everyday engagement and loyalty platforms.
The conversation also touched on new partnerships. In a major move announced onsite at the event, Garuda signed a loyalty partnership with Emirates, allowing members to earn and redeem Miles while travelling across a combined network of more than 200 destinations.
Speaking on trends in the ancillary market, Rahmaniar described her predictions for the most popular ancillary options this year:
“The topic of uncertainty […] Not being sure if the passengers will fly today, if something will happen with the baggage etc so I think insurance-related ancillary business is something members and passengers will still be looking for.”
Questions asked include:
- The loyalty landscape is changing. In terms of what users’ value and how they engage, what sets travellers in APAC apart from other regions?
- How has Garuda Indonesia cultivated loyalty currency into deeper member relationships?
- What are the most popular ancillary options you are predicting for 2025? How can airlines maximise revenue here.
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by Jess Brownlow | Jun 9, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand, Retailing
With the right retail and payments experience, airlines can leverage deeper customer engagement and greater revenue potential. At Aviation Festival Asia, Puck Voorneveld, Senior Director Distribution and Payment Transformation at Lufthansa Group, looked at re-defining the end-to-end retail experience taking inspiration from digital-first industries.
Central to this transition is the shift from legacy technology to modern frameworks like New Distribution Capability (NDC) and collaborations with travel agencies, online booking engines, and industry bodies. Through these, airlines can create more consistent standards, improve product transparency, and delivery personalised offers that align with customer expectations across channels.
Looking at innovation in the payments space, the conversation also touched on the possibilities opened up by fintech, where Voorneveld added:
“I think the different fintech products, for example split payments or BNPL, on the one hand they are seen to increase average order value. So if you use them in the right way you can actually have passengers spend more which is super interesting as an airline as a retailing strategy. On the other hand split payments can have a totally different incentive for a customer […] normally split payments are used by a group so instead of one customer you sign up 10 people for your travel ID which can be another super interesting payment strategy.”
For an airline perspective on the ultimate end-to-end retail experience and more, watch the full interview below.
Questions asked include:
- How would you describe the ultimate end-to-end retail experience from an airline perspective, and what are the biggest obstacles to achieving this?
- When it comes to developing a modern distribution strategy where airlines can become comprehensive travel retailers, how can partnerships and technology create a more dynamic customer experience?
- How can innovation around payments begin to offer passengers the convenience they associate with other industries whilst ensuring security and scalability?
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by Jess Brownlow | Jun 4, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, On-demand, Travel Tech
Aviation is evolving and digital transformation is at the industry’s centre. At Aviation Festival Asia, Deepankur Chawla, CEO at Maxify Digital discussed the next big technological shifts for airlines and airports, the power of artificial intelligence (AI), and how Maxify Digital is supporting this transformation with Salesforce-powered solutions.
The conversation touched on the impact of AI, automation, and data as well as the importance of customer-centric innovation. Speaking specifically on the power of collaboration for driving industry change, Chawla explained:
“No airline or airport can win over the passenger experience unless they have actually started building a collaborative ecosystem. They need to be able to start bringing newer technology innovations, bringing more and more change management, bringing more and more adoption – focus on the adoption as a key.”
To learn about Maxify Digital’s future-focused strategy and more watch the full interview below.
Questions asked include:
- What do you see as the next big technological shift for airlines and airports?
- How are you positioning yourself to lead that change?
- The airline industry is notoriously complex. How can data integration and process automation be leveraged to streamline and innovate?
- How do you foster a culture of innovation within Maxify Digital, especially as you build solutions that impact global aviation operations?
- Looking ahead, what are you most excited about as you continue to scale its impact in the global aviation industry?
Watch the full interview below now for more.
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by Jess Brownlow | Jun 3, 2025 | Airports, Digital Transformation, Interviews, On-demand, Travel Tech
Keynote Panel at Aviation Festival Asia 2025: “The Evolving Airport Industry – Unpacking digitisation, a greener future, and strategic opportunities with airport leaders.”
While they do not own the customer relationship like an airline can, airports play a critical role in shaping the first and last impression of a country. With a few notable exceptions, the priority of an airport is to serve as an efficient transit point, whether from air to land or back to air. Consequently, efficiency and innovation are paramount.
At Aviation Festival Asia, a panel of airport leader gathered to discuss the transformative potential of technological solutions like biometrics and smart baggage handling, and the critical drive towards greater sustainability through green initiatives and future fuels. They also unpacked the challenges of stakeholder collaboration, infrastructure constraints, and staffing.
The keynote session was moderated by Monica Pitrelli, Editor of CNBC Travel, CNBC and included Athanasios Titonis, CEO, Aboitiz Infra Capital Cebu Airport Corporation, Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports Company, Yiğit Laçin, CEO, YDA Dalaman Airport, Sanjeev Kumar, Vice President, SITA at Airports, Borders & CDE, SITA, and Cyril Girot, CEO, Cambodia Airports.
During the discussion, Griffiths proposed a fresh take on innovation:
“I think the aviation industry needs a sort of complete end-to-end revolution. To look at all of these legacy processes and what can we take away rather than add in. I think this will be the mantra going forward.”
The conversation highlighted a shared commitment amongst these airport leaders to innovate and improve despite the factors limiting change. However, their vision for what this innovation should look like was not always aligned. Watch the full panel below for more.
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by Jess Brownlow | Jun 3, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, On-demand, Travel Tech
Originally published on Aerospace Tech Review
At Aerospace Tech Week, Airbus’ Grzegorz Ombach discussed the next wave of transformative technology. As Group Head of Disruptive Research, Technology & Innovation & Senior Vice President at the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe, Ombach is uniquely well positioned to understand and speculate on cutting-edge breakthroughs and how they will shape the industry for decades to come.
During the interview, Ombach selected and unpacked the three technologies he is most excited by and explained their relevance to the industry: Agentic AI, microfusion energy, and quantum sensors. Speaking on potential use cases of quantum sensors, he explained:
“And the new sensors are coming from the industry like automotive for example. We are talking about radars, lighters and also the one interesting sensor which we see coming as a next, next, next generation is all about the quantum to measure the position of the aircraft in aerospace. If, for example, you don’t have available GPS and you would like to use this sensor for smart automation parallel to the computer vision which is going to be the eyes for the aircraft as well.”
The conversation also touched on Airbus’ ongoing projects as well as the critical industry challenges that they are responding to. For the full conversation, watch below.
Questions asked include:
- You’re at the cutting edge of disruptive tech in aerospace. Where are you seeing the most innovation and how do you think it will reshape the industry in the next decade or so?
- Talk me through some of the ongoing Airbus projects – how are these changing the landscape?
- If you had to pick one, which technology in aerospace excites you the most right now and why?
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by Jess Brownlow | May 29, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand
Originally published on Aerospace Tech Review
Ultra low-cost carrier Ryanair has posted a full year profit of €1.61 billion after tax, becoming the first European airline to carry more than 200 million passengers in a single year.
At Aerospace Tech Week in April, Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), Neal McMahon, shared insights into the airline’s strategic aircraft investment and ambitious growth plans. McMahon unpacked Ryanair’s $40 billion investment in Boeing’s new aircraft tech, and detailed the airline’s plans to grow traffic to 300 million over the next decade.
Speaking on the current state of air traffic control (ATC), McMahon emphasised the urgent need to modernise outdated structures that operate in siloes, attributing upcoming struggles on staff shortages:
“ATC is going to be a shambles again this year. I’d love to say it’ll be better, and through our best efforts, trying to be helpful, trying to push people, trying to publicise it – we’ve been unsuccessful to get them to hire more. So, you take a few countries: Germany has less air traffic controllers than last year, they’re the worst in Europe; France hasn’t grown air traffic controllers, Spain hasn’t grown them quickly enough, and the UK has less air traffic controllers. So, we have a problem that there’s just not enough people being brought into the system.”
McMahon also discussed flight shaming which he claimed “does not exist,” alongside the airline’s expansion of its MRO facilities and pilot training initiatives. Watch the full interview below for more.
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Questions asked include:
- At the end of the year, Ryanair invested in Boeing’s new aircraft tech with the 737. How does this fit in with your wider strategy?
- You also recently began work on a new state-of-the- art hangar. How does this enhance your MRO capabilities and position you for future success?
- In summer of 2024, you described ATC services in Europe as “at their worst levels ever” with summer 2025 just around the corner, what is your current assessment of the ATC landscape?
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by Jess Brownlow | May 28, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand, Retailing
At Aviation Festival Asia, Peter Smith, SVP – Travel, Ticketing & Mobility at Cover Genius sat down to discuss loyalty, the customer experience evolution, and industry challenges.
Smith explored how airlines can modernise their loyalty approach through personalisation and AI to more effectively meet the evolving customer expectations of younger generations. He also selected three travel trends that are having the greatest impact this year, touching on: personalisation, digitalisation & AI adoption, as well as ongoing disruption caused by staff shortages.
Personalisation – Airlines will prioritize offering tailored experiences and rewards to meet individual needs and enhance loyalty, particularly for younger customers.
Digitalisation & AI – Leveraging data, AI, and analytics will be crucial for anticipating customer needs and delivering real-time experiences that keep airlines competitive.
Ongoing Disruption – Staffing shortages and post-Covid legacy issues will continue to cause operational challenges and flight disruptions in the near future.
On getting ahead in the emerging loyalty landscape, Smith explained:
“It’s about lifetime value […] and enabling customers to customise their rewards programs themselves so you’re not dictating to them exactly what it is that they’re able to achieve as a reward, perhaps giving them a little bit more flexibility. For example, with Gen Z we know that 75 per cent of Gen Z are much more likely to make a purchase if they’re able to customise that purchase or that journey and so if you take that sort of level of think and you apply that to your loyalty programs, they’re much more likely to engage.”
Watch the full interview below now for more.
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Questions asked include:
- The loyalty landscape is changing, and we are increasingly seeing disillusioned customers. Where do you think loyalty programmes are headed and how would you characterise the space as it currently stands?
- Many industries have adapted to the digital-first consumer, and with great success. Why is aviation struggling to evolve in the same way and which areas are we seeing the most desperate need for change?
- What would you pick out as the top three 2025 travel trends to watch out for this year?
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by Jess Brownlow | May 27, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, News, On-demand, Travel Tech
As Saudi Arabia’s new flag-carrier, Riyadh Air, prepares for launch, 2025 has been punctuated by exciting partnerships. The airline promises to deliver an industry leading passenger experience, driven by innovative tech and an extensive understanding of its digitally native customer base.
At Aviation Festival Asia in February, Shihaj Kutty, VP Pricing, Revenue Management & Ancillaries, Riyadh Air shared offered insights into the airline’s plans to redefine air travel. Kutty demonstrated how the airline’s modern digital infrastructure will enable bespoke travel solutions:
“One of the classic features of the segment especially in the kingdom and in the region are groups of Travelers who don’t necessarily travel in the same cabin all the time so you would have perhaps the father and mother flying in business and the teenagers flying in economy or premium economy today with the Legacy stack that is out there it’s quite difficult to build such a travel proposition in our world with the digital native IT on which we’re Building architecture that is easily deliverable so that you can actually provide services and products that are very bespoke to what the customer is looking for.
Going beyond personalisation, Kutty explained the importance of contextualisation, ensuring the most relevant services can be tailored to each journey. He also shared Riyadh Air’s vision for its mobile app as a travel companion integrating ancillary products and services for a seamless experience.
Turning to the year ahead, Kutty outlined the airline’s ambitious network expansion and shared some of the strategic MoUs and partnerships with key global players including Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Delta, China Eastern, Air China and many more that share in Riyadh’s customer centric vision.
Watch the full interview below now for more.
Book your ticket now to join us at AFA 2026!
Questions asked include:
- How are you leveraging your position as a tech-forward carrier, along with Saudi Arabia’s young, digitally-savvy population, to create an innovative and industry-leading guest experience?
- What will this look like in practice – from when passengers are beginning to think about a flight to landing and beyond?
- We know apps can be a powerful tool for both customers and airlines, how are you using the app to unlock customisation and enhance user experience?
- With 2025 marking the launch of Riyadh Air, what can we expect in terms of network expansion, strategic partnerships, and new destinations?
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by Jess Brownlow | May 1, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, On-demand
The Gulf Air Group was established fifteen years ago to drive the development of Bahrain’s aviation industry. The Group oversees the Kingdom’s national carrier, Gulf Air; Bahrain Airport Company, which manages and operates Bahrain International Airport; Gulf Aviation Academy; and Hala Bahrain Hospitality.
At Aviation Festival Asia, Ahmed Naeemi, the Group’s Chief Technology Officer outlined Gulf Air Group’s approach to building a future-proof digital ecosystem. The concise five minute discussion broke the strategy into four core pillars of digital transformation and three key technology focus areas designed to keep pace with technology’s rapid evolution.
Speaking on the importance of adaptability, Naeemi said:
“In terms of technology, technology evolves like you said on a very rapid pace and it’s very important for us to actually stay relevant to what the market actually needs. And as such we focus on three areas: flexibility, data, and innovation. So when we talk about flexibility we talk about more on the modular architecture design for systems so which enables us to be able to actually flexibly and adapt to any changes that we have we change the system accordingly…”
The conversation also explored the intersect between technology and sustainability, looking at how digital tools, cloud-first strategies, and key partnerships can support greener operations. Watch the full conversation below.
Questions asked include:
- What are the key pillars of Gulf Air Group’s digital transformation strategy?
- With technology evolving so rapidly, how do you ensure digital investments remain relevant and deliver value over the long term?
- How much can be done from a technology standpoint to prepare airlines for a greener future?
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by Jess Brownlow | Apr 28, 2025 | Airlines, Digital Transformation, Interviews, News, On-demand
Keynote Interview with Steven Greenway, CEO of flyadeal, at Aviation Festival Asia 2025: “After being launched digitally, how is flyadeal keeping digitalisation at the forefront of their growth?”
Last week, Saudia Group announced an order for 10 A330-900 aircraft for its subsidiary, flyadeal. The new additions will support flyadeal’s rapid growth and contribute to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s expansion efforts under Vision 2030.
In February, flyadeal’s CEO, Steven Greenway discussed the airline’s responsibility within the Kingdom’s wider transformation, highlighting the low-cost carrier’s (LCC) role in connecting more regions across Saudi Arabia and beyond. Speaking to the airline’s fast-paced growth, Greenway described the unexpected opening of regional markets:
“If you asked me before Christmas, would we be flying to Baghdad, I would’ve said, ‘No way in hell.’ Now, we’re flying to Baghdad with our own aircraft. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq are now opened up to us within a matter of months where we never had that. We didn’t even have that in our budget. I’ve had to go back for extra resources because we hadn’t planned to be doing this. And so, we’re moving quite rapidly as the market is changing quite quickly.“
Alongside the expansion story, Greenway also shared insights into the airline’s digital strategy, discussing passenger preferences and demands, as well as the key to catering for a digitally savvy population.
On building flyadeal’s mobile app experience, Greenway explained while he wanted an app that could support 99 per cent of customer interactions (including refunding, changes, split bookings etc), there is a simple secret to creating an app that becomes widely adopted:
“Here’s the reality check: as long as you build something that is intuitive, that works, that is simple enough and so forth, it’s adopted well. I think our mobile app gets 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store […] That’s the easy part, the hard part is…”
Watch the full interview below for more on supply chain predictions, unique initiatives, and more. Book your ticket now to join us at AFA 2026!
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by Jess Brownlow | Apr 23, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand
As Riyadh Air prepares for launch later this year, the airline is unveiling more of its strategy and design. This week, the airline revealed the PriestmanGoode cabin designs for its inaugural Boeing 787-9 fleet, showcasing the airline’s innovative, detail-oriented approach to brining a sense of Riyadh into the air. Leveraging the freedom that comes with building a new airline from scratch, Riyadh Air is paving its own way forward, putting a customer-centric philosophy above all.
This approach was clear in a brief conversation with the airline’s VP Loyalty & Sustainability, Kim Hardaker at Aviation Festival Asia earlier this year. Hardaker discussed the airline’s loyalty strategy, focusing on digital enablement, proactive engagement, and an acute understand of the evolving needs of passengers.
“I think of the good phrase, ‘share of life not just share of wallet’ which I think is a natural progression, because consumers engage with so many different brands in a single day. We can’t just wait for them to be a passenger for us to be able to show them how valuable they are to us, and also for them to extract value.”
As Hardaker explained, Riyadh Air is intent of building meaningful relationships with passengers, anchored in every day life and a sense of local culture. Speaking on the partnerships that the airline will open with, Hardaker re-emphasised the importance of incorporating the unique culture of the Kingdom and beyond into its value proposition:
“Being born in Riyadh, it’s incredibly important that we are designing something and creating relationships with our local partners and for our local audience. But naturally, we’re an international carrier, right? And already in the headlines, we have announced incredible partnerships with Singapore Airlines, with Delta as an example. So over time, as we expand and are able to really find what partners resonate with our international audiences as well, how we can actually build out that ecosystem – to my previous point of being a ‘share of life’ is incredibly important.”
To learn more about loyalty at Riyadh Air as well as the airline’s sustainability focus, watch the full conversation below.
Questions asked include:
- The industry’s loyalty landscape is undergoing a significant shift and increasingly people are hesitant to tie themselves to just one airline. How would you characterise the current state of loyalty?
- How is Riyadh Air, as a new airline, positioning itself to work with this evolution?
- I understand that initially partnerships in the loyalty space will be predominantly based around the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. But in the future, how do you envision Riyadh Air expanding its loyalty ecosystem beyond the Kingdom?
- It has been widely advertised that Riyadh Air is deeply committed to sustainability. Can you highlight some of the major steps you are taking to minimise the airline’s carbon footprint?
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by Jess Brownlow | Apr 22, 2025 | Airlines, Interviews, On-demand
Keynote Interview with Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express at Aviation Festival Asia 2025: “Indian Aviation: The Next Phase of Growth – Connectivity, Transformation, and the Path Ahead.
The Air India Group recently completed a major merger, consolidating its four airlines down to two. As part of this transformation, the two low-cost airlines, Air India Express and AIX Connect were merged into a single low-cost airline, while Air India and Vistara merged to create a unified full-service carrier.
Following a year of change, Air India Express is eyeing up a significant network expansion, looking at newer market segments, adapting the group’s operating model to the market. This year, the airline has been positioning itself as a key player in India’s domestic landscape, operating across 38 domestic destinations and connecting them with 54 destinations in 9 countries in total. It recently announced from June, it will add routes from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Trichy, working to connect South India to Gulf and South Asian destinations.
At Aviation Festival Asia in February, Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express talked through the airline’s strategy. He explained that the mergers enable the Air India Group to “operate the right model in any given market” hitting the premium business markets as well as the value-conscious segments.
Explaining the foundations for the expansion, Singh talked about India’s untapped potential:
“We are already the world’s third largest domestic market […] we have the demographics, we have the GDP, and what we are beginning to see is what we call the tier 2 and tier 3 cities, these are the new emerging hotspots of the economy. However, the air travel penetration in the Indian market is still very low compared to other emerging markets. It is one-third to one-fifth the size of other emerging markets like Indonesia, Brazil, China, so there’s plenty of headroom.”
To find out how Air India Express is deepening its domestic footprint, leveraging strategic partnerships, and learning to avoid legacy tech-heavy systems while offering passengers seamless transfers, watch the full interview below. Book your ticket now to join us at AFA 2026!
For more onsite at Aviation Festival Asia 2025 see:
