Interview with Chai Eamsiri, CEO THAI Airways – Embracing digital
This short interview with Chai Eamsiri, explores THAI Airways’ evolving relationship with digitisation. In line with their rehabilitation plan, the airline has shifted their approach, positioning digitisation at its heart. This evolution translates across the company from running operations with half the previous staffing levels to the different ways of reaching out to customers.
Questions asked:
How are digital investments helping to grow your airline’s revenue?
What changes have you made to enhance the sales experience for your customers?
How will the return of China’s tourist market impact your strategy?
Interview with Aldric Chau, General Manager Digital, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited – Generative AI, data science, and tech trends
In this insightful interview with Aldric Chau, General Manager Digital, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, the conversation explores the prevalence of data science and digital innovations for the industry broadly, before focusing in on how they materialise at Cathay Pacific.
Here, Aldric also identifies the tech trends he foresees having the greatest impact on the industry in the next few years and explores the potential of generative AI and ChatGPT.
Questions asked:
In what ways has data science influenced the industry, and how is Cathay Pacific leveraging this?
Can you explain what drives Cathay Pacific’s digital transformation?
Would you be able to outline some of the digital product innovations with the most power to transform the industry?
Could you name two or three tech trends that you think will have the biggest impact on the industry in the coming year?
Interview with Dr. Kerem Kızıltunç, CIO Turkish Airlines – Technology and the aviation industry
This 15-minute interview with Dr. Kerem Kızıltunç, CIO Turkish Airlines and General Manager of Turkish Airlines Technology, covers a wide range of topics varying from the most promising use cases of generative AI to the redesigning of Turkish Airlines’ tech infrastructure to support digital transformation.
Towards the end of the conversation, the CIO selected several of the top technology trends he foresees having the greatest impact on the industry in the coming few years highlighting payments, AI, connectivity, mobile, and more as areas to watch in the near future.
Questions asked:
Could you pick out the three most important investments to prioritise this year?
How are you redesigning your tech infrastructure to support Turkish Airlines’ digital transformation?
Can you outline some of the most exciting use cases of generative AI like ChatGPT across the industry?
How are Turkish Airlines transforming their retail offering?
Can you identify the top technology trends that you think will make the biggest impact on the industry within the next three years?
Interview with Ho Hoong Mau, Regional Director, APAC Sales, Plusgrade, and Paul Carroll, Group Chief Revenue and Network Officer, AirAsia
At Aviation Festival Asia in Singapore, AirAsia and Plusgrade announced their expansive multi-year and multi-product partnership. This will give AirAsia customers the opportunity to bid for upgrades and reserve extra seating space for travellers.
The collaboration between the ancillary revenue solutions provider and Asia’s leading low-cost carrier develops the airline’s ancillary revenue and expands Plusgrade’s presence in the APAC region.
To learn more about the partnership and its wider significance, watch this short five-minute interview.
Questions asked:
How will this partnership between Plusgrade and AirAsia enhance the overall customer experience of airline travelers? Is this going to be available for all the AirAsia brands including Thai AirAsia X, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia Philippines etc?
Can you expand on this interesting opportunity that customers are enabled with to bid for more premium service offerings on flights?
How will this complement AirAsia’s overall ancillary revenue strategy? Flatbeds and hotbeds for bidding are obviously great offerings; will there be other collaborations with Plusgrade in the future (like speedpass etc)?
How do you think this partnership aligns with Plusgrade’s strategic direction? And will this partnership lead to future ventures with AirAsia?
As a leader in the ancillary revenue and commercial travel industry, how do you think this partnership and venture will shape the outlook of the industry in the near and medium term?
Interview with Sumesh Patel, APAC President, SITA – Megatrends, collaboration, and Gen Z
Sumesh Patel is responsible for developing and driving the strategic direction of SITA in the Asia Pacific region.
In this five-minute interview, Sumesh highlights the ways the pandemic has transformed the industry for the better, how passenger needs are changing, and the evolving relationship between key industry stakeholders. SITA’s APAC President also discusses megatrends for the the next 2-3 years, picking out a few key shifts to be mindful of as the industry advances.
Questions asked:
What has been the most exciting development in the industry’s digital transformation journey so far?
How do you think the pandemic changed the relationship between various industry stakeholders?
As the APAC region resumes international travel, what is one key lesson learned from the last few years that we must take forward?
What are the megatrends that you expect to impact the industry in the next 2-3 years?
Interview with Mandy Ng, CEO of HK Express – The benefits of digitisation
In this five-minute interview, Mandy Ng, CEO of HK Express pointed towards digitisation as a priority for the airline. Throughout the conversation, Mandy outlined the ways a strong digital approach underpins success across a multitude of areas for HK Express. This includes keeping customers engaged by responding to post-pandemic expectations, improving efficiency across the board, unlocking the agility required from LCCs, and more.
The HK Express CEO also elaborates on how ramping up digital strategy has helped while the region re-emerges from the pandemic and discusses the improvements in conversion rates as a consequence of upgrading the airline’s mobile app.
Questions asked:
How is the current macro economic climate impacting bookings and yields?
What are the challenges of scaling back up as the industry re-emerges in this region?
How much of a priority is your digital strategy and what impact does that have on the passenger experience?
What to expect at Aviation Festival Asia with Mike Arnot
As highlighted by Mike Arnot in this discussion, many players in the APAC region are at the cutting edge of digital marketing and communication with their customers. Considering this, insight from these industry leaders could enrich practices across the globe. Mike Arnot, Principal at Juliett Alpha is involved in several of the marketing strategies & branding sessions taking place at Aviation Festival Asia at the end of the month.
The Juliett Alpha Principal is:
Moderating a CMO panel reconsidering marketing priorities as airlines rescale and emerge as internationally relevant brands. The session includes the CMOs of Saudia, Korean Air, and Virgin Australia as well as the APAC Managing Director for EveryMundo.
Interviewing Amad Luqman Mohd Azmi, Chief Executive Officer Airline Business, Malaysia Airlines about Malaysia Airlines’ outlook on digital marketing for 2023 and beyond.
Moderating a panel on devising digital marketing tactics to create iconic branding which will speak to 2023’s target online audiences. This panel includes the Director of Customer & Brand, HK Express, Chief Executive Officer Airline Business, Malaysia Airlines, Head of Marketing and Communications, Beond, and Digital Manager – Omnichannel Orchestration, Cathay Pacific Airways.
In this short interview, Mike explains his approach to these, detailing what delegates can expect to gain from attending and explaining how he intends to move beyond “Marketing 101” in the sessions.
To see Mike’s sessions and other unmissable talks, interviews, and panels get your ticket here.
Technology, retail, and distribution. An interview with Richard Engelmann, Regional Vice President, Asia, Oceania, and India at Japan Airlines
Before Aviation Festival Asia, Richard Engelmann, Regional Vice President, Asia, Oceania, and India at Japan Airlines joined for a conversation around retail, distribution, and the impact of new technology on the industry.
Throughout the interview, Richard shared his personal views on the evolution of airline retail and distribution, drawing on a rich and varied career within the industry. Towards the end, the Regional Vice President also answered some more specific questions on Japan Airlines’ approach to sustainability and growth amongst international travellers.
Commencing with a broad discussion around non-aviation specific technological advancements, Richard discussed the potential these hold for the aviation industry. Ranging from ChatGPT to digital identities, advancements in other sectors are a useful reference point for the aviation industry.
As the conversation moved towards tech developments within airline retail and distribution, Richard raised some nuanced observations concerning culture. Here, drawing on personal experience, the impact of cultural differences on rates of tech adoption and customer expectations were highlighted, providing a subtle balance to the discussion.
In the course of the interview, an array of topics were covering including predictions for the future of distribution, post-pandemic expectations, and customer experience. The entirety of the interview lasts 45-minutes. However, the below index can help to navigate to specific areas of the conversation.
Index
Richard Engelmann’s introduction and background [0.38]
Discussion around ChatGPT and its potential uses in the aviation industry [3:25]
Question: Are there any specific developments in tech and innovation that you are excited to see in airline retailing and distribution? [6:30]
Exploring the cultural nuances of travel [10:45]
Question: Can you highlight some of the ways that technological innovation is already improving experiences for customers in the retail space? [13:30]
Discussion surrounding the adoption of technology and how it is received [16:10]
Question: Is there a pattern to how we have seen distribution evolve over the last five years? [19:25]
Question: How do you expect to se distribution advance in the future? [21:50]
Question: How have you seen customer demands and expectations shift since the pandemic? [27:45]
Question: Does technology play a role in meeting post-pandemic expectations? [31:50]
Question: Could you give me an overview of how you make Japan Airlines attractive to international travellers? [33:20]
Question: Would you be able to talk a bit about sustainability and Japan Airlines? [36:35]
Japan Airlines’ sustainable charter flight [40:05]
Question: Why are you joining us at Aviation Festival Asia? [42:10]
Richard Engelmann will be joining us on the retail track at Aviation Festival Asia on 28 February to talk about these topics and more. The interview will cover, ‘Exploring the evolution of digitalised airline distribution’ and Richard will also sit on a panel discussing ‘Developing strategies which optimise the use of existing technologies within distribution systems.’ To hear these session and a diverse range of opinions from other key industry players, book your ticket here.
What to expect at Aviation Festival Asia with Mabel Kwan
Aviation Festival Asia is fast approaching. The event gathers together airline, airport, and tech leaders for an honest discussion into lessons learned and plans for the future. With a packed agenda exploring sustainability, retail, payments, marketing, IT, tech, loyalty, AI and more, there is a rich array of topics, speakers, and sessions to navigate.
Mabel Kwan, MD Alton Aviation Consultancy will be moderating some of the airport tech sessions at the event. Watch the short interview below to hear more about what to expect from these sessions, what to look forward to at the event, and why Aviation Festival Asia 2023 is not one to miss.
Mabel has years of experience in planning, investment and business development in the airline, airport, and tourism and travel industries. Formerly a Managing Director of Investments at Changi Airports International (CAI), Mabel’s experience in the industry equips her well to moderate airport tech panels at the event. The Alton Aviation Consultancy MD will be moderating the following sessions:
A panel exploring how biometric technology within airports can uplift the entire aviation ecosystem. The panel includes CIO of Malaysia Airports, CDO & CCO IGA of Istanbul Airport, VP Customer Experience at Star Alliance, and VP Business Management, APAC at SITA.
A panel looking at the role of digital transformation in ramping up airport operations in Asia’s post-pandemic recovery era. This panel includes the Director of Procurement and Logistics at IGA Istanbul Airport, the Head of Operations at Noida International Airport, the Head of Terminal Operations at GMR Megawide Cebu Airport, the Lead Systems Engineer at SriLankan Airlines, and the Regional head of Operations at Collins Aerospace.
An ambitious future for Jeddah Airport. Interview with Mr Ayman Aboabah, CEO Jeddah Airports Company
Mr Ayman Aboabah, CEO Jeddah Airports Company provided insight into the rich passenger experience at King Abdulaziz International airport (Jeddah Airport). With added responsibility as the gateway for pilgrims to the Holy Mosques (Hajj and Umrah), Jeddah Airport plays an important role in shaping the passenger journey.
As described by Mr Ayman, Jeddah Airport has developed the experience they provide passengers. Recognising these efforts, last month a report by the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) placed Jeddah Airport top of the list of international airports for overall performance in Saudi Arabia. GACA’s monthly report evaluates the country’s airports’ commitment to improving their passenger experience and services. This is judged on fourteen performance criteria including time spent in travel procedures, passports, customs areas, and disability services.
Jeddah Airport has been integrating a wealth of innovative technologies to ensure a unique travel experience for passengers whilst ensuring safe, secure, and efficient operations. These will be scaled up with the airport’s ambitious goal of catering up to 300 per-cent more passengers in the airport before the end of 2030. For more insight into the role of technology, future plans for the airport, and potential challenges in the region, watch the concise interview below.
Questions asked:
How do you offer a premium experience to all passengers going to Jeddah Airport?
Can you tell me about any upcoming opportunities for the airport?
Could you name some challenges that Asia’s airport CEO’s might face at the moment?
Does technology play a significant role in the passenger experience at Jeddah Airport?
What are your ambitions for Jeddah Airport in the coming year?
Mr Ayman Aboabah will be delivering the Keynote interview on ‘Exploring King Abdulaziz International Airport’s vision for 2023 and beyond with digital transformation and capacity expansion.’ Additionally, Mr Ayman will be on the Keynote CEO panel discussing ‘Entering Asian airports’ post-pandemic era of unprecedented digital transformation, collaboration, innovation, and reimagined business models.’ Get your tickets here.
What to expect at Aviation Festival Asia with Yen-Pu Paul Chen
At the end of the month, industry executives, start ups, and established leaders in the field will congregate for Aviation Festival Asia.
Yen-Pu Paul Chen, MD, V.X Consulting will be joining the event’s loyalty track, drawing on his multidisciplinary background to bringing a nuanced and perceptive approach to the interviews and panels.
In this short interview, Paul offered an exclusive insight into what to expect from his sessions.
Paul will be moderating panels on:
Maintaining bespoke, relevant relationships with loyalty program members in line with their unique realities.
Update and upgrade – revamping aviation loyalty programs to reflect current and future passenger priorities.
As well as interviewing Melissa Vandersay, Lead – Strategic Partnerships – Retail, Lifestyle, Points Exchange and Sustainable Partnerships, Etihad Airways on ‘Key teachings from the pandemic regarding diversifying loyalty programs that airlines can bring into the future.’
Some of the panellists in these sessions include Siddhartha Butalia, CMO, AirAsia India, Shefali Higgins, Head of Member Engagement, Emirates Skywards, Katherine Benton, Director, Customer Platforms IT, Hawaiian Airlines, Melissa Vandersay, Lead – Strategic Partnerships – Retail, Lifestyle, Points Exchange and Sustainable Partnerships, Etihad Airways, and Wilson See, Marketing & Strategy Research, Japan Airlines.
During the conversation, Paul also shared his thoughts on what makes APAC such an exciting region for aviation, key trends the audience can expect to hear about at the event, and why Aviation Festival Asia is important for the industry ecosystem.
To see Paul’s sessions and other unmissable talks, interviews, and panels get your ticket here.
Well-positioned with a career spanning both airlines and airports, Claire will bring a first-hand appreciation of where the two overlap and where further collaboration is required.
On the second day of the event, Claire will be interviewing Christina Selvanayagam, Adelaide Airport on ‘Inter-industry data sharing within the travel sector to enhance the passenger experience.’ The Customer Centric Consulting Director will also be moderating a panel with Munich Airport International’s Head of Market, SriLankan Airlines’ Digital Transformation Lead, and Adelaide Airports’ Christina Selvanayagam exploring ‘Data analysis at the centre of passenger experience strategies within APAC airports.’
In this 10-minute conversation, Claire provided exclusive insight into what to expect from these sessions and offered her perspective on broader trends in the region and themes to look out for at the event.
To see Claire’s sessions and other unmissable talks, interviews, and panels get your ticket here.
Data analytics in aviation. An interview with Dirk Jungnickel, SVP Enterprise Data & Analytics at Emirates Group
Like with many industries, data analytics is having a transformational impact on aviation. It has the potential to improve multiple facets of the industry, including but not limited to customer experience, revenue, operation efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Through encouraging optimisation at all stages and developing the way businesses interact with passengers, the industry is advancing. With such considerable potential, a strong understanding of how to harness and leverage this data is invaluable to companies.
In this 20-minute interview with the SVP Enterprise Data & Analytics at Emirates Group, Dirk Jungnickel provided an expert overview of the vast topic that is data analytics in aviation.
The discussion touched on the role data plays in the industry and the variety of ways it can be used to optimise systems with tangible results. Supplementing discussion of the potential data holds for the industry, Dirk draws also attention to some of its challenges, including difficulties getting a clear view of data across the business.
Furthermore, Dirk explores into depth how data analytics can be used to improve the customer experience. Offering the example of monitoring passenger satisfaction, Dirk describes how data is collected and analysed in a manner that allows for a dynamic, effective response.
Given the possibilities that data can offer the aviation industry, it is useful to understand the landscape and establish the value that it can hold for your business.
Questions:
How important is unlocking the potential of data to the overall success of the aviation industry?
How do you get a clear view of data across the business?
What can be gained by using AI to harness value from data?
Could you explain how data analytics can be used to enhance operations and improve the customer experience overall?
Can you tell us a little about the recent advancements in AI/ML for Emirates Group?
Are there any exciting developments in the data analytics field that we should be keeping an eye out for?
On 21 April 2020, Virgin Australia entered voluntary administration. In June, the airline was acquired by US-based private equity firm Bain Capital and by the end of November, Jayne Hrdlicka was appointed as the CEO. Under this new leadership, the airline emerged as a leaner, “mid-market carrier” filled with promise and by October, the airline had officially returned to profit. In this interview, Jayne Hrdlicka talks about the airline’s transformation journey, technology, engagement strategy, and more.
Q: In what ways has your strategy for the airline evolved since you entered Voluntary Administration?
A: Our strategy needed to fundamentally change, Virgin Australia had lost nearly $2b over ten years in the lead up to the pandemic and administration. New owners and a clean balance sheet gave us the freedom to step back, listen to our guests and our people, and then refocus the airline on an attractive and sustainable market position.
The day we emerged from administration we wasted no time embarking on a journey to completely transform every part of our business. That started with a significant investment in fleet and technology. The combination of these things means that since November 2020 over $300 million in annual costs has been removed. This has come about as a consequence of a very serious resizing and shaping of head office, transformation of our commercial function, adding depth and capability to our procurement team and end-to-end reimagining our customer experience. In short, investing in the things that matter to our guests and removing the things that do not.
Coming out of administration, we positioned ourselves as a value carrier providing great every day low fares to our guests, for an experience that provides the things they want and nothing else. As part of that we also created a sustainably competitive cost position. We have added to that the little extras that our customers are prepared to pay for as part of their base fare, like a lounge network, Business Class and Premium Economy, on board WIFI and IFE and of course our award winning loyalty program Velocity.
Underlying our new strategy is a laser focus on 33 per cent domestic market share. Our ambition is to remain the most loved airline in Australia with a winning team that attracts the very best, generates extraordinary loyalty from our guests, and delivers strong financial returns.
We have come a very long way in a short time and an incredibly turbulent time for the industry. We will are grateful for the investment and support from Bain Capital at a time in Australian aviation where there was no certainty on getting back to an open economy with lots of travel. From day 1 we began making significant investment that would enable both growth and transformation and we consistently took a long term view with the fundamental belief that the best return to shareholders would come from being in a position to fly and fly big when the market returned. This attitude of investing through a down cycle in preparation for the cycle to turn has been fundamental to our success.
Since exiting administration we’ve:
Exceeded 7,000 team members – equal to growth of about 35 per cent.
Simplified our business model to a single Boeing 737 fleet type, and subsequently grown our fleet size by nearly 60 per cent.
Re-launched short-haul international flying and announced brand new international routes like Gold Coast to Bali, and Cairns to Tokyo.
Added new world class international partners like United Airlines and Qatar Airways, who alongside our existing partners Etihad, Singapore Airlines, ANA and Hawaiian help us connect guests to over 500 destinations around the world.
Restructured pricing and inventory management, resulting in better value Economy and Business Class airfares alongside higher RASK.
Committed to net zero emissions by 2050.
Q: Would you say you used COVID-19 as an opportunity to transform Virgin Australia?
A: Without a doubt, COVID-19 gave us the opportunity to fundamentally restructure all parts of our airline at a time of very low levels of flying.
The pandemic also taught us to be more nimble in our approach. We incurred over 1,000 border changes through a 12 month period, which made airline operations very difficult. The consequences for our people were significant. Rosters continually changed and our teams had to check every morning what the new ‘rules of the day’ meant for them. We figured out how to get good managing the operation on very short notice and short planning cycles. To put the magnitude of COVID-19 in Australia in context, we went from operating 35 flights a day on Australia’s busiest route – Sydney to Melbourne – down to six flights a week. And even at that, load factors were sub 50% because every domestic flight required ‘permits’ for travel between most states during the peak of our lock downs.
The implications of all of this on an industry that is meant to be in perpetual motion cannot be overstated. But, we chose to look at the opportunity it presented to focus on transformation and get the business back in be competitive shape. We are seeing the upside of that now that now as demand recovers very strongly. Indeed, the industry is struggling to keep pace with the pace at which travel demand is bouncing back.
While we are far from finished delivering our transformation, we used the time we did have to accelerate change in our business to get ourselves into a position where today we are very competitive with growing momentum.
Q: Could you tell me a bit about the VA customer offer and how are you planning to deliver it?
A: A key part of our transformation was re-defining our position in the market. As a value carrier, we target value conscious corporates, small and medium sized businesses, and value conscious and premium leisure travellers.
Incredible value is at the heart of our customer offer. That means offering better value fares than our nearest competitor, while continuing to deliver excellent service and choice. We operate three seating choices on our flights: Economy, Economy X (extra leg room) and Business Class.
We have also complemented our domestic and short-haul international network by partnering with airlines like Singapore Airlines, Qatar, United Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Canada, and ANA to ensure our guests have excellent connectivity should they wish to venture further afield.
Q: How does your new brand campaign “Bring on wonderful” hope to enhance customer experience?
We recently launched our new brand mission and campaign, Bring on Wonderful, which seeks to reimagine the airline experience for Australians and celebrate the richness and diversity of our people and guests.
The challenge of any brand campaign is bringing it to life for customers. So, we’ll be rolling out a series of new customer experience innovations as part of it. The first of these, the Middle Seat Lottery, was launched straight after unveiling the new brand.
It’s a really fun initiative and struck a real chord with the public, judging by the huge amount of global attention the campaign attracted. Middle Seat Lottery turns every Virgin Australia middle seat into the luckiest seat on the plane, with more than $230,000 worth of prizes up for grabs for guests who either select or who are assigned a middle seat when flying with us until April this year.
We really can’t wait to bring more of these wonderful experiences to our guests.
Q: What methods are you using to optimise engagement with your loyalty programme?
A: Velocity is the country’s third biggest loyalty program, having just hit 11 million members. Our membership numbers are equal to one Velocity member in every Australian household.
Both the airline and Velocity have gone through significant transformation and are delivering great value for our guests and members. For example, through our strategic partnerships our guests can fly to more than 500 destinations around the world. This is one small example of wonderful end-to-end experiences on offer in the Virgin Australia group.
So, we recently backed ourselves on that by launching a ‘Switch-A-Roo’ campaign, which was a cheeky offer for participants of other airlines’ loyalty programs to status match at Velocity. We had thousands of applications during that campaign, which was well above our assumptions. In fact, it was about three times the number we were expecting. And the best part of the campaign, the engagement levels of our new status matched members came in high and continues to grow.
We also launched an exclusive retail partnership with iconic Australian department store Myer last year, allowing Velocity Frequent Flyer members to use their points to shop more than 200,000 products.
Q: Can you explain the role technology plays in meeting your customers’ expectations?
A: The transformation of technology in our airline is critical to meeting customer expectations around searching, booking, managing and enjoying their travel experiences — both on the ground and in the air. The best online retailers have lifted the bar on consumer expectations. As one of Australia’s biggest on-line retailers, our customers expect simplicity, consistency, speed, and ease when they interact with us.
We have overhauled our Lounge Wi-Fi system, substantially upgraded our on-line retailing platform across channels, commenced our roll out of upgraded on board wifi, and commenced the roll-out of a new digital baggage tracking system. But we are far from finished as we continue to heavily invest in improving our guests’ experiences in every step of the customer journey.
We consider our investment in technology a key part of delivering against our market position and commitment to our guests.
Q: Do you have a digital transformation roadmap for the next five years?
We do have a very comprehensive digital roadmap across all parts of our business which is focussed on delivering exceptional guest and member experiences, as well as improving the ease with which our teams perform their roles across the airline.
Q: Whatchannels are you using to engaging younger generations with your brand?
The Virgin brand is known the world over as a fun, irreverent and values based brand that isn’t too stuffy or corporate. As a consequence, we have a brand that really resonates with younger generations as well as older generations who value innovation and values based brands.
There is an enormous amount of goodwill in the Virgin brand and we have a lot of fun on our social channels just being ourselves and showcasing what we stand for.
We estimate under 30s make up about 20 per cent of our guests, so using channels to effectively engage with this audience is incredibly important. In 2021, we became the first Australian airline to join TikTok, which has 70 per cent of users estimated to be from Generation Alpha (aged under 12) and Generation Z (12 to 26 years old).
When we launched our account, it was all about reaching new audiences and since then we’ve clocked up more than 5.2 million organic views. All our social channels help us reach a broader demographic than through our traditional marketing efforts. In addition to TikTok, we actively engage on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
We turned 22 last year, which is young in the commercial aviation landscape. But we’re not afraid of that. Our brand and our tone of voice is playful, energetic and straight up, and being comfortable reflecting this in our content and our campaigns is what sets us apart from the rest.
Q: Have you got the infrastructure in place to meet the net zero by 2050 target?
A: We committed to a target of Net Zero Emissions by 2050 in November 2021 and we continue to actively build out our wider sustainability strategy. This includes modernising our fleet, continuing to achieve operational efficiencies, working to further reduce all ground emissions, waste management, carbon offsetting programs, and the use of alternative fuels. We were the first airline in Australia to test Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the supply chain.
In August 2022, we announced four new Boeing 737-8 aircraft would join our fleet in 2023, in addition to the four 737-8s announced in April 2022. These aircraft will reduce emissions by 15 per cent per flight (when compared with our current 737NG aircraft) and play an important role in our journey toward Net Zero. Ultimately, we’re realistic about the challenges associated with reaching this target and our focus for the road ahead is the elements of our emissions profile within our control, and remaining practical and innovative in our approach.
Jayne Hrdlicka will be giving a keynote interview at Aviation Festival Asia 28 February – 1 March 2023. This will explore ‘Recovering from bankruptcy and a pandemic at the same time – the VA story.’ Also the two day festival, Jayne will sit on a keynote CEO panel answering, ‘What is the future of the Asian aviation industry as we come out of the pandemic and how will further digital technology adoption, sustainability, collaboration and new business models help shape the outlook for 2023 and beyond?’ To hear Jayne and other key industry players delve into these topics and more, book your ticket here.
“Terminal in a Garden,” the airport terminal built on the key pillars of Technology and Sustainability. An interview with Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL)
Prior to Aviation Festival Asia, Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) shared his thoughts on the design and architecture of Terminal 2 (T2), the newly built terminal of the BLR Airport. Inspired by the city of Bengaluru’s reputation as “the garden city,” T2 which is popularly known as the ‘Terminal in a Garden” will cater to an additional 25 million passengers annually. With this additional capacity, the BLR Airport will play a crucial role in boosting the economic growth of the region and the country, by creating more opportunities for businesses in and around the airport.
T2 officially opened on Sunday morning with Star Air performing the inaugural flight.
Credit: Str/Xinhua. Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, India.
Hari Marar shared his views on how technology is woven into every aspect of T2 to offer a simplified and seamless passenger experience. He poured light on the technological advancements integrated into the airport operations, and the launch of BLR Metaport which offers an immersive, 3D virtual experience of Terminal 2. With BIAL entering into the new world of Metaverse, it becomes easier to connect with a new generation of global audience. From checking into flights to navigating terminals, the BLR Metaport will open up new ways for customers to interact with the airport.
With several sustainability initiatives incorporated into the design aspects of the terminal, T2 is recognised as the largest terminal in the world to be pre-certified with a Platinum LEED rating by the US Green Building Council prior to commencing operations. Boasting fire retardant and long-lasting engineered bamboo, solar panels, multipurpose lagoons, sky lighting, and enhanced indoor air quality strategies implemented, Terminal 2 is designed and built to nurture a sustainable future.
Watch this engaging 25-minute interview with Hari Marar to learn more about how T2 uses technology and innovation to enhance its operations.
Questions:
Can you tell me a little bit about the four key pillars that terminal two is designed and built on, and how these elevate the customer experience?
Could you tell me more about the design of T2, how does this strike the balance between culture and technology all while enhancing customer experience?
How do you find technology making processes more efficient in the airport?
Is technology well received in the region? Do you try to establish a balance between technology and automation on one hand and human interaction on the other?
Could you tell me about the sustainability side of the terminal, how have you ensured a low carbon footprint and how does the design of the terminal take sustainability into account?
What are you most looking forward to about Aviation Festival Asia?
Hari Marar will be giving a keynote interview at Aviation Festival Asia 2023 on how the design of T2 reflects the world’s biggest changes as a result of the pandemic.
Ancillaries and digitisation. An interview with Apple Ignacio, Director of Ancillaries, Cebu Pacific Air
Apple Ignacio, Director of Ancillaries, Cebu Pacific Air joined for a 20-minute, in-depth conversation about the role of ancillaries in the airline. The interview looks first at the position of ancillaries within Cebu Pacific’s wider business strategy and second at the digitisation of the process of ancillary purchasing.
Ancillaries play a significant role for Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) like Cebu Pacific. Apple explained how ancillaries contribute to the airline’s business strategy, growing the overall income whilst keeping core fares competitively low. The Director of Ancillaries also highlighted some of the airline’s interesting findings during the pandemic, including a stable ancillary conversion rate despite ups and downs with passenger volumes. Additionally, Apple touches on the role of bundles and the benefits of bringing relevant products to customers.
The second half focuses in on digitisation. Apple described some of the plans the airline has for digitising the process of ancillary purchasing, as well as providing specific examples of the progress already seen in this space. At the heart was the need to be customer centric. Defining the digital experience, Apple emphasised that it should be seamless, easy to navigate, and fast. During the discussion of the importance of these qualities, it was established that they would appeal to the wider population as they interact with an increasing digital environment, as well as the younger generations.
At Aviation Festival Asia, Apple will present ‘Unbundling ‘bundling’ – what does bundling truly mean for airlines, and should Asia’s carriers continue this strategy?’ and sit on a panel exploring ‘road mapping the steps towards a customer-centric future of ancillary purchasing.’
Insights from World Aviation Festival 2022 with Henry Harteveldt
As we settle into 2023, it is important to remember the lessons learnt in the previous year in order to grow effectively.
On the final day of the World Aviation Festival 2022, Henry Harteveldt took the time to reflect on the conference. Henry is one of the world’s best-known travel industry analysts and President of Atmosphere Research Group, a company providing market research and analysis to the global travel industry.
This conversation explores insights from the event in detail, elaborating on them with expert judgement. Three of Henry’s key takeaways from the event are detailed here.
One was the industry’s recognition of the need to collaborate. As Henry described, there was a general sense that the industry is at “the beginning of a new age where airlines are realising they can’t and don’t have to do everything on their own.”
A second observation was the strength of the resolve demonstrated at the event. Despite wide acknowledgement of the recent challenges the industry has confronted and continues to face, the overall spirit was one of determination and defiance.
The third was a discussion of how consumer mentally has evolved, at least in part, catalysed by the pandemic. Importantly, Henry highlights what this means for the industry in terms of meeting customer expectations and digitising the industry.
Watch the below interview to hear Henry’s answers to the following questions:
What have been some of the prevailing messages from the conference?
Has there been anything that has particularly surprised you or caught your attention?
Sustainability and technology have been a couple of the predominant themes of late, can you think of any other themes that we might see join these two in the next year?
Agility culture, digital strategy, and consumer insights. An interview with Dr Andy Luk, Head of Digital Transformation and Insights, HK Express
In advance of Aviation Festival Asia, Dr Andy Luk, Head of Digital Transformation and Insights, HK Express talked through agility culture, digital strategy, consumer insights, and more in this 20-minute interview.
Dr Luk outlined the difference that agility culture makes to a company, how the product cycle is run, and the specific benefits it has for low-cost carriers (LCC) like HK Express. In particular, the advantages that agility culture can offer airlines as they move forward from the pandemic are highlighted, exploring the ways it encourages companies to remain customer centric.
The interview also touches on the airline’s Mobile First transformation strategy. Mobile First offers customers an array of digital tools and services in the palm of their hand. This is not only described as a response to changes in consumer behaviours, but also as a method of appeasing the passenger segments that Dr Luk describes as digital natives. Building from this the Head of Digital Transformation and Insights discussed digital strategy more broadly as well as the uses of data analytics to empower channels and secure engagement with passengers.
Additionally, the airline’s plans for creating multi-dimensional consumer insights are discussed. Explaining the current systems and future ambitions for building a cohesive insight into passenger expectations, Dr Luk refers to neurological data, sophisticated algorithms, and leveraging cutting edge data.
Within the short interview, using the Internet of Things (IoT) to digitise maintenance processes, artificial intelligence (AI), harnessing the metaverse to engage with younger generations, and the emerging customer engagement channels of the future are also explored.
Questions asked:
Could you briefly explain ‘agility culture’ and tell us how your team drives the agility culture in digital transformation for your airway?
Could you outline the disruptive technologies driving passenger experience in the industry?
What are your next generation passenger insights and how are you using these to improve your offering as an airline?
Would you be able to tell me a little bit about your airline’s involvement in the metaverse?
What are you most looking forward to at Aviation Fest Asia?
Andy Luk will be speaking on a panel at Aviation Festival Asia on ‘Digital transformation: how can we scale AI/ML to create more efficient operational decision making?’
Creating a seamless customer journey across a global alliance. An interview with Christian Oberlé, Chief eXperience Officer, SkyTeam
Ahead of Aviation Festival Asia next month, Christian Oberlé joined for a brief interview. In five minutes, Christian touched on the inherit challenges of implementing a frictionless experience across an alliance which spans the world.
SkyTeam Airline Alliance is “dedicated to powering the most seamless customer journey of any global alliance.” The network operates over 10,000 daily flights across over 170 countries and includes Air France, Aeromexico, Delta, KLM, Korean Air, and Saudia to name a few.
As a global alliance, the mission to create a seamless customer journey is filled with challenges. In this interview, Christian outlines a few of these and explains how SkyTeam defines their digital customer experience.
Christian will be moderating a panel on ‘CX transformation – how can we create a seamless omnichannel experience for passengers?’ at Aviation Festival Asia. The panel will bring together members from Virgin Australia, Bengaluru Airport, and HK Express.
Start-ups, sustainability, and travel technology. An interview with Suzanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures
At the World Aviation Festival, Suzanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures shared her insights on the value of the start-ups ecosystem, how the aviation industry will evolve, and technology’s solutions to industry problems.
The ten-minute interview touched on a broad range of topics, including the personalisation of the door-to-door journey, resilience and protection against situational changes, taking a holistic approach to the passenger experience, creating a seamless end-to-end journey, digitisation, new technology, sustainability, and more.
Going into more depth on sustainability, the Head of Amadeus Ventures explained “it takes a city.” Highlighting the issue as one of the core areas of change in the industry, Suzanna explained in three clear steps how the company begins to tackle the vast issue.
Firstly, Amadeus Ventures places a significant emphasis on transparency and helping people to measure the impact of their travel.
Secondly, Suzanna touched on the optimisation of operations. This is an area that was identified as buildable, ultimately reducing the initial negative impact on the planet.
Thirdly, mitigation of environmental damage was explored as a method of mediation. The Head of Amadeus Ventures explained this is an area they explore extensively with partners.
The interview was built on the following questions:
What can the start-ups ecosystem bring to the airlines’ world? What are the latest innovations from start-ups that could be relevant for the airlines?
How do you see the aviation industry changing in the next decade?
What industry problems do you see travel technology providing the solution for? Can you give any specific examples?