AFA Panel discussion: The impact of COVID-19 on Chinese airlines’ international network and the way forward for greater collaboration between Chinese and international airlines
In 2019, Mainland Chinese tourists took 155 million outbound trips, totalling £225 billion in travel spending making it the largest outbound travel market in the world in terms of number of trips and total spend. China plays a major role in the international aviation and tourism industries and, as one of the last counties to reopen from the pandemic, their absence was greatly felt during global recovery.
The international superpower began dropping restrictions in January 2023, nearly three years after China closed its borders. At Aviation Festival Asia, Zhang Wuan, VP Spring Airlines and Wayne Wang, Assistant Director, Commercial, Hong Kong Airlines joined industry analyst Henry Harteveldt for a discussion around the impact of the pandemic of Chinese airlines’ international network and the way forward.
The conversation looked at how both airlines survived the pandemic understanding their different experiences and exploring strategies for re-emergence.
Each airline brought a different perspective to the discussion. Spring Airlines, China’s first low-cost domestic airline, supplied a low cost perspective which shaped the discussion around possibilities for growth and future development. This complemented Hong Kong Airlines’ as one of four carriers headquartered in Hong Kong in amongst Cathay Pacific, HK Express, and Greater Bay Airlines. This position was reflected in Wayne Wang’s thoughts on differentiation, an aspect of conversation that Henry honed in one. Stemming from these diverging backgrounds, the airlines individually explored their strategies for international collaboration and the challenges that can occur.
At Aviation Festival Asia, Joanna Patterson VP Sales APAC, Etihad Airways joined Brian Sumers for a keynote interview. The conversation briefly covered Etihad’s pandemic experience before focusing on the nature of the emerging landscape.
Joanna explored the balancing act between capacity and demand, considering the different rates at which regions opened up and explaining the impact this had on the airline. Looking at inbound vs outbound travel rates as well as point of sale, the VP Sales APAC painted a comprehensive picture of the new normal in the APAC region.
Turning to trends, this interview delved into the return of corporate travel answering questions like: is it coming back? Will we ever get back to business demand? Can you effectively measure corporate vs leisure travel? Here, Joanna mapped out the landscape whilst explaining how Etihad are planning for the evolving demand.
Keynote LCC CEO panel: How is the low cost landscape evolving and what key trends are emerging?
At Aviation Festival Asia, Mandy Ng, the then CEO HK Express, Rob L. McKinney, CEO Northern Pacific Airways, Con Korfiatis CEO flyadeal, and Carly Povey, CCO Bonza, joined for a panel exploring the evolving low cost landscape. This session asked, ‘as we continue to reopen the region how is the low cost landscape evolving and what are the key trends emerging when it comes to market share, digital technology, sustainability, ancillary revenue and passenger behaviours?’
The diverse customer base of the airlines represented on the panel produced valuable insights with each carrier bringing different strategies to the discussion. As described by Carly, 99 per cent of Bonza’s bookings are made through the app, contrasting against Alaska based-Northern Pacific Airways who’s customer base includes villages in Alaska with “Native Alaskans who will walk up to the counter and buy a ticket with cash.” Drawing on the range within the carriers, Brian Sumers expertly accentuated the airlines’ differences, leveraging the CEO’s experiences to add depth to the discussion.
The panel covered a variety of topics from sustainability, ancillary revenue, superapp ambitions, booking strategies, and margins to unpack the current LCC landscape and look towards the future.
Mandy Ng, CEO HK Express – Keynote interview, “Concentrating digital investment on customer-centric initiatives”
At Aviation Festival Asia, Mandy Ng, CEO HK Express joined Brian Sumers for a keynote interview. During the session, the conversation explored the post-pandemic landscape, ticket pricing to reflect value, overhauling the digital experience, rebranding, shifts in consumer behaviour, and more.
One significant focus was HK Express’ improved digital experience, enhancing the key principles as a low-cost carrier (LCC) “agility, simplicity, and efficiency.” Here, Mandy explained how the in-app search and book journey has been streamlined down to four key steps from six, resulting in a doubled conversion rate. The airline CEO also pointed towards personalisation and a mobile first strategy as already enriching the digital experience for the customer, as well as an area the carrier is set to develop in parallel with the growth of customer insights.
Mandy also discussed the airline’s rebranding, pushing to reflect HK Express as “simple, reliable, and fun” in the internal culture not just in external campaigns. Here, Mandy indicated a holistic approach to the rebrand seeking to have the uniqueness of customers mirrored in the individuality of the air crew. One of the ways this is being enacted is through a change in the cabin crew’s uniform, affording employees the option to wear trousers or a skirt, trainers or more traditional footwear.
For more on the above and to hear about the LCC’s alternative experience with labour shortages, observations on consumer behaviour changes, and more, watch the full 15-minute interview below.
AFA Keynote airport CEO panel: Entering Asian airports’ post-pandemic era of unprecedented digital transformation, collaboration, innovation, and reimagined business models
At Aviation Festival Asia, the airport CEO panel comprised of Hari Marar, Managing Director & CEO at Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), Ayman Aboabah CEO King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), and Sumesh Patel President, Asia Pacific SITA, gathered to discuss the evolution of airports in a post-pandemic era.
The discussion broadly looked at business models, digitalisation, the future of the airport experience, intermodal travel, and sustainability. When dissecting these topics, panellists considered the impact of the pandemic, with Ayman highlighting that “hard times teach you how to deal with good times,” reframing the period as accelerating the industry’s digital learning curve.
All dialogue was underpinned by digital transformation, forming the foundation of topics from catering to different generations to integrating future modes of transport into an airport hub.
Highlights of the panel include an insightful conversation around where the industry is at with digital border crossings and reducing reliance on paper documents. Here, Sumesh’s insight complemented the panel discussion with an analysis of the challenges associated with implementing global standards.
Additionally, the conversation around intermodal travel sparked interesting discussion surrounding the future of travel. Hari highlighted that friction occurs when shifting from one mode of travel to another, explaining the role the airport can play in easing this by establishing it as a hub of transport, open to integrating future modes of transport as they come up.
For all this and more watch the full interview below.
Hari Marar, MD & CEO BIAL – Keynote interview, throwing bytes not bricks
At Aviation Festival Asia, Hari Marar, Managing Director & CEO at Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) joined Henry Harteveldt on stage for a keynote interview. The discussion explored the challenges and advantages of being a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) airport, BIAL’s hospitality mindset, digital transformation within a global tech hub, biometrics concerns, and the growth of India’s aviation industry.
Throughout the interview, the customer was emphasised as BIAL’s priority. Explaining the benefits of being a PPP airport, Hari demonstrated how this structure enables them to keep the customer at the centre of development, facilitating the airport’s “hospitality flavour.” Hari also highlighted how the concept of hospitality within the airport forms a key point of differentiation, delivering a seamless, convenient, memorable experience for passengers whilst generating additional revenue.
The conversation also dissected BIAL’s digital transformation, with Hari positioning technology as a way to maximise existing infrastructure. This approach was succinctly condensed by the airport’s CEO, finding “not always throwing bricks at it but sometimes throwing bytes at it is a better way to extract better capacity.” Furthermore, technology was identified as a means to enhance efficiency, passenger experience, and non-aeronautical revenues.
For this and more, watch the full 15-minute interview below.
Ayman Aboabah, CEO King Abdulaziz International Airport – Keynote interview, “The common goal between all travellers.”
At Aviation Festival Asia, Mr Ayman Aboabah, CEO King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) joined renowned travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt for a keynote interview. During the conversation, Aboabah discussed the airport’s plans for a seamless passenger journey which focuses on innovation as well as financial and environmental sustainability.
In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, the airport is preparing for a rapid scaling up of demand expecting to grow over 2.5 times within the next seven years. Approximately 40 per cent of the predicted passenger traffic is formed of religious travellers, with the airport acting as a gateway for pilgrims to the Holy Mosques (Hajj and Umrah).
The interview highlights the varying requirements and expectations of religious travellers, many of whom may be first time flyers, from small towns, and some who do not engage with technology on the same level as the average traveller. Consequently, this presents KAIA with a range to consider when crafting the best travel experience for all passengers. Aboabah explains during the conversation that despite these travellers speaking hundreds of languages, coming from all over the world, harbouring differences in education and mindset, they all share a common goal; the desire for seamless travel.
Watch the full interview below to hear about how innovation will be used to account for the diversity of travellers and growing passenger traffic.
Emirates phases out paper boarding passes in latest digital push
As of today, Emirates will require most passengers departing from Dubai to swap their printed boarding pass for a mobile one.
The Dubai based carrier described this as “taking a step forward in its drive to offer customers the convenience and assurance of digitally enabled travel journeys.”
For the majority of passengers checking in at Terminal 3, their mobile device will become their ticket. Either the mobile boarding pass will be sent via email or SMS after checking in at the terminal, or, passengers who prefer to check in online will use their Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Emirates App. Throughout the journey, passengers will only be required to show the boarding pass on their phone including at Dubai Duty Free, security, and boarding.
The airline said:
“This initiative will significantly reduce paper waste while simultaneously offering a convenient and speedy digitised check in experience for passengers departing Dubai. It reduces the risk of lost or misplaced boarding passes, giving passengers peace of mind when travelling.”
Although the push is towards making digital tickets the norm, some passengers will have the option to request a printed boarding pass. This will be possible at agent check-in counters for passengers with infants, unaccompanied minors, passengers requiring special assistance, passengers with onwards flights on other airlines, and all passengers travelling on flights to the US. Additionally, passengers who do not have a mobile device or are concerned about their ability to access the information on their device can request one from an Emirates agent.
Diversity & Inclusion Panel: Embracing Equity – Why decisively inclusive leadership is the future of aviation, “You can’t retain people if they don’t feel at home.”
At Aviation Festival Asia, Moushumi Kirtania, Board Member and Director, Women in Aviation International (Singapore Chapter) hosted a panel with Yin May Lau, Group CMO & CXO, Malaysia Airlines,Uschi Schulte-Sasse, SVP Aviation, Inform GmbH, and Chris Carter, Director, Asia Pacific Region, Federal Aviation Association USA exploring decisively inclusive leadership in the industry.
The panel dissected what inclusive leadership means and what it means to exercise it. Some of the stand out points included Christ Carter’s emphasis on embracing and accentuating difference instead of being “colour-blind” as well as being aware of personal biases, recognising the ability to manage these. Crucially, panellists stressed that it now a requirement to make a conscious, proactive choice to be an inclusive leader.
Additionally, the panel explored the topic of diversity, looking at its relationship with inclusivity. Discussing the current limitations to diversity within the industry’s workforce, Uschi Schulte-Sasse stressed initiatives which actively seek to encourage a diverse workforce from the grassroots prompting a wider discussion around growing the talent pool. It was agreed that certain jobs can be represented as gendered which will require the active deconstruction of engrained societal biases.
Conversation also covered how we can project inclusivity within the company to the end customer. Here, Yin May Lau gave specific examples of how the Malaysia Airlines’ inclusive culture is tangible for customers too as well as the internal business. You can hear more on this during a pre-event interview here.
The session did not shy away from difficult questions. Moushumi Kirtania sparked spirited discussion asking panellists “are companies focusing too much on diversity metrics instead of inclusivity?” Panellists spoke candidly around challenges and limitations within the industry and what it will take to create a diverse, thriving workforce.
Touching on culture, gen-z, glass ceilings, role models, and more, you can watch the full session below.
Con Korfiatis, CEO flyadeal – Keynote interview “The digital demands in Saudi Arabia”
At Aviation Festival Asia, Con Korfiatis, CEO flyadeal joined for a keynote interview. The conversation explored the growth opportunities for a carrier in Saudi Arabia and looked closely at the airline’s digital business.
One of the key objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is to increase the number of visiting tourists. Korfiatis discussed the huge responsibility this places on the country’s airlines but also highlighted the symbiotic relationship this goal has with the ultra-low-cost-carrier’s (ULCC) growth. Working complementarily with the growth objectives, the carrier is an “enabler” in achieving social and economic objectives, helping provide the capacity to bring people in and out.
This growth potential is highlighted in the carrier’s transformation during the pandemic. The flyadeal CEO described how the airline grew 150 per cent during Covid, returning to 2019 passenger levels by 2021 and explained that “to be able to grow that much in Covid tTells the story of the potential for Saudi Arabia.” The position that flyadeal, as an ULCC, fills through satisfying demand for affordable travel within the market is also explored as well as plans for expansion in the near future.
During the interview, flyadeal as digital-first airline is reviewed in depth. Firstly, the factors creating an environment where domestically 95 per cent of sales are made through digital channels, 60 per cent of which use the mobile app are explored. The conversation also looks at how the airline’s current customer mix impacts this and by extension how this may change as a result of expanding the airline’s customer base.
Through the course of the interview Korfiatis touches on expansion, the pandemic, tourism, digital business, Wizz Air, the future as an ULCC and more. Watch the full interview below.
For more on creating a digital-first airline watch the interview with Korfiatis here.
AFA Panel: How have partnerships, technology adoption, and business models evolved in the Asian market since the crisis and have we seen the strategic shifts that were predicted?
At Aviation Festival Asia, Richard Nuttall, CEO, SriLankan Airlines, Mike Szücs, CEO, Cebu Pacific, and Barathan Pasupathi, CEO, Jetstar Asia Airways joined Bryan Sumers to explore business models and partnerships in the APAC region. The panel covered significant ground within 45-minutes, touching on revenue management, yields and capacity, restructuring, consumer behaviour, ancillaries, sustainability, the future of the Hong Kong air market, and more.
As the carrier leaders reflected on the post-pandemic landscape, Szücs asserted, “people talk about revenge travel, but this is a capacity story.” Exploring the consequences of this interpretation, the panelists debated whether, as Szücs suggested, capacity is the “real factor” playing in to the current market. This fed into further discussion of airline restructurings in the region looking at the importance of long term capacity and fleet availability.
The panel also explored the role of ancillaries within their respective business models. Pasupathi steered discussion specifically to the impact of the pandemic on customer engagement with ancillary offers focusing on insurance and flexibility. Although the importance of ancillaries was highlighted during the conversation, Nuttall also pointed towards the challenges legacy systems present for ancillary sales including bundles.
Concluding the panel, Sumers posed the CEOs with a challenging question: what is the best run airline in Asia and why? To hear their answers, watch the full interview below.
Etihad uses AI to make booking flights “as easy as asking a question” in Botim app
Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi’s state carrier is using artificial intelligence (AI) to make it easier for customers to book flights.
This week, Etihad Airways signed an agreement with tech firm Astra Tech enabling customers to book flights within the airline chat app Botim using AI.
Prioritising the convenience of the customer, it will now be possible to book flights “just by typing in the basic details of the service they require, with the technology then completing the booking itself.”
Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Astra Tech’s founder and Botim’s CEO, said:
“This partnership will allow us to offer a never-seen-before feature to Botim users. We are revolutionising the way people will book flights by making it as easy as asking a question. This represents our ability to connect people, not only virtually but physically, all around the world using the latest technology in artificial intelligence.”
Importantly, Astra Tech has announced its GPT is the first that works in the Arabic language. It will also be available in English.
The integration of AI into chatbots has been one of the primary use cases for the implementation of technology to enhance the customer experience. Extending this to the booking process provides an interesting next step in the journey.
Emirates are changing up the check-in process, moving it “close to you” to streamline the airport experience for their passengers. With a new CityCheck-in and Travel Store, customers can now visit the store located in ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC, Dubai’s busy finance hub. Here, passengers can drop their bags between 4 and 24 hours prior to the flight, facilitating a hassle-free trip to the airport.
Rob Devereux, CEO of ICD Brookfield explained:
“The exciting new addition will bring the convenience of city check-in to the central business district, allowing Emirates passengers more time to go about their daily routine, spend productive time at work and enjoy the wonderful lifestyle Dubai has to offer.”
Once at the conveniently located store, passengers can select their check-in method from three options: check-in agent, self check-in kiosk, or world first robot check-in assistant – Sara.
Sara, Emirates’ “innovative portable robotic check-in system” will roam around the store looking to help passengers. The robot can match faces with scanned passports, check passengers in, print boarding passes, offer the option to purchase extra items, and guide them to the luggage drop area. On top of this, Sara’s 2.5 metre LCD screen shows the latest destination content from Emirates and an interactive touchscreen map.
Source: Emirates. Product – Emirates City Check In & Travel Store – Self Check In options
Adel al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said:
“Emirates City Check In is our latest addition to the Emirates travel experience, showing our commitment to providing customers with an array of check-in options. Our new location is the first ultra-convenient check in and baggage drop facility conveniently located in the DIFC area. People can avoid busy periods at the airport and minimise queuing.”
Mike Szücs, CEO Cebu Pacific Air – Keynote interview, “We are the world’s most complex LCC I would suspect”
This 15-minute keynote interview with Mike Szücs, CEO Cebu Pacific Air looked at “How Cebu plans to further expand its international network whilst driving a stronger ancillary business.”
Throughout the interview, the airline’s business model was evaluated with Szücs explaining the paradox between being one of “the world’s most complex LCCs” and the airline’s “fundamental mission to keep things simple.” Unpacking this, Szücs explored the geographic and infrastructure factors which have shaped the airline into its current form.
Looking at how the airline has navigated the post-pandemic landscape, the conversation compared changes in domestic and international markets as well as booking trends. Cebu’s CEO also described the ways they used incentives to attract back domestic demand and encourage the extension of the booking curve. The discussion was supplemented with discussion surrounding aircraft types, routes, opportunities for revenue improvements, the importance of becoming a leader in the digital space, and more.
The AI-powered operations optimising technology at DOH and DIA
Working in partnership with Aeroficial Intelligence, MATAR, the Qatar Company for Airports Operation and Management is enhancing airport operations with a new AI-powered tool providing operational intelligence.
MATAR Senior Vice President Operations, Mr. Ioannis Metsovitis predicts this technology will:
“enhance automation, predictability, awareness, and performance.”
Aerofficial Intelligence specialises in empowering airport and air traffic management, and their partnership with MATAR has been described by Metsovitis as a “testament to MATAR’s commitment to investing in technological advancements to maintain its operational excellence.”
Aerofficial Intelligence’s technology is used across all airport operations at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Doha International Airport (DIA). The software monitors the operations of both airports in real-time, looking at ground movements, runway activity, the taxiway, air traffic situations, and more. Using in-depth analysis and reporting, daily operations will be optimised, “sav[ing] emissions, increas[ing] efficiency and generating[ing] new and better insights.”
DOH is set to increase capacity to over 70 million per year with their expansion project that began at the start of this year. As the airport grows, the optimisation of operations will be crucial to ensure smooth and efficient processes at the DOH.
Commercial leaders panel – Changing behaviours and adapting RM, retailing, loyalty, and network planning strategies to keep up
At Aviation Festival Asia, the commercial leaders panel looked at how passenger behaviours have changed since the pandemic and the ways airline commercial leaders can adapt their RM, retailing, loyalty, and network planning strategies to keep up.
During the conversation, the panellists reflected on the airline industry and its relationship with technology. Looking at overcoming the constraints of legacy tech, re-evaluating during the pandemic, and more the panellists broadly agreed with Aboudy Nasser’s assessment (CCO, Oman Air) that “technology is an enabler, it’s people that make the change.” The theme of technology underpinned the entire session which looked at a variety of topics including the booking preferences of millennials, artificial intelligence (AI), data, ancillaries, fare matching, NDC, and more.
Focusing in on data, this panel discussed the key question: what do we do with it? One answer explored hyper personalisation, using technology like chatGPT to present a relevant bundle thereby showing care to the individual at a scale that is otherwise difficult to achieve. Another theme of conversation turned to AI, looking at its role in forecasting demand and a transition towards decisions being taken, not just guided by AI.
The session concluded with panellists stating their predictions rooted in any point of discussion during the session. To find out what these commercial leaders answered, watch the full session below:
Participants include:
Paul Carroll, Chief Revenue and Network Officer, AirAsia
Aboudy Nasser, CCO, Oman Air
Arved von Zur Muehlen, CCO, Saudia
Shimi Avizmil, Co-Founder and CTO, Fetcherr
Jonathan Newman, Senior Principal, Accelya
Moderated by Otto Gergye, Advisor to the CEO, Thai Airways
Keynote CEO panel – What is the future of the Asian aviation industry?
At Aviation Festival Asia, the keynote CEO panel gathered to discuss, “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?” Panellists included Tony Fernandes, CEO Capital A, Chai Eamsiri, CEO Thai Airways, and David Emerson CCO, Virgin Australia.
The session covered the developments of the last few years, business models, pricing, sustainability and more. Briefly contextualising the pandemic with the panellists’ low points and lessons, the conversation focused predominantly on its aftermath. Here, Eamsiri, Fernandes, and Emerson offered diverging perspectives on the prevalence of post-pandemic uncertainty and how this continues to translate into customer behaviours and booking patterns. Delving deeper into the pandemic, the panellists also gave their predictions on how long “revenge travel” will last and identified shifts in demand from various customer segments.
Towards the end, sustainability was explored, looking at the demands it places on various stakeholders and examining customer sentiment towards the problem. During this, a variety of approaches to the topic of sustainability were offered and evaluated.
Watch the full session to hear from these industry leaders on the emerging landscape, sustainability, business models, pricing, markets, and more.
Chai Eamsiri, CEO Thai Airways – Keynote interview, “Bringing back confidence”
At Aviation Festival Asia, Chai Eamsiri CEO Thai Airways joined Bloomberg’s Danny Lee for a 15-minute keynote interview. The discussion was predominantly centred around the airline’s transition from survival to rehabilitation mode and beyond.
Moving past the intense survival mode necessitated by the pandemic, the Thai Airways CEO touched on the new processes and structures now in place to help the airline restore confidence.
Covering targets and priorities, China’s reopening, and Bangkok, the interview sheds light on the next steps for Thai Airways.
Changi Airport Group (CAG) has announced its metaverse “debut” with an immersive experience called ChangiVerse. Transporting the physical airport into a digital space, people are encouraged to “experience the magic of Changi Airport like never before” with a whole host of benefits to the group.
CAG is consistently at the forefront of innovation in airports, providing passengers with a seamless, digitised experience at Singapore Changi Airport. As the aviation industry explores the metaverse, the group is positioning itself at the fore of experimentation, associating itself once again with innovation, and preparing for travel’s continued evolution into the digital realm.
ChangiVerse has been developed in collaboration with Accenture and the immersive virtual reality airport is built on a global shared experience platform called Roblox which has millions of daily users.
ChangiVerse is a digital representation of the physical airport across three key areas: the Jewel, Terminal 3, and Airport Boulevard. The virtual world features many of the world famous airport’s best known features including the Changi control tower and the iconic indoor waterfall at the Jewel. Across these spaces, visitors can access a range of activities and social experiences.
Image source: CAG
Hung Jean, group senior vice president of CAG’s Enterprise Digital Ecosystem & Business Division, said:
“With ChangiVerse, we want to strengthen Changi Airport’s position as more than just a transport node, but a fun and magical destination where memories are created. With our customers becoming more digitally savvy and interacting in the digital space, ChangiVerse is also about engaging our customers and serving them better through innovation and experimentation, in line with our belief of customers being at the heart of everything we do.”
Changi’s engagement with the metaverse helps “to reach a growing group of digital users and fans who want to explore travel destinations differently,” enabling people who have never visited the physical space to experience the airport in a digital capacity. This immersive experience may draw new travellers in, growing the airport’s international audience. It has been suggested the games could inspire young children’s engagement with the airport and even spark a degree of interest in career opportunities available at the airport.
Image source: CAG
Players are encouraged to take part in a wide range of games available in ChangiVerse, accumulating prizes across the virtual and physical space. Changi Kart is the “core game,” with contestants competing against one another, racing through Airport Boulevard. The top three competitors on the leader board each week will have their avatars appear at T3’s winners’ podium and there will be a monthly prize of Singapore Airlines tickets, with overseas winners eligible with a trip to Singapore and chance to see Changi Airport in person.
By encouraging people globally to interact with the airport in a new capacity, CAG unlocks a range of benefits. From engaging a new audience to positioning themselves for the future of travel, it will be exciting to see how Changi’s metaverse debut unfolds.
Interview with Kenny Chang, EVP & CMO, Korean Air – Marketing, culture, and technology
At Aviation Festival Asia 28th Feb – 1 March 2023, Kenny Chang joined for an interview exploring marketing, culture, and technology looking at both Korean Air and the industry more broadly.
During the interview, the CMO described how Korean Air embraces global awareness of South Korean culture to grow their brand internationally. This strategy led to Korean Air and YG Entertainment (YG) signing an agreement earlier this month, working symbiotically to promote Korean culture globally. Read more here. Within this interview, Kenny Chang explains how the airline harnesses the global popularity of K culture and the nuances of leveraging this to target across generations internationally.
The conversation also looks towards technology, discussing cloud and generative AI. Here, the CMO & EVP explores operations optimisation, customer experience, agility, and more.
Questions asked:
How are you embracing global awareness of South Korean culture to grow your brand internationally?
In what ways do you tailor your marketing to engage with the younger generations?
Can you describe how you are optimising operations and improving the customer experience through the use of cloud?
Where do you see generative AI like ChatGPT making the biggest difference in the industry? How can it be used and to what end?
How do you capitalise on the agility that a digital marketing strategy can offer?
