The IATA AGM and WATS will bring together more than a thousand leaders in the sector, including CEOs and senior management from IATA's diverse membership and the entire air transport value chain; as well as media to discuss topics including sustainable aviation fuels, airport privatisation, benefits and risks of tourism, gender equality, making the best use of data, next steps on aviation security, and preventing human trafficking.
CAPA will have a strong team on the ground at the three-day event and The Blue Swan Daily will be providing a live update of what they are up to and some of the key insights from discussions at the event.
WATCH our exclusive video interviews via CAPA TV
READ latest news and insights from Sydney with CAPA's respected news briefs (members only)
FOLLOW developments on social media via CAPA and The Blue Swan Daily and join the debate on the official #IATAAGM channel.
Tuesday 05-Jun-2018
13:00 - That's a wrap for the IATA AGM... now for the CAPA CEOs in Sydney Summit
There's still loads of content from the IATA AGM to go live on the CAPA site from news briefs to additional CAPA TV interviews, including an interesting chat with Vuyani Jarana, the CEO of South African Airways. However, we now need to relocate from the International Convention Centre across the road to the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour for CAPA's own CEOs in Sydney event.
Tuesday 05-Jun-2018
12:00 - Where will we be heading next year for the IATA AGM?
After what has been an amazing IATA AGM in Sydney, Australia, it has been revealed that next year we will be heading to Seoul, South Korea for the 75th AGM.
Tuesday 05-Jun-2018
11:00 - IATA open borders strategy - breaking down the barriers
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on governments to intensify efforts to spread the economic and social benefits of aviation by removing onerous barriers to the free movement of people across borders. These range from visa restrictions and government information requirements to the capacity of current facilitation processes to absorb growing numbers of air travellers.
IATA has evolved a comprehensive Open Borders Strategy to help governments work with industry to maintain the integrity of national borders while removing inefficiencies that prevent the industry from satisfying travel demand. Research by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on the impact of visa facilitation indicates that $89 billion in tourism receipts and 2.6 million jobs would be created in the Asia-Pacific region alone with the reduction of barriers to travel.
"Over the next 20 years, the number of passengers will double. That's excellent news for the global economy, as air connectivity is a catalyst for job creation and GDP growth. But we will not get the maximum social and economic benefits from this growth if barriers to travel are not addressed and processes streamlined," says Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and CEO.
Tuesday 05-Jun-2018
10:00 - Grab your third edition of the IATA AGM CAPA Daily
If you are in Sydney make sure you grab a copy of the third and final CAPA Daily publication. Packed with all of the key insights from yesterday's agenda, exclusive news from the sidelines of the event and interviews with senior executives from flydubai, Volaris, Irelandia Aviation and flybe.
Tuesday 05-Jun-2018
09:00 - Hear the thoughts of Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline
Sir Tim Clark spoke to CAPA TV yesterday about the latest developments at Emirates Airline.
08:00 - It's the final morning of activity at the IATA AGM
This morning is the official AGM Opening Session & Working Session which will see the formal opening of the AGM, election of AGM President, addresses of welcome and responses and approval of the Agenda for the 74th Annual General Meeting, and Approval of the Report of the 73rd Annual General Meeting.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
22:00 - A couple of CAPA 'exclusives' to close the day
NEWS: Vietnam Airlines to wet lease regional jets as 'test' prior to acquisition
Vietnam Airlines CEO Duong Tri Thanh revealed to CAPA the airline plans to wet lease regional jets in summer 2018 as part of a trial in its ongoing evaluation of regional jets. Mr Thanh said the airline plans to wet lease at least two regional jets manufactured by Bombardier, Embraer or potentially others in summer 2018. The wet lease will provide interim capacity to partially compensate for capacity lost by the A321neo delivery delays. Mr Thanh said the wet lease will also be used as a "test" in its evaluation of new regional jets and plans to initially order five to seven regional jets.
NEWS: Thai Airways considers introducing premium economy
Thai Airways VP for alliances and commercial Krittaphon Chantalitanon told CAPA the airline is considering introducing a premium economy product. If Thai decides at the conclusion of the study to proceed with premium economy the new product could potentially debut on an experimental basis on six retrofitted Boeing 777-200ERs. Thai would also include the new premium economy product, if launched, on new future widebody aircraft it plans to order but for now there are no plans to retrofit the 777-300ER or 787 fleets.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
19:30 - Delegates head to Doltone House, but there's still work to do!
As delegates head across to Doltone House - Jones Bay Wharf for tonight's gala dinner, sponsored by Boeing, the finishing touches are being made to the third CAPA Daily as the printing deadline looms. After Willie Walsh and Alexandre de Juniac who do you think will be the cover star for our last issue of the event. Meanwhile, further editing is being done on the numerous CAPA TV interviews completed today. Many are already online so check them out.
https://corporatetravelcommunity.com/capa-tv-from-the-2018-iata-agm-in-sydney/
Monday 04-Jun-2018
17:30 - Securing aviation's future - smarter regulation, global standards, infrastructure
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for governments to facilitate the growth of global connectivity by avoiding creeping re-regulation, maintaining the integrity of global standards, and addressing a capacity crisis.
The call came in the IATA director general's Report on the Air Transport Industry at the 74th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit. Mr de Juniac said: "On aviation's core mission to deliver safe, secure, accessible and sustainable connectivity, the state of our industry is strong and getting stronger. And with "normal" levels of profitability we are spreading aviation's benefits even more widely."
However, he highlighted there are challenges. "Smarter regulation needs to counter the trend of creeping re-regulation. Global standards must be maintained by the states that agreed them. And we need to find efficient solutions to the looming capacity crisis," he added.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
16:00 - How many news briefs?
While CAPA's analysts and the The Blue Swan Daily editorial team have been the public face of the event content, the wider CAPA team of brief writers have been attending the formal event sessions and also working away in the media room to populate CAPA's online briefs and producing material for tomorrow's third CAPA Daily. How many event briefs have been written? The answer is... more than 200!
Monday 04-Jun-2018
15:00 - CAPA TV grabs some time with Sir Tim Clark
We were delighted that Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, stopped by at the CAPA TV booth in the networking area this afternoon for a chat. Look out for our video on CAPA TV soon.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
14:00 - NEWS: Philippine Airlines to use A321neo to add flights to Delhi and Mumbai
Philippine Airlines (PAL) president and COO Jaime Bautista tells CAPA that the airline plans to place its first A321neo into service on 05-Jun-2018. The aircraft will initially be used on domestic services and to Hong Kong before being deployed to Brisbane.
As CAPA previously reported, PAL plans to begin operating the A321LR, which is configured with 12 lie flat business class seats and 156 economy seats, to Brisbane from 02-Jul-2018. PAL took delivery of its first A321neo at the end of May-2018 and has 20 more A320neos on order, five of which will be delivered by the end of 2018. These will be configured in the 168 seat low density configuration and used for long haul routes while the rest will be delivered from 2019 in higher density configuration and used for short haul routes.
The low density aircraft have been earmarked to facilitate the launch of services to Delhi and Mumbai in Sep-2018. Each will initially be served three times weekly. Mr Bautista said the aircraft will also be used to launch Sapporo in Sep-2018 or Oct-2018 and will also be used on other flights to Australia.
PAL is planning on adding a second daily frequency to Sydney, supplementing seven weekly frequencies now operated with A330-300s and also considering increasing Melbourne to daily with some or all of the frequencies operated with A321neos. PAL recently upgraded Melbourne from three to five weekly frequencies using A330-300s.
The airline will also shortly take delivery of its first A350 with Mr Bautista confirming it plans to take delivery of the aircraft on 14-Jul-2018. It is scheduled to arrive in Manila from Toulouse on 15-Jul-2018 and will be showcased at an event along with PAL's second A321neo, which will arrive in Manila from Hamburg at about the same time. PAL also plans to take delivery of an additional Bombardier Q400 at about the same time.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
13:30 - NEWS: A change at the top for SkyTeam as Kristin Colvile replaces Perry Cantarutti
More news from the global alliances as SkyTeam announces a change of leadership as current CEO Perry Cantarutti returns to Delta Air Lines as SVP alliances. He is being succeeded by Kristin Colvile, who has held management positions at Northwest Airlines and Delta, most recently heading the US major's cargo operations. We just spoke to both executives on activities at the alliance and aspirations for future development with technology being a particular focus. Look out for the video on CAPA TV soon, including the first video interview with Ms Colvile since her appointment.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
12:30 - Flybe commits to the Q400 as backbone for future operations
The only lady in the image below is Christine Ourmières-Widener, CEO of UK regional carrier Flybe. We were fortunate enough to interview her last month at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit in Dublin, Republic of Ireland where she highlighted that after a comprehensive review of regional aircraft options, Flybe had concluded that the Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 is "the best core aircraft" for its current and future operational needs and will therefore remain as the backbone of the Flybe fleet for the foreseeable future.
https://corporatetravelcommunity.com/flybe-fleet-review-sees-bombardier-dash-8-q400-remain-backbone-of-its-fleet/
Monday 04-Jun-2018
12:15 - Women in Aviation - remains a massive issue for this industry
Yesterday's image (below) from the meeting of the IATA governing Board clearly highlighted the lack of women in senior roles in the aviation sector. The Blue Swan Daily was delighted this morning to speak to IranAir CEO Farzaneh Sharafbafi, RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo and Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis to gain their views on the issue.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
12:00 NEWS: Star Alliance sees potential for 'one or more levels above' Star Alliance's current gold FFP level
Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh has revealed the alliance is considering the addition of a FFP level above gold. Mr Goh acknowledged this is a question "which has been floating around for some while" and it is "looking at how we can upgrade the loyalty proposition and one review is to understand if there can be perhaps one or more levels above Gold proposition". He added: "Keeps your eyes peeled. There could be a potential announcement...".
Monday 04-Jun-2018
11:45 - NEWS: Royal Brunei receives fifth 787 in Jun-2018, crew bunk retrofits to commence in Sep-2018
Royal Brunei Airlines CEO Karam Chand, tells CAPA the airline's fifth and final Boeing 787-8 is slated to be delivered at the end of Jun-2018. He said all five 787s will be retrofitted with crew bunks from late Sep-2018 to Nov-2018. The extra 787 enables Royal Brunei to launch its recently announced nonstop London service. While the airline will have only four 787s in service when the nonstop London route launches in late Oct-2018, Mr Chand said the airline can make do temporarily with four aircraft as the seasonal Jeddah route will not be operating when London launches.
Here's our previous The Blue Swan Story on the airline's plans to fly non-stop to London...
https://corporatetravelcommunity.com/royal-brunei-drops-dubai-stop-on-bandar-seri-begawan-london-route-but-will-need-to-rely-on-sixth-freedom-rights-to-make-it-work/
Monday 04-Jun-2018
11:30 - CAPA TV has been on fire during the refreshment break!
It has been a busy refreshment break at WATS with CAPA TV interviews completed on Airport Council International (ACI), Air Malta, Austrian Airlines, RwandAir and Germania. Look out for the key comments from these interviews on this blog later today with the full videos following within the next day or two.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
11:15 - NEWS: Bangkok Airways to transition to all -600 series ATR fleet
Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth told CAPA yesterday that the airline plans to standardise its turboprop fleet on ATR -600 series aircraft for operational, maintenance and brand image reasons. The airline will reduce its turboprop fleet from 15 to around 13 aircraft, with some existing aircraft to be sold and not replaced. The airline operates six ATR 72-500s and nine ATR 72-600s with four ATR 72-600s on order, according to the CAPA Fleet Database.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
11:00 - WATCH our EXCLUSIVE CAPA TV video interviews from Sydney
CAPA TV is live from the 2018 IATA AGM in Sydney, capturing live interviews with the leaders in aviation. Take a look below at the some of the interviews already completed and check back in the next few days for many more.
https://corporatetravelcommunity.com/capa-tv-from-the-2018-iata-agm-in-sydney/
Monday 04-Jun-2018
10:45 - IATA still predicts "solid profits despite rising costs"
As hinted late last week, IATA has announced a reduction of its expectation for airline profitability in 2018. It now predicts they will achieve a collective net profit of USD33.8 billion (4.1% net margin) in 2018, down from a previous forecast of USD38.4 billion in Dec-2017. This still represents is a solid performance for the industry despite rising costs, primarily fuel and labour, but also the upturn in the interest rate cycle. IATA says these rising costs are the main driver behind the downward revision.
"Solid profitability is holding up in 2018, despite rising costs," explains Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and CEO. "The industry's financial foundations are strong with a nine-year run in the black that began in 2010. And the return on invested capital will exceed the cost of capital for a fourth consecutive year. At long last, normal profits are becoming normal for airlines. This enables airlines to fund growth, expand employment, strengthen balance sheets and reward our investors."
Monday 04-Jun-2018
10:20 - Pick up today's CAPA Daily
If you are in Sydney make sure you pick up the second edition of the CAPA Daily. Today's issue includes nine pages of news from the opening afternoon and interviews with IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac; Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg; KLM CEO Pieter Elbers; European Commission director general for mobility and transport Henrik Hololei; and Indigo Partners managing partner William Franke.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
10:10 - "Aviation's future overflows with opportunity. But the direction in which global affairs will evolve has become difficult to predict"
In his report on the industry, IATA DG and CEO Alexandre de Juniac remarks that "the positive impact of globalisation is undeniable," but warns "the forces of protectionism are gathering strength".
"Sanctions, tariffs and geopolitical conflicts are the mainstay of the daily news. The specter of a trade war looms. Debates on migration and immigration rage. And trust among nations is showing fragility," he adds.
"We are at a juncture," he notes. "Facts shows that aviation has created immense value by bringing people, products and business together. And ultimately, I believe that the enormous benefits of globalisation will guide us forward.
"As I have said many times: Aviation is the business of freedom."
Monday 04-Jun-2018
10:00 - Star Alliance: "We are shifting our focus away from growing the alliance"
https://twitter.com/CAPA_Aviation/status/1003400855570337792
Monday 04-Jun-2018
09:45 - NEWS: Malaysia Airlines drops A380 reconfiguration project
Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail told CAPA on the sidelines of the IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit the airline no longer plans to reconfigure its A380 fleet. Capt Izham said the airline will continue to operate all six A380s in the existing three class 486 and 494 seat configuration and has dropped the earlier plan for retrofitting to a high density configuration with up to 700 seats. The new airline being established to operate the A380s on religious charters will try to use the premium capacity by focusing on the high end Umrah market.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
09:30 - Traditional Aboriginal dance opens IATA World Air Transport Symposium
Monday 04-Jun-2018
09:15 - "One of the world's final frontiers for travel is now connected"
"One of the world's final frontiers for travel is now connected," said Fiji Airways' managing director and CEO Andre Viljoen at yesterday's press briefing revealing its entry into the oneworld alliance through its new connect platform. The CAPA team caught up with him immediately after the announcement to learn more about its development plans.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
09:00 - NEWS: Star is shining bright with new technology focus
Star Alliance is to leverage new technology to improve the customer experience in areas such as loyalty and baggage tracking. Kicking off the Star Alliance press conference this morning, CEO Jeffrey Goh confirmed the global alliance is shifting its focus away from growing the alliance and focusing rather on the customer experience. "The board feels the current membership and network is sufficient to provide great service to our customers. There is no airline global, not currently in a global alliance already, which we believe will add value to our alliance," said Mr Goh. Instead the alliance has launched new online technology, which assists travellers across three main areas: researching and booking trips across members; baggage location tracking; and access to flight information such as onboard amenities.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
08:45 - The team behind CAPA's amazing daily news briefs
The CAPA team of writers produce more than 400 briefs a day. Some of the team have swapped CAPA HQ for the Sydney ICC to support efforts to deliver content from the IATA AGM and WATS.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
08:30 - Getting to the bottom of the story
CAPA's chief analyst Brendan Sobie has been busy interviewing airline, airport and alliance executives since arriving in Sydney.
Monday 04-Jun-2018
08:15 - Catch up with yesterday's key insights
https://corporatetravelcommunity.com/industry-insights-from-the-opening-afternoon-of-the-iata-agm/
Monday 04-Jun-2018
08:00 - A warm welcome at the CAPA stand
Monday 04-Jun-2018
07:30 - Yesterday's big news from the IATA AGM
The global grouping oneworld has launched a new platform for linking up to the alliance enabling smaller operators that were reluctant to meet the detailed requirements for membership to still enjoy benefits of partnerships with full members. The new oneworld connect partner platform will also allow the alliance to expand its connectivity and fill some of the white spots in its network.
https://corporatetravelcommunity.com/fiji-airways-arrival-in-new-oneworld-alliance-platform-is-a-clear-sign-of-the-global-grouping-aiming-to-evolve-to-remain-relevant/
Monday 04-Jun-2018
07:00 - The sun is shining over Darling Harbour and aviation's leaders
It is a bright and early start to day two at the IATA AGM and WATS. The media programme launches with a breakfast Star Alliance briefing so look out for some news from that shortly.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
23:00 - Day one comes to a close
The second CAPA Daily has now been sent to the printers and its time to relax and enjoy a nice glass or wine or two... Australian, of course! We will be back early tomorrow morning with the latest news and insights from Sydney.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
22:00 - Delegates relax at Airbus sponsored welcome reception
You could not move on Level 4 of the Sydney ICC this evening without bumping into another senior aviation executive as day one came to its conclusion at the Airbus sponsored IATA AGM welcome reception.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
21:00 - IATA hosts its strategic partners at Sydney reception
IATA this evening hosted its strategic partners at a special reception at the Sofitel hotel adjacent to the Sydney ICC. The Strategic Partnerships Programme is its platform for aviation solution providers to build as well as strengthen relationships with key industry stakeholders. Through their participation in various IATA work groups, strategic partners are able to gain a unique insight into airlines' priorities and have the opportunity to be recognised for working together with IATA in serving the air transport industry.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
20:30 - CAPA Content Team is still typing away in the IATA AGM media room
The CAPA content team, headed up by chief operating officer Liz Pinczewski, are still working away in the media room to ensure that tomorrow's CAPA Daily is packed with all the key news and insights from today's agenda and exclusive interviews from the sidelines of the event.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
20:00 - NEWS: Aeromexico gets Presidential backing for its new international routes
Aeromexico will announce new short-haul routes before the end of this week its chief revenue officer Anko van der Werff revealed to CAPA on the sidelines of the IATA AGM. When questioned on the operational capabilities of its new Boeing 737MAX fleet he revealed that an announcement is imminent. "There's a few [new routes] coming this week," he said. "There's a big event coming up in the particular country where the President is involved. The President is going to announce a new route from Aeromexico."
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
19:00 - IATA highlights need to recognise strategic national importance of airports
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Deloitte have published guidance materials for governments considering public-private partnerships (PPP) and other forms of privatisation programs for airport infrastructure.
The paper, 'Airport Ownership and Regulation' builds on industry best practice and the results of research into the effectiveness of different ownership and operating models from the perspective of a range of stakeholders. The phenomenal demand for air connectivity is outpacing the capacity of current airport infrastructure and many governments are challenged in finding the effective financing means to enable critical expansion.
"Airports provide critical infrastructure. It is important that governments considering privatisation or PPP take a long-term view and focus on solutions that will maximise the economic and social benefits of connectivity," says Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and CEO.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
18:00 - Aeromexico latest visitor to the CAPA TV booth
Aeromexico's chief revenue officer Anko van der Werff is the latest executive to visit the CAPA TV booth at the IATA AGM. You can find out some of the insights from today's interviews in tomorrow's second edition of the CAPA Daily.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
17:30 - NEWS: IATA and AFRAA to deepen cooperation
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and The African Airline Association (AFRAA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen their cooperation. The MoU was signed today by Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and CEO and AFRAA's secretary general, Abderahmane Berthé on the sidelines of the 74th IATA AGM in Sydney.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
16:30 - NEWS: Fiji Airways to become first Oneworld Connect partner
It's now announced... Fiji Airways is to become part of oneworld and its first connect partner, a new platform for the grouping. The alliance says "talks are progressing with other carriers from around the world".
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
16:00 - EXCLUSIVE: Oneworld to reveal new alliance member
As an industry we have recently speculated about the end of global airline alliances. There haven't been any new members of Oneworld, Star or SkyTeam for a while, but that will end in the next few minutes with Oneworld about to announce a new member of a new 'Connect' category of membership. We will update you as soon as we are allowed to reveal the airline's name.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
15:30 - IATA's Board of Governors meet in Sydney
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
15:00 - NEWS: Bangkok Airways seeks fleet proposals for expected 20 aircraft deal
Bangkok Airways president Capt Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth has told CAPA that the carrier is in the process of formalising its future fleet requirements, to be sent to manufacturers by mid Jun-2018, noting that the carrier is seeking proposals within "one or two months" from Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier. The carrier is looking for around 20 aircraft on firm order, plus options, as it seeks to expand its fleet to 40 aircraft. The carrier is considering a mix of purchases and leases for the order, depending on its financial requirements. It expects it take around "five or six years" for refleeting, based on slot availability from the manufacturers.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
14:30 - Latest news from the IATA AGM
The CAPA content team will be providing CAPA members with live updates from the IATA AGM. If you are a CAPA member please select the IATA AGM Coverage tag.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
14:00 - Registration and the exhibition hall opens to delegates
The event is now formally open with IATA predicting the AGM and WATS will bring together more than a thousand leaders in the sector, including CEOs and senior management from its diverse membership and the entire air transport value chain; as well as media.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
13:30 - Willie Walsh - our day one CAPA Daily cover star
We were delighted to interview IAG CEO Willie Walsh at the recent Airline Leader summit in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Here he reveals the thinking behind the company's acquisition of a small shareholding in LCC Norwegian and subsequent takeover offers. He shares his thoughts on Brexit, the third runway debate at London Heathrow, looks at the year ahead, highlights the value of the Hangar 51 accelerator programme and talks about the performance of Aer Lingus and the airline group's optimistic outlook for 2018 and beyond.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
13:00 - Come and meet the CAPA team at the IATA AGM
It is just an hour until the exhibition hall opens at the IATA AGM at the Sydney International Convention Centre and the CAPA stand is now ready. If you are in Sydney at the event make sure you visit.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
11:00 - Pick up the first day's CAPA Daily publication
CAPA is producing three daily publications at this year's IATA AGM. The first issue is packed with pre-event interviews with Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG; Yuji Hirako, president & CEO of All Nippon Airways (ANA); Sebastian Mikosz, CEO of Kenya Airways; and Martin Gauss, chairman of the board & CEO of airBaltic plus latest industry analysis and news briefs.
Sunday 03-Jun-2018
10:00 - The calm before the storm
It's a bright morning in Sydney, but just like the aviation industry is this just the calm before the storm? In a presentation in Sydney just a couple of days ago Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and CEO, warned that the industry can expect some tougher times ahead and revealed that IATA has revised its profitability outlook for the industry downwards from the USD38 billion figure it had previously suggested.
Speaking at the Australasian Aviation Press Club in Sydney, he said: "In December last year we predicted a record industry profit of over USD38 billion for 2018. At that time we were expecting an oil price of $60/barrel for Brent crude. Now it is approaching $80.In the past, such a rapid rise in a key input cost might have plunged the industry back into losses. As a result of the efforts of the industry to restructure and re-engineer their businesses, we are still expecting solid profits this year. But probably not at the levels we were anticipating in December."
Not quite a huge storm over Sydney Harbour as illustrated, below, but certainly a warning for the industry. We should find out in the next day or two just how far downwards IATA has revised the forecast.
Saturday 02-Jun-2018
22:00 - VIVID lights up Sydney for aviation leaders
The IATA AGM coincides with #vividsydney which is running for 23 nights from Friday 25-May-2018 until Saturday 16-Jun-2018. A festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Light transforms Sydney into a wonderland of 'light art' sculptures, innovative light installations and grand-scale projections for all to enjoy - for free. It is a magical celebration of light-design excellence and the world's largest outdoor 'art-gallery' which together delivers a unique Sydney experience for visitors as lighting artists, designers and manufacturers from around Australia and the world to illuminate, interpret and transform Sydney's urban spaces through their creative vision.
Saturday 02-Jun-2018
20:00 - Things are starting to take shape on the CAPA stand
The exhibition hall does not open until tomorrow morning, but the CAPA team are already on site starting the stand build. Meanwhile, CAPA chief commercial officer, Derek Sadubin, took advantage of the short commute to this year's event earlier this morning by enjoying a sneak peak at the first of three CAPA Daily publications being produced at this year's event from the comfort of his own couch.
Saturday 02-Jun-2018
18:00 - NEWS: Qantas and Air New Zealand reveal codeshare plans
Ahead of the IATA AGM, Air New Zealand and Qantas have announced plans for a reciprocal codeshare agreement that leverages the strengths of each carrier's domestic networks, and will ultimately make travel within Australia and New Zealand a lot easier. Under the codeshare Qantas intends to add its code on up to 30 routes on Air New Zealand's domestic network and Air New Zealand intends to add its code on up to 85 routes on Qantas' domestic network.
Saturday 02-Jun-2018
16:00 - CAPA chairman catches up with Henrik Hololei
Ahead of the IATA AGM European Commission director general for mobility and transport Henrik Hololei made a visit to the CAPA HQ in central Sydney to meet excutive chairman Peter Harbison. He had some nice words to say too.
https://twitter.com/Transport_EU/status/1002467887821606912
Saturday 02-Jun-2018
14:00 - Welcome to Sydney from our host airline Qantas
Saturday 02-Jun-2018
12:00 - G'day from a blustery Sydney
Over the next few days Sydney will be the capital of air transportation as aviation leaders gather for the 74th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit (WATS). The airline industry is in its ninth consecutive year of profitability and solid progress is being made on the top priorities of safety, security and sustainability. But fuel prices are again on the rise and this is against a backdrop of increasing infrastructure constraints, an area that is being complicated by governments considering an acceleration of private sector involvement in airports. Will the strong winds blowing across Darling Harbour be repeated across the meeting rooms and theatres within the Sydney International Convention Centre hosting the event? Follow this page to find out!