A new source of information is being made available to the global aviation industry: on 11 March 2005, as part of the ITB Congress Market – Trends & Innovations, the International Tourism Exchange ITB Berlin is organising its first aviation symposium under the title of the ‘ITB Aviation Day – The Future of Air Transport’.
Leading representatives of airlines, airports and aircraft manufacturers will be using this opportunity to discuss current issues of particular interest to the international aviation sector. These discussions will take place on the opening day of the world’s largest tourism trade fair.
Dr Martin Buck, director Competence Centre Travel & Logistics of Messe Berlin says, “Tourism and aviation are inseparably linked with one another, and both of them are facing some dramatic changes. Airlines, airports and the aircraft manufacturers must all adapt to new business models and respond to new challenges. As the leading fair for the worldwide tourism industry the International Tourism Exchange provides representatives of the aviation sector with an ideal venue for discussions about these issues.”
Germany is without doubt one of the most important European markets for the international aviation industry and, as Buck points out: “In view of the significance of aviation for Germany and the country’s economy, it is vital that we provide a platform for this industry at the ITB, where an annual exchange of ideas and information can take place.”
The symposium is in three sections: ‘Airport’, ‘Aircraft’ and ‘Airlines’. The topics covered under the heading of ‘Airport’ will feature discussions about the future of airports. The representatives of airports in Germany, elsewhere in Europe, and in North America will address the question of how medium-sized and small airports can adapt in the face of the significant expansion that has been predicted for so-called mega-hubs, and what impact the success of the low cost airlines is having on airports all over the world.
The ‘Aircraft’ panel will examine questions involving product strategies and product development. What will the aircraft of the future look like? What sort of cabins will they have, and what sort of engines? The importance of jets designed for extra-long flights and the influence of constantly increasing oil prices on manufacturers and aircraft will be considered.
The ‘Airlines’ panel will focus on the question of how the airlines will distinguish between the individual customer segments in future. What changes will have to be made to the business model of the traditional network airlines to enable them to compete effectively with low cost carriers and what form will future airline alliances take.
Representatives of the aviation industry in the US, Europe and Germany have announced that they will be attending the ‘ITB Aviation Day – The Future of Air Transport’. The opening address will be given by Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association IATA. The individual events will be chaired by well-known aviation journalists from Germany’s daily press and business publications.