Leading figures discuss key topics of the air travel industry – Lufthansa Group board member Stefan Lauer grants insight into the strategies of the global player
The air travel industry will be facing tough challenges in 2009: highly fluctuating oil and kerosene prices, capital markets shaken by crises, over-capacities and forced climate protection. On March 13, 2009, high profile representatives of air carriers and aircraft manufacturers will be discussing the current topics on the international air travel industry during Aviation Day on the occasion of the ITB Berlin Convention.
Starting off the event, Stefan Lauer, board member of Lufthansa Group, will illustrate the position of Lufthansa in the air transportation of the future. He will give answers on what the success of the group is founded upon and will give insight into the strategic positioning plans in international air travel.
The „Fuel and Emission Panel“ will be the hot spot of ITB Aviation Day. It is where experts will discuss topics such as fuel hedging, bio fuel, new propulsion technology and climate protection. A keynote of Ed Sims, Group General Manager of Air New Zealand, will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Matthias Eberle, US correspondent of Handelsblatt. Members of the panel will further include Helmut Fredrich, Vice President, Corporate Fuel Management of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and Kenneth J. McGill, EVP & Executive Managing Director of American economy research institute Global Insight, among others.
Three additional panel discussions are scheduled for the afternoon. High profile individuals will be discussing the topic „Is the capacity crash coming?“. One the one hand, demand is declining due to economic activity and prices, on the other hand, the order books of aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing are filled. The panel will raise the question if the ordered aircraft will in fact be delivered, and if so, how they will be utilized and financed.
Whether the crisis in the capital market is facilitating the consolidation of the airline industry is a matter to be examined by a panel of analysts. Representatives of European banks and financial institutes will be looking into the questions whether air carriers and airports have enough capital available for necessary investments in light of the current market situation and in what direction the crisis-shaken capital markets are steering the development.
The last event of ITB Aviation Days will examine whether low cost models can be successful at long range. Aviation expert Jens Flottau will pose critical questions to important proponents of low cost models.
