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Opening Remarks
Hear more about why Routes World 2025 is taking place in Hong Kong.
Routes World 2025
Hong Kong
• 24 – 26 September 2025
Conference Programme
The Routes World conference programme will bring together senior leaders from the route development and aviation industries.
Comprising keynote interviews, panel discussions, airline briefings and best practice workshops, the Routes World 2025 conference programme will provide an exclusive platform for aviation leaders from around the globe to outline the latest market insights and provide expert advice that will inform business strategy.
Platinum Conference Sponsors
Airbus always has been at the forefront of innovating new technologies, with a pioneering spirit that has redefined the aerospace industry. Our products bring people closer together, helping them unite and progress. We strive to continually push the boundaries on what is possible to safeguard our world for future generations. View full profile
Expedia Group Media Solutions is dedicated to building innovative media partnerships for travel advertisers enabling them to leverage Expedia Group's network of leading travel brands and global sites. View full profile
Gold Conference Sponsors
With headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil, and offices in the U.S., France, Australia and now China, Embraer is the fourth largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft in the world, employing more than 9,000 people worldwide. Find out more
Noida International Airport (IATA code – DXN) is an upcoming greenfield airport in North India and 2nd airport in the Delhi-NCR region. The airport will enhance connectivity to and from Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh and North India. DXN, a confluence of Swiss efficiency and Indian hospitality, is envisioned to become India’s leading airport in terms of customer-service, outstanding efficiency, digital services and commitment to the minimal environmental impact. Find out more
The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism is primarily responsible for the economic development of the Territory through the promotion of tourism and related activities. Other responsibilities include the formulation, implementation, administration and coordination of programs and policies pertaining to all aspects of tourism. The Department is under the supervision of the Commissioner of Tourism. Find out more
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Canada’s second busiest airport. Located in Birtish Columbia, Canada, YVR is North America's closest West Coast airport to Asia and Europe. A world class sustainable hub airport, we are industry leaders, ranked Best Airport in North America 13 of the last 15 years by Skytrax, the world’s premier international aviation award. Through our commitments to safety, teamwork, accountability, and innovation, we fulfill our strategic priorities, including our commitment to being Net Zero by 2030. Find out more
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
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Welcome introduction from Routes. Hear what you can expect over the course of the event.
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Networking Break
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Powerhouse Panel: State of the Industry
The aviation industry has reached new heights in 2025, with passenger numbers expected to hit 5.2 billion, significantly surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This remarkable recovery demonstrates the industry's resilience and the unwavering global appetite for air travel. While the sector shows strong performance with record-high load factors and improving financial results, it faces a complex landscape of challenges and opportunities.
This panel brings together industry leaders to explore these critical themes and provide insights into navigating the complex aviation landscape of 2025 and beyond. The discussion will focus on strategies for sustainable growth while addressing operational challenges and meeting evolving customer expectations in a dynamic global environment.
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CEO Keynote Interview: Cathay Group
Join Ronald Lam, CEO of the Cathay Group, for an in-depth conversation on how Hong Kong’s home airline is expanding its network, renewing its fleet and redefining the customer experience. From new long-haul destinations in Europe and North America to expanding connectivity across the Chinese mainland and Greater Bay Area, Lam will share insights on route development, cargo resilience and sustainability. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear how Cathay is charting its course toward its 80th anniversary and beyond.
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Lunch Break
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Keynote Address: Airbus Global Market Forecast
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CEO Keynote Interview: TAP Air Portugal
Luís Rodrigues, appointed CEO of TAP Air Portugal in April 2023, is steering Portugal's flag carrier through an impressive transformation period. Under his leadership, the airline has achieved remarkable financial results and expanded its global network, with new routes to Los Angeles and Boston launching in 2025. His strategic focus on operational efficiency and workforce engagement has revitalized the company culture, while the airline's strong commercial performance and network expansion, particularly across the Americas, positions TAP Air Portugal for continued growth.
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Keynote Address: Expedia Traveller Insights
Gianluca Armando, APAC Director, Enterprise Business Development, Expedia Group Advertising
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Spotlight on the Philippines: CEO Insights
Hear directly from the leaders of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific as they share their perspectives on the country’s fast-growing aviation sector. This exclusive session will explore the resilience of the market, the strategies driving recovery and growth, and the future outlook for one of Asia’s most dynamic air travel regions.
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Networking Break
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Fireside Chat: Shaping Airports as Your Next Travel Destinations
Join us for an engaging discussion with top industry figures as they reveal how airports are reinventing themselves, not just as places to catch a flight, but as compelling destinations in their own right. This fireside chat will showcase game-changing solutions to the main challenges airports face today, from meeting the evolving needs of travellers to attracting more connecting passengers.
Hear from our distinguished speakers as they share real-world strategies and fresh perspectives on making airports more competitive and appealing within the regional transit scene. Come and discover the exciting changes airports are making to enhance the passenger experience and set new standards for the future of travel.
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Exhibitor Networking
Thursday, 25 September 2025
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Leadership Insights: Shaping Hong Kong's Aviation Future
Join us for an intimate conversation with Fred Lam, one of Asia's most influential aviation leaders.
In this candid fireside chat, Mr. Lam will share his remarkable journey at Hong Kong International Airport, from navigating recent industry challenges to spearheading the airport's ambitious expansion plans.
Discover the vision and strategy behind HKIA's transformation into a leading global aviation hub, as one of the industry's most charismatic leaders offers unique insights into the future of aviation in the Greater Bay Area.
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Spotlight on Saudi Arabia: leadership insights
As part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to triple passenger traffic and transform the kingdom into a leading global aviation hub. Steven Greenway, CEO of flyadeal, and Majid Khan, CEO of the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, will discuss how this ambition is being realized through airline growth and new routes, while also addressing challenges such as geopolitics, shifting travel demand, and infrastructure pressures.
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Networking Break
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Panel Discussion: How Alliances Are Adapting To A New Era Of Airline Cooperation
As airlines pursue deeper partnerships and joint ventures to drive revenue and market access, alliances must evolve to stay relevant. How are they adapting their value propositions, particularly around commercial alignment, loyalty integration, and digital innovation? Are alliances still the most efficient way to offer global reach — or are they being outpaced by more agile and targeted arrangements?
With recent shifts such as Scandinavian Airlines’ move to SkyTeam and new forms of cross-alliance collaboration emerging, this session will unpack where alliances add unique value—and where they risk being left behind. -
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Lunch Break
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Panel Discussion: Competing Business Models: LCCs vs. FSCs in Today's Aviation Market
As the aviation industry reaches new heights in 2025, this panel discussion will explore the evolving dynamics between low-cost and full-service carriers, with a special focus on how revolutionary aircraft technology is reshaping route networks and operational strategies.
Industry leaders, including senior executives from Airbus and Embraer, will examine how advances in narrowbody aircraft capabilities are blurring traditional market segments and enabling new business opportunities.
The session explores how the latest generation of long-range narrowbody aircraft is transforming route economics and network planning, while analysing how both LCCs and legacy carriers are leveraging these technological advances to pioneer new markets.
Experts will discuss how the enhanced range and efficiency of modern single-aisle aircraft are enabling point-to-point services on previously unviable routes, creating new opportunities for both business models.
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Panel Discussion: Route Development Excellence: Industry Collaboration Best Practices
In this panel session, industry leaders will showcase how airports and locations worldwide are working in partnership and pioneering innovative approaches to route development in 2025. As aviation continues to evolve in a dynamic global marketplace, how can airports and locations work together to drive connectivity, economic growth, and sustainable expansion?
Our distinguished panel will share implementable best practices transforming the sector globally. The discussion will highlight data-driven route development strategies, successful airline and location partnership approaches, sustainability integration in network planning, destination marketing synergies, and evolving risk-sharing models between stakeholders.
Join us for this solution-focused conversation that delivers actionable strategies for sustainable and profitable route development in today's competitive aviation landscape.
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Networking Break
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Fireside Chat: Airport infrastructure as the engine for economic growth
Gone are the days in which airports served merely as functional passenger hubs moving people as quickly as possible onto their destinations. In this exclusive session, hear from Vincent Harrison, Chief Commercial and Development officer, daa, as he shares his views on how modern airport operations and infrastructure are transforming the role of airports into something quite different, and how this is giving them an increasingly vital role to play in accelerating local economic growth.
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In focus: Creating a major sporting event legacy through strategic alignment
Hosting major sporting events like the Summer Olympics or FIFA World Cup brings well-known benefits - boosted tourism, job creation, infrastructure investment and long-term economic growth. But delivering on that promise takes more than just a winning bid. How do airports, airlines, and destinations coordinate to scale operations, strengthen connectivity and help unlock the full economic and social benefits of these events once secured?
In this session, hear directly from leaders who have supported past global events - as well as from future hosts - on how they are preparing to welcome a surge in international visitors while maximizing lasting value for their region.
Friday, 26 September 2025
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Transforming Tourism Through Experience: The Hong Kong Disneyland Journey
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Panel Discussion: Smoothing Seasonality Effects - Strategies to Boost Off-Peak Visitation and Shoulder Season Growth
Seasonality remains a major challenge for the travel and aviation sectors, with fluctuations in demand creating pressure during off-peak and shoulder seasons. This panel will explore the best strategies for smoothing seasonality effects, focusing on innovative ways to attract travellers during quieter periods.
Airlines and tourism authorities will share successful examples of winter campaigns that have effectively driven demand, while highlighting the importance of partnerships with the events sector to create year-round appeal. Key topics will include targeted marketing efforts, leveraging special events to boost visitation, and how airlines and destinations can collaborate to maintain consistent growth throughout the year.
Join top industry experts as they discuss the future of seasonality management and the creative solutions that can drive passenger numbers during the shoulder seasons.
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Networking Break
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Exclusive updates direct from key airline decision makers and network planners.
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Exclusive updates direct from key airline decision makers and network planners.
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Airline Briefing: Air Canada
Alexandre Lefèvre, Vice President – Scheduling & Network Planning North America, Air Canada
Exclusive updates direct from key airline decision makers and network planners.
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End of conference closing comments
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Access Exclusive Industry Insight All Year-Round
Supercharge your route development and outreach strategies with privileged industry information, allowing you to step into Routes events with confidence and save time when identifying new business opportunities.
* Please note like all events, the programme is subject to change.
Speakers
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Ronald Lam
CEO, Cathay Group -
Vincent Harrison
Chief Commercial and Development Officer, Dublin Airport Authority -
Claudia Longo
Head of Marketing & Strategy and Program Coordinator, Milano & Partners -
Edward Russell
Aviation and Transport Journalist -
Camillo Bozzolo
Head of Commercial Aviation Development, SAVE Group – Venice Airport System -
Ignacio Pedro Bosch
Vice President - Commercial Strategy Network and Partnership, Oman Air