Routes Americas Strategy Forum Programme Launched

Taking place on Sunday 10th February 2013 and open to all attending delegates, The Routes Americas Strategy Forum will open Routes Americas in Cartagena, which is being held in association with ALTA. The Strategy Forum will provide a valuable insight into aviation across the region as panels of leading industry experts take part in a number of moderator led discussions addressing key air service development issues effecting commercial aviation across the entire Americas.

The specially developed content and interactive format ensures that the Forum is a popular element of the event with many high level speakers and panellists having already confirmed their attendance including: Enrique Beltranena, CEO of Volaris, Nicolas Rhoads, SVP Commercial Planning for Aeroméxico, Dr Fariba E Alamdari, Vice President Marketing and Value Analysis for Boeing, Alex de Gunten, Executive Director, ALTA, Nicolas Ferri, VP Latin America & Caribbean for Delta Air Lines and Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Chairperson, Caribbean Tourism Organisation. A complete and up to date list of speakers can be found online, here.

The Forum will involve 4 moderator led sessions covering various aviation related subjects and The HUB can now reveal what these sessions will cover.

Session one, entitled Let Battle Commence - Consolidation, Mergers and Alliances – who will be the victors? will discuss the outlook for the future and the benefits of scale as the airline industry across the Americas is changing shape due to some major mergers taking place. This session will also take a look at whether different alliance models are taking shape and which Alliances are winning and losing in the region?

The second session, New Generation Aircraft.... How will they change today's route patterns? will ask whether these aircraft open new markets for the Americas and whether they will help to revitalise the North American Market whilst also looking at the prospects in Caribbean and Latin America. Will reduced costs transfer straight to the bottom line of airlines? Will they strengthen or unravel hub development?

Session three, Convergence in the industry - Low Cost vs Legacy Carriers? Addresses the fact that all airlines are having to lower costs, and asks how do carriers differentiate themselves? Which hybrid models are successful? The panel will also take a look at which international markets are attracting low cost carrier attention, how important consolidation or carriers working with other carriers in the LCC market segment is. What will the market look like in 5 years time?

The fourth and final session entitled, Is Regulation Strangling Our Industry? will question whether governments understand the true value of aviation and what regulation is required. How do airports and airlines encourage the liberalization of bilateral agreements? What are the implications of Visa restrictions and what is the implication of overseas taxation on the tourism industry in the Americas?

Click here and keep reading The HUB for more information and updates on the Routes Americas Strategy Forum.

A preview of Routes Americas 2013, Cartagena de Indias, Columbia. 10 - 12 February 2013.
Richard Maslen

Richard Maslen has travelled across the globe to report on developments in the aviation sector as airlines and airports have continued to evolve and…