One of the highlights of this year’s Strategy Summit at Routes Europe will be the keynote address from József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer, Wizz Air. The low-cost carrier is now one of the largest operators across Central and Eastern Europe having been quick to identify the opportunities that existed as the European Union grew to the East – first in 2004 with the accession of the Baltic States, Hungary and Poland etc and more recently in Bulgaria and Romania from their entry in 2007. Its growth is now spreading further East with growth into Azerbaijan and Georgia and new direct links will be launched later this year from four Eastern European capitals to Dubai’s new World Central Al-Maktoum International Airport. The budget carrier is now mulling an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to raise additional funds to invest in its future growth.

The first panel discussion, entitled ETS – The Big Freeze, will bring timely debate on the contentious subject of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) following the April 16, 2013 European Parliament vote rejecting plans to rescue the ailing carbon trading scheme. Members narrowly voted against a so-called ‘backloading’ proposal that would have cut the huge surplus of allowances currently being traded and which has seen the price of carbon plunge to less than €5 per tonne. The session, which will be led by Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President International & Public Affairs, Etihad Airways & Chair – IATA Industry Affairs Committee, includes Christian Holzleitner, EU Commission DG CLIMA/B; John Hanlon, Secretary General, ELFAA; Gábor Szarvas, Head of Environment and Safety Protection, Budapest Airport and former Monarch Airlines Commercial Director Jochen Schnadt will explore the long-term viability of the ETS, what effect the EU freeze will have on traffic from US and China into the EU, how it will help European airline groups and if a conceivable global solution is achievable.

The Future Evolution of the LCC Business Model panel discussion session will explore the emergence of hybrid models, the feasibility of the long haul low cost model and future challenges for LCCs and the panel for this session will include Fernando Estrada, Strategy & Alliance Director for, Vueling and Dirk V. Kokott, Director of Business Development for Germanwings, and François Bouteiller, CEO of Nasair.

Nasair, Saudi Arabia’s fast growing Low Cost Carrier, issued a Request for Proposals on the Route Exchange on Monday 29thApril. With ambitious growth plans in the next 2-5 years the RFP, fronted by François Bouteiller, is targeted at the Middle East market, however with the addition of A321’s to their fleet bringing additional range capabilities, markets in South East Europe and CIS may consider this an opportunity to pitch routes where strong origin and destination demand between their market and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exists.

Also, taking place during the Strategy Summit, The Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism for Cyprus, Mr Yiorgos Lakkotrypis will give a keynote address entitled Cyprus – What happens next? and will give an overview of future plans for the Country. The specially developed hard hitting content and interactive format ensures that the Summit is a popular element of the event, not to be missed!