‘Problems, yes, but progress too’ – the message from Malta

Regional Airline Conference, Malta, 9-10 April 2008

Delegates at the sixth ERA Regional Airline Conference, held in the magical island nation of Malta, agreed that genuine problems will face the European regional aviation industry in the year ahead but also agreed that with hard work and cooperation real progress can be made.

The two-day conference addressed many of the issues, whether strategic, commercial or regulatory, currently affecting intra-European aviation.

The meeting began with ERA president Antonis Simigdalas calling for a ‘just culture’ with regard to the criminalisation of aviation accidents, after which Air Malta chief executive officer Joe Cappello welcomed delegates to the beautiful island.

The first full session of the meeting then alerted delegates to the many exceptional opportunities that still remain for European carriers in terms of route network development. Areas including the Middle East, the Balkan states and the CIS nations were all placed under the microscope. 


In the second session of the meeting, the environmental matters so fundamental to modern aviation were addressed. The financial influence of environmentalism led naturally to a discussion of how confident European aviation can be in the economic future of the industry.

The second day of the event began by studying several major problems facing our industry, problems which might worsen if not addressed in a practical manner. Airport congestion must be eased, de/anti-icing methods and fluids must be as safe as possible and ground accidents must be minimised. 

In the final session of the event, technology proved to be a focus, whether being used to simplify passenger flow or to meet regulatory requirements for passenger data. Delegates also heard a detailed analysis of what differences really exist, in financial and service terms, between low-fare carriers and regional airlines.

Overall, the 2008 ERA Regional Airline Conference attracted almost 200 delegates, proving yet again to be one of the year’s most important gatherings of senior decision-makers and strategists in intra-European air transport. 


Sponsorship

Thank you to the following sponsors of RAC08: 

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