SOME FINANCIALS

As if the volcanic ash conference was not enough for one day, I then went upstairs at the Society for an excellent presentation by Chris Tarry of the consultancy CTAIRA; one of the RAeS’s programme of evening briefings for their Corporate Partners. The title was a bit obscure but the content was a fascinating insight into the financial drivers of our industry and what we can expect in the coming years. It isn’t rosy... However, it isn’t all bleak either and there seems little doubt that some business sectors and some world regions are well placed to drive the industry in the next 10 – 20 years. There were some interesting comparisons between the largely international and long haul future for the Arabian Gulf’s big three, and the massive domestic market in China, fed by the country’s immense size and enormous population. It was also clear that while LCCs had enjoyed spectacular growth, mostly at the cost of legacy carriers, they were fast running out of room to expand and many were looking at modifying their business models to attract new markets. I can’t attempt to repeat Chris’s presentation here but if you get the chance to hear his wisdom I recommend you take it. Thank you for the wine and canapés at the reception afterwards by the way, whoever it was that provided them; made the train journey home more pleasant.