The conference features several high-profile speakers from organisations including the European Commission’s DG CLIMA, Airports Council International (ACI) and the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) as well as a meeting of ERA’s Board and airline and airport CEOs.
This year, the ERA Regional Airline Conference has a special focus on aviation security. David Ryder, Head of Aviation Security at ACI EUROPE and one of the presenters at the conference, says that the industry must stay one step ahead: “Instead of always reacting to the last known threat, airports, with manufacturers and regulators, are looking to introduce future-proof technology and processes that counter current known threats and, as yet, unknown threats.”
The environment is also high on the agenda following ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), and several conference speakers will be exploring the work the aviation industry is doing to reduce its environmental impact. Conference presenter Michael Gill of ATAG calls the ICAO agreement “historic” but says that we “need to ensure that CORSIA becomes the single, global market-based measure that addresses aviation’s CO2 emissions”.
The conference will continue tomorrow with an interview with two industry pioneers, Jesper Rungholm of Danish Air Transport and Ian Woodley of bmi regional chaired by ERA Director General Simon McNamara. In the final conference session, inspirational speaker Caspar Berry, a former professional poker player, will challenge the way we think about risk and explains how fear of failure can be used to your advantage – which is particularly relevant in a risk-averse business such as aviation.