Autumn in Amsterdam will be even more exciting this year as the city plays host to the 2024 World Aviation Festival from October 8-10, 2024.
Taking place at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, this year will mark the 21st edition of the World Aviation Festival. The event has come a long way from where it started in 2003 as the ‘Low-Cost Airlines Congress’.
Decades later, it is now considered one of commercial aviation’s much-awaited annual conferences and trade shows where industry professionals can connect, learn, and create opportunities.
This year, technology will be one of the focal points of the World Aviation Festival, a topic that played a factor in the festival’s return to Amsterdam to hold the three-day event. The city last hosted the festival in 2022.
Amsterdam’s robust digital infrastructure has shaped the city into a thriving technology hub. On a global scale, it is recognized as one of the most “AI-ready” cities. In aviation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes a vital contribution to autopilot systems, predictive maintenance, route optimization, air traffic management, and much more.
Daniel Boyle, GM of Transport at Terrapinn, a global events company organizing World Aviation Festival told AeroTime: “We chose Amsterdam because it is a city that is unique and has diverse approaches to mobility, and has an impressive digital infrastructure.”
“Amsterdam is also host to two of the world’s most forward thinking airlines and airports, KLM and Schiphol, and we are delighted to be collaborating with both of them as our Official Partners,” Boyle added.
What to expect at World Aviation Festival 2024
This year’s World Aviation Festival has four main topics that will take center stage in its exhibitions and talks: Business models, technology, sustainability, and innovation.
World Aviation Festival 2024 will platform 600 speakers over three days. To help you decide which discussions to join, here are some highlights to look forward to.
Business models
The world of aviation is dynamic. Factors such as global events and regulatory changes make it necessary for airline and airport business models to evolve and change.
David Neeleman, CEO of Breeze and Founder of JetBlue, is one of the show’s confirmed speakers, and will offer up his thoughts on the current state of play in the industry.
After his 1-2-1 keynote interview, Neeleman will sit down with Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Willie Walsh, Director General of International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO of Star Alliance, to discuss big picture issues such as geopolitics, generative AI, supply chain and future trends.
Neeleman will make two appearances at World Aviation Festival 2024:
Day 2– Keynote Interview: Understanding more about the future of international expansion at Breeze
Day 2– Keynote CEO Panel: Mitigating geopolitics, adopting Gen AI, building more efficiency and managing supply chain issues
Secure your spot now at World Aviation Festival 2024
Technology
Held in a city that’s known to be one of Europe’s biggest tech hubs, technology makes an appearance throughout this year’s agenda of World Aviation Festival 2024.
The event will focus on how technology can improve every aspect of the aviation ecosystem and will cover everything from digital twins, AI and Machine Learning (ML) advancements, FinTech, retailing, airport technology and cyber security.
Keynote speakers for aviation technology include Charu Jain, SVP Merchandising and Innovation at Alaska Airlines, who will give a keynote presentation on how to transform the guest experience through AI and emerging technologies.
Other tech speakers include Thomas Rückert, SVP & CIO of Lufthansa Group, and other CIOs from KLM and TUI.
Technology discussions that may be of interest during the festival:
Beyond efficiency: How are we embracing AI, automation, and collaboration to create an efficient ground operations ecosystem?
Panel: How will advancements in AI technology impact the technical aspects of cyber security within the aviation industry?
Register now for World Aviation Festival 2024
Sustainability
During the 2023 World Aviation Festival, sustainability was mentioned in almost all agendas, even in sessions on retail, loyalty, and customer experience.
This year, sustainability will play an even bigger role with the addition of the Digital Sustainability Summit, a dedicated sustainability agenda that will run over the course of the three-day festival.
Key experts will discuss how to solve some of the biggest aviation sustainability issues of today, such as how to decarbonize a carbon heavy industry, and much more.
Speakers from United Airlines, Delta, Finnair, IAG and SkyTeam will come together and explore industry challenges, global perspectives, decarbonization strategies and digital sustainability solutions.
Other confirmed speakers on aviation sustainability include: Isabelle Droll, CIO Airline, Hotels & Resorts, Corporate and Sustainability at TUI, Ann-Sofie Hörlin, Head of Sustainability, SAS Group, and Eveliina Huurre, Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Finnair.
Other sustainability discussions during the show include:
Fireside chat: How much can we rely on new technology to forward our sustainability goals?
Keynote Interview: Balancing the integration of sustainability initiatives with overarching airport business goals and human-centric experiences
Secure your spot now at World Aviation Festival 2024
Innovation
Innovation is driven by an exchange of ideas, something the World Aviation Festival is known to facilitate.
According to Boyle, this year’s event will break down the hype cycles with the show’s “largest ever innovation-focused agenda”.
Innovation is not confined to the stages this year, as the World Aviation Festival will also feature more than 100 startup companies in its exhibition area, the largest showcase of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of its kind in the aviation industry.
The show will feature a dedicated Start Up Village in support of the development of innovation and SMEs in the aviation industry. There will also be a pitching zone on location for opportunity discussions.
“This year’s show will feature some of the industry’s leading accelerators, incubators and Venture Capitals (VCs). We will uncover where to invest next, separate hype from reality and host the best start-up pitch competition the industry has to offer,” Boyle told AeroTime.
Companies leading the discussions on innovation include IAGs Hangar 51, Lufthansa’s Innovation Hub, Alaska Airlines Up Labs, and Aerospace Xelerated.
Some sessions on innovation include:
Keynote Panel: How will harnessing digital transformation and innovation allow airports to achieve peak operational efficiency?
Panel: How is the aviation industry leveraging innovative technologies to enhance operational resilience and manage disruptions?
What’s new at the World Aviation Festival 2024?
With a total of nine workshops and 22 round tables, this year’s World Aviation Festival will provide more opportunities for engagement and networking on key topics relevant to you.
Workshops will be hosted by a wide variety of companies including KLM, SkyTeam, Pros, Retail in Motion, IBS Software, Liveperson, Mastercard and Acxiom/Sitecore.
The World Aviation Festival is also introducing the Digital Accessibility Summit this year.
“The industry is yet to earn the trust of disabled passengers so we are facing this issue head on this year,” Boyle told AeroTime.
Opening the summit is Michael Swiatek, Chief Strategy Officer of Abra Group, which owns Avianca, GOL Airlines, and recently invested in WAMOS. Sqiatek has had a long career in senior roles at some of the largest airlines in the world, including Chief Planning Officer at IndiGo Airlines, Chief Planning Officer at Qatar Airways, and Director of Strategic Planning at Air New Zealand.
Swiatek has held high-level positions and continues to make significant breakthroughs in the aviation industry all while being legally blind. Swiatek will commence the summit with an inspirational keynote: Accessibility in aviation – What should change look like?
Due to demand, World Aviation Festival 2024 will expand its discussions on Irregular Operations (IROPS).
“It’s such a huge challenge that the industry is facing and we are nowhere near where we need to be compared to pre-pandemic,” Boyle said.
Some sessions on IROPS include:
Presentation: Anticipating reactions and building readiness: what strategies ensure passenger needs are met during IROPS?
Panel: How can the aviation industry mitigate disruption and build resilience to effectively navigate irregular operations?
Register now for World Aviation Festival 2024 in Amsterdam
World Aviation Festival is a conference, exhibition, and the largest global aviation tech event. But most of all, it is a venue where ideas, connections, innovation and ideas are celebrated.
It is, after all, a festival where transformative ideas are made while networking with friends, colleagues, and valuable new connections.