CAPA TV

Athens International Airport is hosted the CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition on May 8-9, 2025. From its breath-taking landmarks like the Acropolis to its vibrant culture and world-renowned cuisine, Athens provided the perfect backdrop for aviation leaders to gather, discuss critical industry shifts, and unlock new opportunities for the future.

The world of aviation changes rapidly, and the fastest moving segment is the world of start-up airlines. This expert panel will examine the ins and outs of what goes into launching a new airline. Join CAPA as we delve into a discussion on the hows and whys of getting a blank sheet airline off the ground in the world of 2025.

Pieter Elbers is a seasoned airline business leader with over 30 years of aviation experience. As CEO of IndiGo since September 2022, Pieter is building the next stage of the incredible IndiGo journey, further fulfilling its purpose of Giving wings to the nation, by connecting people and aspirations and executing the strategy of bringing IndiGo 'Towards new heights and Across new frontiers'.

Join CAPA - Centre for Aviation, the world's most trusted source for aviation intelligence, for a comprehensive snapshot of the state of commercial aviation across Europe. Featuring exclusive insights generated from CAPA's extensive data and aviation knowledge tools, this session will not only examine key performance metrics for aviation, but will examine implications for major trends in regional aviation that are shaping the industry's outlook.

Mr. Dimitris Gerogiannis was born in 1961 in Edessa, Greece. He joined AEGEAN in 1999 and has served as general manager of AEGEAN since 2001 and CEO since 2007. Before joining AEGEAN, Mr. Gerogiannis worked in the US, Germany, and Greece. From 1989 to 1997, he held various engineering positions at Daimler Benz AG, Germany. From 1997 to 1999, he served as manager for procurement and contracts at Athens International Airport. Mr. Gerogiannis holds a diploma in Electrical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1984) and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Yale University (1989).

Traditional loyalty programs are no longer enough. This session dives deep into the values and expectations of Gen Z, revealing how airlines can create authentic connections that translate into lasting loyalty and increased revenue.

If 2024 was the year of the election, then 2025 is the year of dealing with the fallout. With new governments sweeping into office across the globe, huge changes are occurring in business critical areas like trade and taxation policies and approaches to competition and regulation. Meanwhile, the aviation sector is dealing with its own internal revolutions in technology, attitudes towards travel and sustainability and new approaches around work and recruiting. This panel will look at the complicated topic of change management and how airlines and other travel businesses can stay agile and on top of rapidly evolving markets.

"If you want to join an alliance, you need to think about what you will contribute-rather than what you will take." - Dimitris Gerogiannis, CEO, AEGEAN Airlines.

A seasoned leader with a deep understanding of the European aviation landscape, Dimitris brought clarity and conviction to the stage. His perspective? Strong alliances are built on shared value, not one-sided gain.

Under his leadership, AEGEAN continues to play a pivotal role in connecting regional markets and championing collaborative, future-focused growth.

Luxury travel remains firmly on the rise. Even as economic pressures build, consumers continue to give elevated priority to travel and holiday spending. Premium offerings are expanding throughout the travel process, with travellers seeking out ever greater levels of luxury, personalisation and unique experiences. This panel will examine key trends in luxury travel, looking at how the industry caters to the growing market, changes in the make-up and demands of luxury passengers and what's in store for the sector.

Willie Walsh became the eighth person to lead the International Air Transport Association (IATA) when he took on the role of Director General in April 2021. Prior to joining IATA, Walsh spent his entire career in the airline industry. beginning as a cadet pilot with Aer Lingus in 1979 and rising to the position of Chief Executive at the airline in 2001. In 2005 he was appointed Chief Executive of British Airways (BA). He led BA through the 2008/09 global financial crisis, established a transatlantic joint business venture with Iberia, Finnair and American Airlines, and oversaw the 2011 merger of BA and Iberia under a newly established parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG). He was Chief Executive of IAG from its inception until September 2020. Under Walsh's leadership, IATA has focused on supporting the industry's emergence from the COVID-19 crisis as well as aviation's ambitious and historic commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Walsh has also advocated for infrastructure partners to avoid recouping their COVID losses from their customers including airlines and air travelers.