IATA will be holding its third annual World Passenger Symposium in Dublin from 29th – 31st October 2013, with participation by more than 400 senior airline, travel industry and travel technology executives. Sessions will focus on ways to improve the air travel experience, from the booking process to service delivery.
Programme highlights include:
- Keynote addresses by Aer Lingus Chief Executive Christoph Mueller and IATA Director General and Chief Executive Tony Tyler
-
- Panel discussions featuring:
o Matthew Baldwin, Aviation Director, European Commission
o Steven Cavanaugh, CCO Aer Lingus
o Michael Cawley, Ryanair COO and Deputy CEO
o Vincent Harrison, Director Strategy, Dublin Airport Authority
o Alexandre de Juniac, CEO, Air France/KLM
o Christoph Mueller, CEO, Aer Lingus
o Marty St. George, Senior VP Marketing, JetBlue Airways
- Gordon Wilson, President and CEO, Travelport
o Nick Vournakis, Senior VP, Global Marketing, Carlson Wagonlit
NDC will also provide the latest news on IATA’s New Distribution Capability initiative to develop a new standard for communications between airlines and travel agents based on XML, the language of the Internet. This will enable the delivery, comparison and sale of all airline products and services across all distribution channels. It may sound dry and technical but it has created quite a splash in the industry, particularly as regards its impact on travel agents and GDS fees. IATA NDC experts will be available for interview.
Attendees will also hear about developments in the Checkpoint of the Future programme to improve checkpoint security while creating a smoother, less-intrusive passenger experience. Component testing for CoF is continuing in 2013, with rollout of the first-generation CoF to two airports scheduled for 2014.
The World Passenger Symposium is an opportunity to hear first-hand the views of experts from all parts of the travel chain on how to bring more value to the passenger experience.
