CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
Day 1
Max Gosney, Portfolio Director & Conference Chairman, Ground Handling International
Asian aviation is back and in a big way. After the protracted Covid malaise, the region is storming ahead in IATA’s global passenger volumes league table. Asia will account for half of the world’s entire air travel demand by 2040 (four billion passengers). However, there is a flaw in the growth formula called ground handling. A sector that is struggling to attract sufficient numbers of skilled staff today is woefully ill-prepared to up the operational pace come 2040. So what can an industry that is criticised for its glacial speed of change do to step up it’s readiness for a frenetic future? Our panel will give their insight.
Vietnam is one of the top five fastest growing aviation markets in the world with passenger throughput expected to jump from 89 million now to over 200 million by the 2030s. With major overhauls in airport infrastructure on the horizon – what are the opportunities for ground handling in this booming region? GHI invites key operators to share their insight.
Ground handling has a well-documented problem attracting and retaining quality people in the volumes required to sustain projected passenger growth. So, what if there was a miracle cure that enabled operators to attract in reams of prospective employee talent and get them ramp and check-in ready within 30 days? GHI invites a ground handler to detail their supercharged skills development programme.
In the first of three sessions looking at digital opportunities in Asian aviation, we examine the revolution heading for passenger processing at the airport. What technologies will change the way we check-in and transit through departures as gen Z passengers become the pre-eminent travellers? How do ground handlers remain relevant and profitable in the digital age?
Day 2
Max Gosney, Portfolio Director & Conference Chairman, Ground Handling International
SATS started out in ground handling with the dawn of commercial flight at Singapore Kallang Airport in 1947. So, how is a near 80-year-old company ensuring it rises to the challenge of the digital age? This session will reveal how a thirst for game changing new technologies like AR ramp loading glasses and GSE automation is fused with a culture of community and camaraderie among a highly engaged team. How do ground handlers own the innovation agenda and make new projects pay?
Demand for e-GSE now outstrips diesel orders. But while the will to adopt more sustainable fleets is strong among ground handlers, the way is still muddled by lacklustre airport infrastructure. This session will focus on a practical plan over the next 5 years to ensure the aspirations to go electric are not lost amid a lag in supporting charging points. How can new battery technologies help bridge the divide? Are hybrid or hydrogen powered units a more pragmatic short-term solution? And, does the supply chain need a more uniform approach to procuring electric kit to avoid a future where too much GSE competes for too few charging points.
People account for 60% or more of the total overheads of a typical ground handling business. But, how effectively are we managing the output of our most critical asset? This session will invite technology leaders to show how AI/new tech can help busy ground handling leadership teams ramp up the productivity levels of their people. How do we reduce downtime in-between the schedule peaks and reallocate employees to value adding business tasks? And, what cost efficiencies are we overlooking in back of house processes like staff rostering, invoicing and HR?
The renaissance in air passenger traffic across the Asia Pacific region has an unwelcome underside. Ground handling teams are once again facing the reality of increasing OTP pressures and ever more congested apron areas. Factor in the relative inexperience of personnel amid an ongoing skills crisis and the ramp may just be at its highest risk level since 2019. So, what steps are operators taking to enhance safe practice?
Hong Kong International Airport, one of the region’s leading hubs, has reported increased on-time performance, manpower savings and reduced emissions since trialling a GSE pooling scheme in 2018. With more aircraft to pushback, rising cost pressures on GSPs and a shift towards electrification – should others be following suit? The panel will debate whether a consolidation of kit among airport stakeholders and embracing our interdependence could bring wholesale benefits to safety, sustainability and OTP.
GHI invites industry leaders to detail the next generation of airport projects being planned for the Asia region in the 2030 and beyond. How is the role of the ground handler being factored into these blueprints? And beyond the physical infrastructure, what are the foundations of a more effective relationship between airport operator and resident ground handler in a market where capacity is going to be under pressure to keep pace with passenger demand.
Day 3
Max Gosney, Portfolio Director & Conference Chairman, Ground Handling International
A leading low-cost carrier in the region will showcase how it is developing a ground handling strategy geared towards turnaround speed that doesn’t compromise safety. We’ll hear how the airline working with its GSPs in the adoption of technologies that can shave time from deplaning, baggage loading and pushback without adding risk. Are speed and safety mutually exclusive factors when it comes to ground ops?
The panel will invite leading GSE manufacturers to detail the latest advances in autonomous vehicle technology and explore how it might transform the turnaround process for the better. Does automation automatically equate to enhanced safety, equipment utilisation and reduced labour costs? What are the regulatory barriers to boosting autonomous GSE adoption
GHI invites a leading aviation lawyer to deliver case updates on Article 8 and the latest court rulings on liability for ground damage. Our legal expert will also detail the potential hazards of greenwashing amid the growing pressure on aviation stakeholders to champion their low carbon credentials.