Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, was amongst the biggest names in aviation that took part in the record-breaking FlightPlan: C-Suite Week online broadcast, highlighting the biggest lessons he has learned from the COVID-19 global pandemic and the airline's renewed focus and commitment to change its passenger experience as a result.
FlightPlan: C-Suite Week, developed by Inmarsat Aviation in collaboration with APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association), aired a series of exclusive "no holds barred" interviews hosted by BBC World News reporter Aaron Heslehurst last week. The event, which touched on the most immediate and pressing issues facing air travel in 2021, attracted a record-breaking audience of 6,500 viewers from 80 countries worldwide so far, with thousands more expected to watch the interviews on demand.
In addition to Scott Kirby, FlightPlan: C-Suite Week consisted of interviews with Akbar Al Baker (Group CEO, Qatar Airways), Tony Fernandes (CEO and Founder, AirAsia Group), Christine Ourmières-Widener (CEO, TAP Air Portugal), and Willie Walsh (Director General, IATA and former CEO of IAG).
Several pertinent topics were debated during the daily "power hour" broadcasts, including leadership lessons from the industry's biggest ever crisis, how airline recovery has been stilted by a lack of global synchronization, and the importance of addressing sustainability challenges. The interviews also explored the ability of digitalization to accelerate profitable growth for airlines and meet evolving passenger needs.
Summarizing the event, Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: "FlightPlan was launched by Inmarsat and APEX during the very onset of the global pandemic, bringing the global aviation industry together for much needed debates, discussions and direction at a time of great uncertainty.
"The response has been phenomenal, with a combined audience of approximately 17,000 for the first three editions, reinforcing its position as the industry's biggest virtual broadcast. FlightPlan: C-Suite Week delivered insight into the difficult decisions faced by leaders over the past 18 months. It also uncovered many impressive future-facing initiatives underway - from sustainability to passenger experience - that will not only secure a strong recovery for airlines, but also ensure a bright future for the industry at large."
US travel in "much better place" than other countries
Discussing the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott Kirby noted that "most in the industry underappreciated the severity and length of the crisis, and as a result didn't plan for it as much as [they] could have done." He believes that the US, however, is now in a "much better place" than the majority of other countries when it comes to a travel rebound, with decreasing social restrictions driving a "psychological turning point" that has led to a huge uplift in demand.
Steering United Airlines through the pandemic has brought the critical importance of customer experience to the fore for Kirby. "Many of us in aviation have a new focus and commitment to change the customer experience, and to use what we went through – the worst crisis in history – as a transformative moment to really make it better for customers," he told Heslehurst during the interview. His ambition is to turn flying into something passengers truly enjoy, "so that their vacation starts the moment they leave the house, instead of once they land at the other side."
Digitization is at the heart of United's plans to transform its passenger experience; Kirby told viewers that its latest developments "are helping us run a more efficient airline and … are also wins for customers." One example is digital bag tracking, dubbed "an Uber for bags on the ground," which allows United to monitor every bag's location at any one time. From Bluetooth and power points to "the best Wi-Fi in the sky," Kirby believes that digital services are essential to fostering a strong relationship between airline and passenger in the current climate.
While a lack of global synchronization was a clear theme emerging from the week's interviews, Kirby shared a more optimistic take on the role of governments in the airline crisis. He noted that United has strengthened its relationship with governments and regulators around the world, because "in most parts the government response was crucial to giving us a bridge to get through."
He believes the pandemic has furthered understanding of the economic impact and humanitarian responsibilities that airlines can have. "At United Airlines, we carried over a billion pounds (almost half a million tonnes) of cargo, medical equipment, oxygen canisters and ventilators, not only into the US but most recently into hotspots like India," he told viewers.
Sustainability was highlighted throughout C-Suite Week as an urgent priority for the airline industry to ensure a right to operate in the future. Kirby shared insight on United's efforts to invest in Boom Supersonic aircraft that run on sustainable fuel. "I'd say the commitment that United made is unique in aviation, and in the corporate world, because when we say 100% green, we have made a commitment that we will get to 100% Net Zero without using carbon offsets," he said.
Inmarsat Aviation is the leading provider of global satellite connectivity to airlines, private jet operators, aircraft leasing companies and passengers across the globe. With 30 years of experience in aviation connectivity, Inmarsat provides vital operations and safety communications for pilots and crew, and reliable, high-speed inflight Wi-Fi for passengers. Its award-winning GX Aviation, European Aviation Network (EAN), Jet ConneX and SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) have become industry benchmarks.
