APAC air passenger demand drops slightly, global demand grows
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for July 2026 global passenger demand:
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was up 0.2% compared to July 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.2%. Total capacity, measured in available seat [...]
Paul Scurrah on timing and building the world’s happiest airline
When it comes to timing, Paul Scurrah, CEO of Fiji Airways, hasn’t quite got it right. In fact, he started his coffee chat in WiT Queenstown with an apology.
“I feel like I should apologise,” Paul Scurrah said. “I was appointed CEO in Australia in March 2019, and less than a year later CO [...]
Asia Pacific had the world’s busiest airport pairs in 2025, says IATA
IATA releases 2025 World Air Transport Statistics
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the latest edition of the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), providing comprehensive statistical data through to 2025.
Updated annually, WATS provides data related to demand, s [...]
APAC air passenger demand up, amidst overall decline due to fuel prices
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for June 2026 global passenger demand:
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was down 1.7% compared to June 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand declined by 0.6%. Total capacity, measured in available [...]
How Nikhil Ravishankar is navigating Air New Zealand’s perfect storm
Air New Zealand’s CEO, Nikhil Ravishankar, knows he’s in the hot seat. And Roger Sharp, chairman of Technology Queenstown, called it plainly when beginning their coffee chat that opened WiT Queenstown.
“You’ve taken over New Zealand’s perfect storm,” Sharp said. “Engine issues, high [...]
Low-cost, high stakes: How Air India Express and Transavia are navigating change
Air India Express and Transavia offer contrasting but complementary lessons on growth, digital transformation and the enduring power of brand in a price-driven world.
What does a budget airline in the Netherlands have in common with a low-cost carrier reshaping mobility across India? More than you [...]
Trust, data and the sovereign traveller: Lufthansa and Trip.com on co-creating value
If there was one message that came through at the Trip.com Airline Global Conference in Amsterdam, it was that the willingness is there to “co-create value with intelligence, trust and partnership” but numerous obstacles stand in the way.
The closing panel featuring CT Ooi, CEO of Flights, Tr [...]
Is DerbySoft building the intelligence layer that flight distribution has been missing?
Jason Sui wants to move airlines beyond basic connectivity and he's already got the early proof points to back it up
Jason Sui, Divisional CEO of Flight Services at DerbySoft, has spent years in the trenches of flight distribution, first building PKFARE, a leading global travel wholesaler, and now [...]
Tony Fernandes: The art of never saying no, and never wasting a crisis
Nine years is a long time in aviation. The last time I interviewed Tony Fernandes on a stage in Amsterdam, he had just been named Airline CEO of the Year.
He recounted that moment in 2017 to the audience attending the Trip.com Airline Global Conference in Amsterdam last week. Akbar Al Baker of Qa [...]
Digital identity moves upstream as Trip.com and IATA test travel’s next friction point
For years, the industry has talked about seamless travel. The traveller’s experience still often begins with the same familiar routine: entering passport details, checking them again, repeating information across different touchpoints, and hoping every system along the way agrees.
[...]
