Top executives and senior managers from European airlines, airports and other aviation industry stakeholders, will debate a wide range of topics during the two-day event at Munich Airport, which is organised by fvw, aviation consultants Prologis and the Travel Industry Club.

Munich Airport CEO Michael Kerkloh will open the conference with a keynote presentation entitled ‘A new era for airline and airport cooperation?’ Consultants Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus and Gerd Pontius will then explain how European aviation is ‘at the crossroads’.

Representatives from Ryanair, Lufthansa, IAG and LOT will discuss whether the European aviation market is mature enough for self-regulation, and Thomas Cook Airlines CEO Christoph Debus will explain how the British tourism group is preparing for Brexit.

Important topics on the afternoon of Day One include air traffic control and the planned European Single Sky; digitalisation in aviation; and competition and disruption.

On Day Two, IATA president Alexandre de Juniac will present the airline association’s answers to pressing issues, while ACI Europe chief Olivier Jankovec and Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist will discuss whether airports are in a capacity trap.

A clear highlight later that morning will be the panel discussion on whether partnerships will change the aviation market, featuring Peter Baumgartner (Senior Strategic Advisor, Etihad), Thomas Haagensen (Director Global Markets Europe, Easyjet), Martin Gauss (CEO Air Baltic) and Oliver Wagner (CCO Eurowings).

Technology will take to the stage in the afternoon as managers debate in different sessions important topics such as new NDC pricing standard; the future for GDS providers; Google’s strategy for flights and travel; artificial intelligence; and the impact of low-cost carriers on traditional leisure travel markets.