Business Traveler, December/January 2019
W O R D S A L E X A N D E R F R E E M A N The airline industry has always dealt with disruptive forces and if the past is any indication more are on the way H S E D D I A ALOF T W hen we hear about disruption in aviation we tend to think of lost luggage flight delays or cancellations However disruption can also have a wider meaning for the aviation industry and business in general Disruption displaces established practices and challenges the status quo As Uber did for taxis Airbnb for hospitality and Amazon for retail new business models also subject the aviation industry to disruption The difference is unlike Uber Airbnb and Amazon whose rise came with the evolution of the Internet and digital technology disruption for airlines has been happening for longer and for many reasons The effects for travelers have been both positive and negative But to understand where things are heading its necessary to remind ourselves how we got to where we are today and why airlines often seem unprepared RULES AND REGULATIONS Generally speaking airlines arent fond of change yet if the events of this century are any indication change in aviation is inevitable In its Future of Airline Industry 2035 report the International Air Transport Association W N 52 b u s i n e s s t r a v e l e r u s a c o m D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9
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