Here’s what to expect at this year’s World Aviation Festival

The aviation industry faced some of the toughest conditions imaginable after the spread of COVID-19, with more than 20 air carriers forced to suspend services entirely.

Yet while progress picked up again slowly at first, the latest reports from 2023 suggest that the effects of the pandemic are now firmly behind us. The IATA estimated that last year the airline industry generated $23bn net profit, with an extremely strong summer also expected this year.

Although these are positive indicators, the industry still has challenges ahead that need to be addressed collectively. Current geopolitical tensions have had an impact on flight paths, with the closure of Russian airspace increasing costs for many carriers. Meanwhile, the industry continues to face pressure to address its impact on climate change with innovative solutions. 

For these reasons the World Aviation Festival represents a highly important moment in the calendar. The three day event offers industry professionals a chance to get ahead of the latest travel trends, share new strategies, and uncover exciting opportunities to improve the customer experience. 

In 2024 the 21st edition of the World Aviation Festival is returning to the Netherlands, where the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre will host over 5,000 global executives and 600 inspiring speakers for this unmissable event. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is a major international hub, with more than 60 million passengers flying from the airport to 330 destinations every year. A strong history of innovation and world-class standards at Schipol have also seen international giants like Boeing, GE Aviation and Gulfstream Aerospace among the international giants that have set up operations nearby. 

Further, the Netherlands boasts a strong tech ecosystem with both research institutions and startups contributing to progress. For example, the Technical University Delft has the largest aerospace engineering facility in Europe, and the Dutch Aerospace Centre houses wind-tunnels to test aircrafts from around the world. 

To support this exciting potential for airline carriers worldwide, Sim Local is proud to be sponsor of the World Aviation Festival in 2024. 

As we prepare for the opening of the world’s largest aviation tech event, here are our picks for some of the must-watch speakers to look out for. 

David Neeleman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Breeze Airways

David Neeleman is a Brazilian-American businessman and one of the world’s most recognized aviation entrepreneurs. He has founded five commercial airlines: Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue Airways, Azul Brazilian Airlines, and Breeze Airways. Along with Humberto Pedrosa and Aigle Azur, he owned 45% of TAP Air Portugal. 

Marjan Rintel, Chief Executive Officer, KLM

KLM is the flag carrier of the Netherlands and the oldest operating airline in the world. President and CEO Marjan Rintel has a highly impressive civil aviation track record. He studied Business Administration at the University of Groningen and after her studies worked in various roles at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Rintel first joined KLM in 1999, holding a number of operational and commercial positions.

Pieter van Oord, President & Chief Executive Officer, Aviation Solutions 

Pieter van Oord first started his professional career with the Royal Van Ommeren Group, and in 1992 was assigned to Chicago as Commercial Manager for the Logistics Division. In 1994 he joined Van Oord ACZ as Managing Director in the UK and in 2001 was appointed Managing Director of the Offshore Division of Van Oord ACZ in The Netherlands. After the merger in 2005 between Van Oord ACZ and Ballast Ham Dredging, he was appointed Managing Director of the Middle East in Dubai. In 2007 he was named to the Board of Van Oord NV in Rotterdam and became CEO from November 2008 until April 2024.

Patrick Roux, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, SkyTeam

An industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, Patrick Roux joined SkyTeam from Air France, where he spent the last 15 years working at the executive level across key roles covering strategic and operational leadership. This included overseeing Air France-KLM‘s strategic partnership activities to maximize the group’s profitability, as well as its commercial offering in different markets through more than 80 Joint Venture or codeshare agreements. Patrick holds a degree in engineering from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Telecommunications in Paris. 

Anko van der Werff, Chief Executive Officer, SAS – Scandinavian Airlines

President and CEO of Scandinavian Airlines since 2021, Anko van de Werff has built a standout career in the aviation industry working with some of the largest airlines in the world. The Dutch lawyer worked at KLM between 2000 to 2010,  Air France–KLM, from 2000 to 2005 in the Netherlands, from 2005 to 2009 in Sweden and from 2009 to 2010 in the United Kingdom as commercial director for UK and Ireland. In 2010, Werff moved on to Qatar Airways and in 2014 to Aeroméxico before moving into his current position at Scandinavian Airlines.

Marty St. George, President, JetBlue

Marty St. George was appointed president of JetBlue in February 2024. He leads JetBlue’s commercial functions along with customer support, enterprise and operational planning, and corporate communications. He also has oversight of its JetBlue Travel Products (JTP) subsidiary, an important growth area for the company. From 2020-2024 St. George served as chief commercial officer at LATAM Airlines Group, Latin America’s largest airline holding company, in Santiago, Chile. Prior to joining LATAM, he operated an airline strategy consulting practice, where he served airline and travel industry clients, including a role as interim Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA.

József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer, Wizz Air

Hungarian businessman József Váradi co-founded Wizz Air, a Budapest-based low cost carrier. Since 2003 he has been Wizz Air’s Chief Executive Officer. He joined Malév Hungarian Airlines, the Hungarian state airline, as Chief Commercial Officer in 2001, before serving as its Chief Executive Officer from 2001 to 2003. Váradi holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and a Master of Laws Degree from the University of London.

Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA

William Matthew Walsh is an Irish airline executive who is currently the Director General of the International Air Transport Association. Prior to joining IATA, Walsh spent his entire career in the airline industry, beginning as a cadet pilot with Aer Lingus in 1979 and rising to the position of Chief Executive at the airline in 2001. In 2005 he was appointed Chief Executive of British Airways (BA). He led BA through the 2008/09 global financial crisis, established a transatlantic joint business venture with Iberia, Finnair and American Airlines, and oversaw the 2011 merger of BA and Iberia under a newly established parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG). He was Chief Executive of IAG from its inception until September 2020.

Stefan Cars, CEO, Snowfall

Stefan Cars is the Founder and CEO of Snowfall. With a highly creative mind and exceptional business development skills, Stefan has been part of developing revolutionary solutions for the travel industry such as the principles for new distributions, AI-based customer support and ticketless travel. Stefan founded Snowfall in 2003 to revolutionize the technology within the travel sector and has worked with some of the leading airline and train operators in the global market. 

Charu Jain, SVP Merchandising and Innovation, Alaska Airlines  

Charu Jain is a change and transformation leader having successfully led large-scale transformations including multiple M&A efforts and delivered integrated, scalable technology solutions that enable fast-growth expansion, dramatic business efficiencies, and lasting improvements in market competitiveness, service delivery and customer satisfaction. As the senior vice president of merchandising and innovation, Charu Jain serves as a change leader driving strategy and execution for both employee and guest-facing innovation along with taking Alaska Air Group to the next level. Charu joined Alaska Airlines in 2017 as Vice President Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer, where she led the technology integration of Virgin America.

Jude Bricker, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sun Country Airlines

Jude Bricker has served as Sun Country Airlines Chief Executive Officer since July 2017 and as a member of the Board of Directors since April 2018, building on 20 years of experience in the aviation industry. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Allegiant Travel Company from January 2016 to June 2017, as well as various other leadership roles from 2006 to 2016. As Chief Operating Officer of Allegiant Travel Company, he was the senior executive responsible for marketing, network, operations, treasury, fleet, scheduling, pricing, ancillary products, digital, distribution, charters, loyalty, and investor relations.