Aviation

Global Aviation Growth

Global Investment in Aviation Summit 2020 to brought together top industry leaders and delegates from more than 50 countries

The second edition of the Global Investment in Aviation Summit (GIAS 2020), which took take place on January 27-29 at Madinat Jumeirah, saw the participation of high-profile delegations and 10 ministers representing international civil aviation authorities from more than 50 countries across the world.

The list of countries includes Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Armenia, Austria, Jordan, Kuwait and Algeria, among many other countries.

The aviation industry has seen dramatic growth over the past 20 years, with passenger numbers rising from 1.467 billion in 1998 to 3.979 billion in 2017, according to statistics from the International Civil Aviation Organization.

According to IATA, in 2019, the return on invested capital earned from airlines is expected to be 7.4% (down from 7.9% in 2018). While this still exceeds the average cost of capital (estimated at 7.3%), the buffer is extremely thin. Moreover, the job of spreading financial resilience throughout the industry is only half complete with a major gap in profitability between the performance of airlines in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific and the performance of those in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

The event which is organised by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) under the theme “Enabling global aviation growth through fundraising and key partnerships”, the 2020 edition will feature an array of insightful panel discussions highlighting the industry’s potential and future opportunities as well as challenges that lie ahead.

The sessions brought together a stellar galaxy of top industry speakers, experts and business leaders, to share their expertise and experiences as well as to make the best use of this global platform to examine the current economic situation and opportunities available in the aviation and air transport sector.

The list of official speakers comprises a number of high-profile officials and economic figures, notably H.E Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of General Civil Aviation Authority, H.E Dr. Obaid Saif Hamad Al Zaabi, CEO of the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), and Captain Yahya Al Bloushi, General Manager of Fujairah Aviation Academy.

Speakers included Adel Mardini, CEO of GETEX; Alex Leigh, Airport Investment Specialist at International Finance Corporation at World Bank;

Rajesh Arora, CEO of GMR Airports; Ramesh Cidambi, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Duty Free; Sonja Strand, Vice Presi-

dent of Honeywell; and Fundi Sithebe, Chief Executive Officer of Airports Company South Africa.

Day one of GIAS 2020 saw two ministerial sessions titled “World Leaders: Vision and Strategies for Growth, Sustainability and Better Aviation”. The three-day summit will also include an array of panel discussions, including a session titled “Success Factors for Airport Investments”, and another one titled “Leading the Investment in Aviation, Where are the next challenges?”, and a session titled “Woman Entrepreneurship in Aviation: Global Leaders and their Visions”, among others.

With its unique qualities characterizing its seven emirates, the UAE is an ideal place to showcase the most prominent investment opportunities offered by the aviation and air transport industry. The UAE is one of the leading players in the aviation industry, which apparently evidenced by the overwhelming presence of the international aviation community in the summit.

GIAS 2020 is an inspiring global platform that highlights the UAE’s internationally- recognized standing and economic position as well as a main venue for major economic events. It also introduces investors to business opportunities offered by the sector that meet their growing aspirations for their business growth and expansion.

Robot , Helpin Hand

Taarek Hinedi, Vice President of FedEx Express MEA Operations, on how Robots can help the Logistics Industry unleash a new era of possibilities

Robots today are in almost every aspect of our lives – from performing the most mundane tasks, such as cooking dinner or fulfilling prescriptions, to taking center stage in the most delicate keyhole surgeries or helping to explore the farthest reaches of outer space. Just as robotics have taken a role in our everyday lives, the logistics industry can also benefit from a similar world of possibilities.

The ‘Advanced Robotics in the Factory of the Future’ report by Boston Consulting Group confirms that transportation and logistics, technology, and automotive companies are tapping into the potential of robotics. True to this analysis, in the not-so-distant future, we foresee multiple technologies working together with those already in place to develop a more advanced delivery model within our industry. The day may begin with a customer ordering the pick-up of a shipment through a voice or text assistant on a mobile device, with a driverless vehicle pulling up at the doorway, or a robot coming to the door to collect the package, taking it back to the vehicle or station, and then going on its way.

While this might sound like science fiction, most aspects are already achievable. Virtual assis

tants are already making orders and organization more convenient and flexible for the customer. In order to meet the rapidly changing demands of the digital customer, drones and autonomous delivery devices like Roxo, the FedEx SameDay delivery bot, currently being tested, will also be used in select last mile deliveries. Delivery bots will use artificial intelligence and sensors to safely navigate to their destination and deliver packages door-to-door within our neighborhoods, while drones will transfer critically needed packages, including over-the-counter healthcare and food products to people within minutes.

The logistics industry is steadily realizing the benefits of using robots to support and increase operational and service efficiencies. Increased adoption will drive higher-paying jobs and open positions needed to operate the robots, such as high-tech machine experts, software developers, and control tower or remote operators. This trend clearly highlights the need for organizations to equip their team members with new skillsets where they operate side by side with robots in the workplace environment. The increasing adoption of such technologies and innovations is expected to shape the future job market. Within operations, people and robots can work together in a distribution center, supporting faster order fulfillment, taking over the least attractive and repetitive tasks. Robots can sort packages faster and automatically identify packages that need special handling, reducing human intervention. These advancements allow team members to focus on those tasks that are more engaging and of higher value, thereby increasing productivity and competitiveness.

However, before taking the plunge, implementation readiness must be assessed and objectives for adopting robotics must be clearly defined to better align with the organization’s business goals. Most importantly, the company’s leadership must ensure that the right work culture exists, one that will embrace an environment where people and machines coexist.

This step will encourage adoption rates, making robots more commonplace in the logistics industry. According to McKinsey and Company, by 2030, adoption of automation is expected to be higher in the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait than the projected global average of 32 percent . So, a future with robots in your workplace and making special deliveries is not far away.