MAGAZINE ARTICLES / PERSPECTIVE
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2018
2018
Crowdification, Commoditization, Monopolization, Obsoletion, Socialization
Airbus started the year 2018 on a positive note with a significant order from Emirates Airline for 36 A380 airplanes. The direct implication of that deal is the fact that the production of the A380 will continue, at least, for another decade or so. Just a few months early in 2017 however, one could have considered "theend" as the buzzword when thinking of the A380.
The Emirates order has shifted that buzzword to "aliveagain". That fortunate turn of event was so radical that it seems that all of us could hear the collective sigh of relief straight from the Airbus Headquarters. Speaking of buzzwords, let me digress a little into a more popular discussion of technological ones. We have literally moved our minds from our brains to the devices that we cradle constantly in our hands. While technology has created a democratization of knowledge, views, and opinions with a world that is constantly sharing, browsing and commenting, it has also created an obsession and an addiction like no other humans have known. Companies have followed the same path as individuals with this addiction and obsession with technology.
The airline industry and passengers are not far behind. They have experienced first-hand the power of technology. It has allowed for leveraging innovation, improving efficiency and effectiveness, and reshaping the way we travel, explore and interact. But technology and more recently social media have also served to expose the fragility of the industry. Many incidents have challenged countries, companies, and people around the world, regardless of whether they were natural, man-made or technological.
While technology as a whole has been good for the industry, it has, in my view, negatively impacted our travel experience. We now no longer look at places, people and sights with our own eyes, but are constantly glued to our devices – taking thousands of pictures of our "experiences" and then searching for data networks to broadcast them to the world. FOMO, an acronym for "fear of missing out", is a buzzword that we all tend to whisper to each other, while digital-detox is but a pipe-dream.
With that digression, let's go back to the main point of this article: buzzwords. We love them and some popular ones in 2017 were Influencer, Paradigm Shift, Customer-centric, Engagement, Silos, Innovative and Bitcoin.
Likewise, Traveler Centricity, Big Data, Bleisure, Profit, Unbundled, Millennials, Long Haul Low Cost, Digital Detox, Spatisserie, Jetiquette, Sustainable Travel made their way into the jargon of the aviation industry in 2017. Now, we can argue that commercial air transport has been democratized, a sentiment that Air Asia has nicely captured into an old tagline: "Now everyone can fly".
A few decades ago, air travel was a perk and a privilege, which was limited to the global elite, the one percent that made up the jet-set. But as noble as this tagline is, up in the air the airline class divide is growing.
One may well say: David, you are wrong! Absolutely wrong! After all, the 4.1 billion passengers that took to the skies in 2017 is proof of what democracy in airline terms looks like. Whether North, South, East, West, developed countries, developing countries, the rich ones, the not so rich ones, the poor ones, the remote off the beaten track destinations, the so exotic ones, all across the world, showed that aviation is a great leveler as well as an economic driver. According to Statista, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global economy from 2006 to 2016 was around US$73.42 trillion.
While growth and progress in the aviation industry are heartwarming, the sector still faces challenges that need to be addressed and quickly.
That being said, the following is my take on five new buzzwords and some of the challenges that they could bring along.
Editors' note: this article is an introduction to a series of contributions. David Studden will discuss each specific buzzword in a subsequent article.
Crowdification, Commoditization, Monopolization, Obsoletion, Socialization
Airbus started the year 2018 on a positive note with a significant order from Emirates Airline for 36 A380 airplanes. The direct implication of that deal is the fact that the production of the A380 will continue, at least, for another decade or so. Just a few months early in 2017 however, one could have considered "theend" as the buzzword when thinking of the A380.
The Emirates order has shifted that buzzword to "aliveagain". That fortunate turn of event was so radical that it seems that all of us could hear the collective sigh of relief straight from the Airbus Headquarters. Speaking of buzzwords, let me digress a little into a more popular discussion of technological ones. We have literally moved our minds from our brains to the devices that we cradle constantly in our hands. While technology has created a democratization of knowledge, views, and opinions with a world that is constantly sharing, browsing and commenting, it has also created an obsession and an addiction like no other humans have known. Companies have followed the same path as individuals with this addiction and obsession with technology.
The airline industry and passengers are not far behind. They have experienced first-hand the power of technology. It has allowed for leveraging innovation, improving efficiency and effectiveness, and reshaping the way we travel, explore and interact. But technology and more recently social media have also served to expose the fragility of the industry. Many incidents have challenged countries, companies, and people around the world, regardless of whether they were natural, man-made or technological.
While technology as a whole has been good for the industry, it has, in my view, negatively impacted our travel experience. We now no longer look at places, people and sights with our own eyes, but are constantly glued to our devices – taking thousands of pictures of our "experiences" and then searching for data networks to broadcast them to the world. FOMO, an acronym for "fear of missing out", is a buzzword that we all tend to whisper to each other, while digital-detox is but a pipe-dream.
With that digression, let's go back to the main point of this article: buzzwords. We love them and some popular ones in 2017 were Influencer, Paradigm Shift, Customer-centric, Engagement, Silos, Innovative and Bitcoin.
Likewise, Traveler Centricity, Big Data, Bleisure, Profit, Unbundled, Millennials, Long Haul Low Cost, Digital Detox, Spatisserie, Jetiquette, Sustainable Travel made their way into the jargon of the aviation industry in 2017. Now, we can argue that commercial air transport has been democratized, a sentiment that Air Asia has nicely captured into an old tagline: "Now everyone can fly".
A few decades ago, air travel was a perk and a privilege, which was limited to the global elite, the one percent that made up the jet-set. But as noble as this tagline is, up in the air the airline class divide is growing.
One may well say: David, you are wrong! Absolutely wrong! After all, the 4.1 billion passengers that took to the skies in 2017 is proof of what democracy in airline terms looks like. Whether North, South, East, West, developed countries, developing countries, the rich ones, the not so rich ones, the poor ones, the remote off the beaten track destinations, the so exotic ones, all across the world, showed that aviation is a great leveler as well as an economic driver. According to Statista, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global economy from 2006 to 2016 was around US$73.42 trillion.
While growth and progress in the aviation industry are heartwarming, the sector still faces challenges that need to be addressed and quickly.
That being said, the following is my take on five new buzzwords and some of the challenges that they could bring along.
Editors' note: this article is an introduction to a series of contributions. David Studden will discuss each specific buzzword in a subsequent article.
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Destined for Aviation Leaders and Influencers, Airline Profits is the first aviation magazine devoted to improving airline effectiveness and profitability.
ISSN 2368-7800 (Print)
ISSN 2368-7819 (Online)
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ABOUT KOFI SONOKPON
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Managing Editor of Airline Profits, the first aviation magazine devoted to airline effectiveness and profitability, Kofi Sonokpon has nearly 25 years of experience in aviation. Kofi holds an IATA sponsored Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Air Transport Management from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal. An aviation expert and thought-leader, Kofi Sonokpon is also a speaker, trainer and the author of an innovative book series intended for the 21st century airline, namely Airlines for Business and Airlines for Technology. An accredited media delegate to the 39th Triennial Assembly of ICAO, Kofi Sonokpon is the host of Airline Profits Executive Interviews where he discusses various issues and solutions with aviation industry leaders and experts.
Managing Editor of Airline Profits, the first aviation magazine devoted to airline effectiveness and profitability, Kofi Sonokpon has nearly 25 years of experience in aviation. Kofi holds an IATA sponsored Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Air Transport Management from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal. An aviation expert and thought-leader, Kofi Sonokpon is also a speaker, trainer and the author of an innovative book series intended for the 21st century airline, namely Airlines for Business and Airlines for Technology. An accredited media delegate to the 39th Triennial Assembly of ICAO, Kofi Sonokpon is the host of Airline Profits Executive Interviews where he discusses various issues and solutions with aviation industry leaders and experts.
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