Source: ERA

  • Hundreds of delegates attended the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) annual Regional Airline Conference last week in the beautiful city of Nice
  • Featuring an all-female cast of expert speakers and presenters, this high-profile event showcased the competence and knowledge of women across the aviation industry

Delivering a unique blend of business networking opportunities and stimulating conference sessions, ERA’s unique Regional Airline Conference was back this year, bigger and better than ever before.  Over the course of the two days, more than 275 top aviation executives attended the event held on the French Riviera, including 35 European airlines, as well as airports, manufacturers, suppliers and air service providers.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic and a gradual return to normal, ERA’s 2023 spring event shows the strong desire for aviation stakeholders to meet face to face, reconnect with industry colleagues and form new business connections. Equally, the conference provided an ideal occasion to hear from industry experts and influential figures from across the European air transport industry, with conference sessions this year focussed on a variety of sustainability topics, encompassing environment, economic and social sustainability.

Marie Owens Thomsen, SVP Sustainability and Chief Economist at IATA, moderated the conference session on economic sustainability. She said: “ERA’s members provide essential connectivity to the regions of Europe and participating in this event has been a great opportunity to explore the key topics affecting small-to-medium-sized carriers in their day-to-day operations. Focussing not only on environmental sustainability, but economic sustainability, allowed for a wide scope for conversation, leading to lively discussions that I was pleased to help facilitate.”

As part of a session on social sustainability, Elisabeth Kotthaus, Head of Unit for Social Affairs, Passenger Rights and Equal Opportunities, DG MOVE, European Commission, spoke on the latest updates and developments on consumer and equal opportunities for aviation. She said: “I am very pleased to have participated in ERA’s conference and believe it is important to utilise opportunities such as this to engage in open dialogue. Discussing social sustainability with my fellow panellists provided excellent debate and useful takeaways, as have the continued conversations throughout the conference with delegates from across Europe’s regional aviation community.”

Marylin Bastin, Head of Aviation Sustainability, EUROCONTROL, led discussions as part of the environmental sustainability panel, which provided an overview of the importance of environmental sustainability and aviation’s transition to net zero. She said: “Aviation has a plan to decarbonise in which all stakeholders, including European regional airlines, have a role to play. While waiting for sustainable aviation fuel or disruptive technology, they can already reduce emissions by improving their fuel efficiency.”

From the panel on economic sustainability, panellist Zuzana Hrnkova, Vice President Marketing, ATR, said: “I was really glad to be onboard and exchange on the role of regional aviation in sustainable economic growth and development. ATR aircraft contribute to this by supporting carriers to connect remote communities and I am pleased to have had the opportunity to discuss the essential role of this with my fellow panellists. Through the use of sustainable aviation fuels and new technologies, regional aviation will play a leading role in decarbonising aviation, and I am proud we will be part of that future.”