Jetrader - November/December 2011 - 10

Q&A

Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus
Secretary General, Association of European Airlines
Interview conducted by Julie Ahlgren, Jetrader editor

Jetrader spoke with Secretary General, Association of European Airlines (AEA) Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus at the ISTAT Europe 2011 conference in Barcelona, Spain. Schulte-Strathaus was appointed to his position at AEA by the CEOs of the Association in September 2002. He presented the keynote address to open the conference. Jetrader: What is the history and purpose of AEA? Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus: AEA is a pan-European airline association that currently has 35 network airlines as members— including both passenger and cargo airlines. It has three primary functions. The ﬁrst of these is to inform our member airlines about political developments in Brussels that might affect them. Secondly, we establish joint opinions on key issues of relevance and, thirdly, AEA monitors and analyses market developments. The role of AEA has gradually become more political, as the European Union has progressively established itself as a key regulator in the area of aviation. JT: Tell us about the partnership between ISTAT and AEA. US: Several European airlines are members of ISTAT; they clearly believe it delivers strong networking opportunities. I think AEA should be in closer touch with ISTAT in the future. I believe that ISTAT brings together so many players in the aviation value chain that not only would more airlines beneﬁt from being actively involved in the activities of this organization, but their association, AEA, should likewise form some sort of strategic partnership with ISTAT. I believe that we have so much in common that it is worthwhile pursuing how we can promote synergies. JT: How did you choose your ISTAT Europe 2011 keynote presentation topic, and why is it so important for this audience? US: I’m deeply convinced that regulators, certainly in Europe, are not fully aware of their impact on aviation. They are clearly focused on immediate political developments, such as the

economic and debt crisis, and this shifts their priorities away from transportation to other overriding issues. Aviation has to regain the attention of European and global regulators as a powerhouse for economic development. Otherwise, policy-makers will continue to impose taxes and regulatory burdens that negatively impact the way the entire industry works. JT: How did you get involved in aviation, and what does it personally mean to you? US: I was born in Australia, raised in England and ﬁnished my school education in France, so I have a strong international background. Few careers ﬁt better with this than aviation. Airlines bring people together, enlarging their horizons and improving mobility; this is a fantastic product that I love deeply. JT: What are the major challenges and biggest opportunities you see for commercial aviation in the next five to 10 years? US: As globalization continues, prosperity and the need for mobility will only increase. The fantastic opportunity for aviation is to be able to transport more people safely across the world. There is going to be a gravitational shift of growth—250 million middle-class Chinese will travel internationally. People from India and other Asian countries will increasingly turn to air transport as a mode of transportation as it falls within their reach. So our challenge is meeting this demand. In close dialogue with governments and politicians, we have to convince them that it is worthwhile investing in infrastructure so that these people have the necessary infrastructure facilities on the ground and in the air. JT: How does AEA play a role in this future of commercial aviation? US: One of the most fascinating aspects of my work is reaching out to individual AEA member airline CEOs and talking with them to understand their priorities and strategies. Then my job is to

10 The ofﬁcial publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

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Jetrader - November/December 2011

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