Aviation is changing more and more from a transport industry to a service industry. For companies in the aviation industry, this means an intense reorientation. The independent operational and functional processes of individual companies are having to give way to an increased adoption of the customer viewpoint. This is the only way to ensure responsiveness to requirements and higher levels of value creation.

And so the customer is also the focal point of the Hamburg Aviation Conference 2012, being held from 22 to 24 February, 2012. “Customer Orientation within the aviation industry: do we always create value at all levels?” is the theme of this year’s conference and will guide the presentations and discussions of around 200 experts from the aviation industry and the academic and research fields as they meet to explore current developments in the sector.

Aviation is in a state of flux. The financial and fiscal crisis, the rising price of kerosene, an increased tax burden for emissions and the Aviation Charge being levied in Germany will significantly change the industry and the behaviour of all players. At the same time, customer expectations of companies in the aviation industry are rising in a variety of ways.

Participating in the international aviation sector means living in a world characterised by the competing interests of competition, economic viability and customer value.

But just how much progress has customer orientation really made in the field of aviation? Do we always place service provision and customer needs at the forefront of our behaviour and action? Where is there need for improvement? Can the aviation sector learn from other industries? What will an increased focus on customer requirements mean and how can we measure the success of our actions?

According to Michael Eggenschwiler, Chief Executive Officer of Hamburg Airport, “We very deliberately selected customer orientation as the core element of the 15th Hamburg Aviation Conference. Our industry is increasingly subject to the conflicting demands of efficiency – often only achievable by standardisation – and the distinct requirements of individual customers. The job description for modern management within our industry over the coming years will be to enhance and increase the interconnectedness of these two poles.”

Innovation and cooperation will have a key role to play. Added value for individual participants can only be created if and when we are able to speak openly about improved service to the customer and when we see ourselves as a joint service provider, Michael Eggenschwiler continues.

Speakers at the Hamburg Aviation Conference will include Prof. Dr. Eckhard Minx, Former Head of the Daimler Society and Technology Research Group and Chairman of the Daimler and Benz Foundation, Berlin, Michael Solomon, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing and Director of the Center for Consumer Research at the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, USA and Oliver Wagner, Head of Non-Hub Services at Lufthansa and Managing Director of Germanwings.