As global air traffic continues to grow exponentially, the aviation sector faces increasing pressure to ensure that safety keeps pace with operational demands. This panel explores the political commitments, strategic priorities, policy frameworks, and multilateral cooperation required to support the safe and sustainable expansion of aviation over the coming decades.

Panel Moderator:
Dr. Hassan Shahidi, President and CEO, Flight Safety Foundation

Panelsts:

• Mr. Alexander Teabo, Minister for Information, Communications and Transport, Kiribati
• Mr. Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Sri Lanka
• Ms. Ingrid Azucena Zelaya Florian, President, Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC) and Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics, Guatemala
• Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC)
• Mr. Alessio Quaranta, President, European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)

Aviation leaders will discuss how to build and maintain a skilled aviation workforce amid significant industry growth. The panel will explore strategies for attracting top talent, developing future leaders, and adapting training methods to new generational preferences whilst upholding the highest safety standards in our rapidly expanding sector.

Panel Moderator:
Mr. Chen Chuanren, SEA and China Editor, Air Transport World

Panelists:

• Mr. Simon Hocquard, President & CEO, Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO)
• Mr. Willie Walsh, Director General, International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Mr. Chin Yau Seng, Chief Executive Officer, SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC)
• Mr. Jeffrey Lam, Group Chief Operating Officer (Operations Excellence) & President of Commercial Aerospace, ST Engineering

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Against the backdrop of recent high-profile aviation incidents, this panel will examine how recurring safety challenges, particularly those identified in ICAO's Global Aviation Safety Plan, continue to test our industry's resilience. The session will address how the aviation community can adapt established safety practices while building new layers of protection against persistent and emerging risks. Panellists will also explore strategies to strengthen fundamental safety protocols, focusing on critical risks such as Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I), Runway Incursions and Excursions, and Mid-Air Collisions.

Panel Moderator:
Mr. Robert Sumwalt, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and former Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

Panelists:

• Ms. Lacey Pittman, Vice President of Global Aerospace Safety, The Boeing Company
• Ms. Helena Sjöström Falk, President & CEO, International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA)
• Mr. Bennet Walsh, Senior Vice President, Corporate Aviation Safety Strategy, Korean Air
• Mr. Wu Jin, Deputy General Manager, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport

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Aviation is critical to the growth and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region and crucial connections should be safeguarded. This fireside chat will focus on how States, Air Navigation Service Providers, and aerodrome operators can collaborate on contingency planning and implement innovative air traffic management solutions to strengthen regional resilience and reduce system vulnerabilities.

Host:
Mr. Ng Tee Chiou, Deputy Director-General, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

Guest:
Ms. Clara Wong, Deputy Director-General, Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department

As Safety Management Systems (SMS) evolve, this panel will look towards the next frontier of aviation safety by sharing on how interconnected SMS programmes across the aviation ecosystem can bring opportunities to more swiftly adapt to unexpected safety challenges.

Experts will examine the strategic expansion of SMS into new operational domains, the development of integrated systems for enhanced information sharing, and autonomous risk identification solutions. The panel will also explore the shift towards more real-time and predictive systems, as well as innovative approaches to anticipating emerging threats in our rapidly changing industry.

Panel Moderator:
Ms. Bongi Mtlokwa, Chairperson of ICAO Safety Management Panel and Aviation Safety Technical Officer, South Africa Civil Aviation Authority

Panelists:

• Mr. Victor Tan, Director (Air Navigation Services Safety), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
• Mr. Yeo Kia Thye, Managing Director, Airport Operations Control, Changi Airport Group
• Mr. Cai Qi, Chief Flight Safety Officer, China Southern Airlines Company Limited
• Mr. Benjamin 'Jay' R. Lopez, President, INAEC Aviation Corp
• Mr. Akbar Sultan, Director Airspace Operations and Safety Program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

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Drawing from their experience, Cathay Pacific will share valuable insights from its SMS implementation journey. This presentation will explore how the airline developed a mature safety framework capable of addressing both current and emerging operational challenges.

Speaker:
Mr. Peter Clemmow, General Manager of Group Safety and Operational Risk Management, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited

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In this fireside chat, Ms. Bongi Mtlokwa will share insights on bridging the gap between the theoretical frameworks and practical implementation of State Safety Programmes (SSPs) and National Aviation Safety Plans (NASPs). She will share about South Africa CAA’s implementation journey, lessons learned throughout the process, and practical suggestions for promoting robust safety frameworks at both national and organisational levels.

Host:
Mr. Alan Foo, Deputy Director-General, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

Guest:
Ms. Bongi Mtlokwa, Chairperson of ICAO Safety Management Panel and Aviation Safety Technical Officer, South Africa Civil Aviation Authority

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The panelists will discuss integrating resilience into new technologies to avoid single-point and common-cause failures that can result in systemic vulnerabilities. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and cybersecurity are amongst the threats that affect our integrated and safety critical systems. The panel will share lessons learnt and strategies to avoid or mitigate such failures.

Panel Moderator:
Mr. Gian Andrea Bandieri, Section Manager - Cybersecurity in Aviation and Conflict Zones, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

Panelists:

• Mr. Diego Albert, Director of APAC Sales, AIREON
• Mr. Adam Evanschwartz, Executive Director of Strategy, Collins Aerospace
• Mr. Caspar Wang, Aircraft Certification Senior Representative – APAC Region, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Mr. John Moore, Assistant Director – Flight and Technical Operations (FTOPS) Operations, Safety & Security (OSS), Asia-Pacific, International Air Transport Association (IATA)

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The Asia Pacific Centre for Aviation Safety (AP-CAS)’s regional safety assessment identified turbulence as the highest non-fatal accident occurrence category in the region. Such events are of global concern; ICAO recently included turbulence as an operational safety risk in the 2026–2028 Global Aviation Safety Plan. This panel will discuss the next steps towards a comprehensive approach to address this risk, as well as other weather hazards, including enhanced training for flight and cabin crew, improved and real-time communications, and investments in advanced weather forecasting technologies.

Panel Moderator:
Mr. David Zwegers, Executive Director Global Safety Strategy, The Boeing Company

Panelists:

• Capt. Ron Hay, President, International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA)
• Ms. Almira Ramadani, Senior Air Traffic Representative for Asia-Pacific, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Mr. Shane Ngai, Senior Manager, Safety, International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Capt. Adrian Amaladoss, Divisional Vice President, Flight Operations Training and Standards, Singapore Airlines (SIA)

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In an increasingly digital aviation ecosystem, cyber resilience is not optional – it’s essential. This presentation explores the evolving cybersecurity landscape facing aviation, from data breaches and GNSS spoofing to supply chain vulnerabilities, and interconnected system risks. It will highlight strategies for proactively identifying threats, designing built-in cyber resilience, and aligning human and technological defences to ensure the integrity, availability, and safety of aviation operations in a hyper-connected future.

Speaker:
Mr. Stephen P. Creamer, President & CEO of Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), and former Director, Air Navigation Bureau, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

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This panel will examine the topic of continuing airworthiness and the critical roles that we each play in maintaining a safe and airworthy aircraft. The panel will look at the role of system component failures – both powerplant and non-powerplant related – which AP-CAS has identified as a leading cause of aviation incidents in Asia Pacific (2017–2023). Our experts will explore strategies to strengthen aircraft maintenance fundamentals while advancing towards proactive and predictive approaches. Discussion will cover critical elements including Condition Based Monitoring, MEL usage, and the management of suspected unapproved parts, with focus on their practical implementation to enhance aviation safety.

Panel Moderator:
Mr. Chris Carter

Panelists:

• Captain Adrian Abraham, Regional Safety Director, South East Asia, Airbus
• Mr. David Loffing, Vice President & Chief Engineer, The Boeing Company
• Mr. Lau Hwa Peng, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Singapore Airlines
• Mr. Mitchell Fox, Director, Asia-Pacific Centre for Aviation Safety, Flight Safety Foundation

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The presentation will look back at the impetus and origins of aviation safety data sharing and explore key enablers, successes, and failures. Treatment will be given to the work that remains to ensure resilience to existing and emerging vulnerabilities regionally, and around the world.

Speaker:
Mr. Thomas (Tass) Hudak, Site Leader, MITRE Asia Pacific Singapore (MAPS)

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The panel will explore the critical role of data in managing and anticipating emerging threats, changes, and technological advancements, and discuss efforts in transforming raw data into meaningful insights that can drive informed decision-making and strategic planning. Panellists will examine the importance of anonymity in data handling, discussing strategies to protect individual privacy whilst maximising data utility. Additionally, the panel will address the significance of collaboration and data sharing amongst organisations, highlighting both the opportunities and obstacles in fostering a data-driven ecosystem.

Panel Moderator:
Mr. John Thomson, Senior Technical Advisor – Safety Management, United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority International

Panelists:

• Mr. Oliver Chamberlain, Vice President Manufacturing, Rolls-Royce Singapore
• Mr. Shawn Lee, Head of Digital Solutions, Airbus APAC
• Mr. Chris Ranganathan, Chief Learning Officer, CAE
• Ms. Chantal Berthiaume, Director Business Systems and Performance, International Air Transport Association (IATA)

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This session will explore the rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the aviation industry. The speaker will demystify the key differences between popular Large Language Models and more specialised AI implementations. By examining real-world applications, from customer service chatbots to advanced safety systems, the presentation will provide a clear understanding of how AI is revolutionising air travel, with a particular focus on its crucial role in enhancing aviation safety.

Speaker:
Dr. Yash Guleria, Research Fellow, Air Traffic Management Research Institute (ATMRI)

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This panel will explore the current landscape of Artificial Intelligence in the aviation industry, focusing on the transition from theoretical concepts to practical applications. Our expert panellists will address common misconceptions and real-world integration challenges. A key point of discussion will be the evolving role of human oversight in AI systems. Panellists will critically examine the aviation safety implications of human-in-the-loop processes versus fully autonomous AI systems that are on the horizon. Attendees will gain a better understanding of AI's current impact and its future trajectory in shaping the aviation industry.

Panel Moderator:
Dr. Yash Guleria, Research Fellow, Air Traffic Management Research Institute (ATMRI)

Panelists:

• Dr. Maurizio Chedid, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Dr. Gao Yuanyang, Associate Professor, Beihang University
• Dr. Cyrille Schwob, Head of Technology, Asia Pacific, Airbus
• Dr. Trung T. Pham, Chief Scientist and Technical Advisor for Artificial Intelligence, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Mr. François Triboulet, Artificial Intelligence Project Manager, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

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