Competition, Concentration and Consolidation

The European Aviation Club, in cooperation with Airneth, organizes a seminar on Competition, Concentration and Consolidation in the Airline Industry on Friday 9 December 2011 at the Hotel Bristol Stephanie, Avenue Louise 91-93, Brussels.

In four sessions, different aspects of competition, concentration and consolidation in the airline industry will be discussed. In the first session the European Commission's merger policy after the Aegean/Olympic decision will be re-assessed. In the second session the impact of global alliances on the competitive environment will be discussed. Do global alliances create oligopolies? And do the consumer benefits outweigh the risks?

In the third session we will take a closer look at the Commission's Cargo Cartel decision. The multiple jeopardy which airlines face in view of the concurrent application of the competition laws of a number of different jurisdictions will be discussed. What legal and economic issues does the cartel decision raise for airlines? And are the fines imposed proportionate to the harm done?

In the fourth and last session we will discuss how to secure a level playing field with third country airlines. Is competition distorted by subsidies to third country airlines? If so, what form do they take and can their existence be proven?

The European Aviation Club and Airneth are honoured to announce that speakers include:

• Prof. Rigas Doganis, non-executive Director easyJet
• Dr. Guillaume Burghouwt, Director Airneth (Amsterdam)
• Mr. Paul McGeown, Partner, Wilson Sonsini (Brussels)
• Mr. Chris Gadsden, Regulatory Affairs Manager, EasyJet (United Kingdom)
• Mr. Horst Findeisen, Vice President Business Development, Star Alliance (Frankfurt)
• Mr. Philippe Ruttley, Partner, Clyde & Co (London)
• Mr. Hubert Horan, Independent Aviation Consultant (Phoenix, Arizona)
• Prof. Dr. Pablo Mendes de Leon, Director, Institute of Air and Space Law
• Mr. Gavin Bushell, Partner, Baker & McKenzie (Brussels)
• Mr. Bill Bishop, Vice President, Charles River Associates, CRA (London)
• Mr. Carlos Mestre, European Commission, DG MOVE, Deputy Head of Unit; Internal market, air transport agreements & multilateral relations (Brussels)
• Mr. Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, Secretary General or Mr. Athar Husain Khan General Manager infrastructure, AEA (Brussels)
• Mr. Jim Callahan, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi)
• Mr. Philip Thomas, consultant, Oxford Economics (London) (invited)
• Prof. Mia Wouters, University of Ghent, LVP Law
• Mr. John Balfour, Consultant, Clyde & Co

 
Date
Friday 9 December, 9:00 - 17:30 hrs

Location
Hotel Bristol Stephanie, Avenue Louise 91-93, Brussels

Target audience
Policy-makers in the field of aviation, researchers, industry representatives and other professionals in the aviation sector.

Registration
If you'd like to participate at this joint EAC/Airneth conference, fill out the registration form. Please note that participation will cost €280,- for European Aviation Club members and €400,- for non-members and guests. If you are a Dutch policy maker from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, please contact Airneth at info@airneth.com