Low Cost Carrier Summit gets underway in Australia

C.E.O'S of independent low cost carriers from around the world arrived into the Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) airport yesterday for the start of the first Low Cost Carrier Summit.

This is a new forum that allows the leaders of some of the world's most innovative airlines to get together, compare experiences and look for new ideas to ensure they continue to set the pace in their respective markets.

The host of the event, Brett Godfrey, CEO of Virgin Blue, said, "All of the carriers represented here have been successful in outmanoeuvring industry giants. Yet we all know that we can't become complacent. Every one of us is working hard to remain on the cutting edge instead of becoming the next bunch of industry dinosaurs. That's what this gathering is about."

Godfrey continued, "We were especially proud to bring our guests to a regional airport in the Whitsundays which only a few years ago was at risk of being closed down due to lack of traffic. After Virgin Blue introduced low fare jets into Proserpine, the tourism industry and the local economy has seen a massive upswing and the airport is bustling. We think this is testimony to what all of these airlines are trying to do."

The two day event started this morning and was generously sponsored by Navitaire and Unisys, two of the leading technology suppliers to the low cost airline industry.

Airlines attending include Volare from Italy representing the entire European Low Fair Airline Association (ELFAA), Air Arabia representing the Gulf and Middle East, Air Asia representing South-East Asia, Air Deccan from India, Kulula from South Africa, and Norwegian from Scandinavia along with Virgin Blue.