James Hogan AO

“Gulf aviation has been defined not by a moment, but by three key underlying factors: vision, location and the blank sheet of paper. Vision speaks for itself. Look at the facts: two emirates and one of the smallest countries in the world have between them created three of the world’s best-regarded and most successful airlines. The idea of being able to take on the world in a capital-intensive and highly regulated industry would have seemed incredible at the turn of the millennium; but look what those airlines have achieved.

Location was critical. The Gulf is a natural midpoint for billions of travellers, a bridge between East and West. But there was also a secret weapon in implementing that vision. In the 2000s, the Gulf States used the blank sheet of paper – no legacy aircraft, no legacy systems, no legacy mindsets – to create products and service that surged ahead of what customers, what guests, were used to.

The key lesson for the future is to keep a rolling focus on the future. Don’t become the legacy; keep creating and reimagining what travel can be.

Looking ahead, however, the industry’s greatest long-term challenge remains decarbonisation. At the same time, artificial intelligence presents one of the industry’s greatest opportunities.”