ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference demonstrated that it is possible to safely resume events

The 2021 edition of the ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference concluded successfully

Panama, August 25th, 2021 – After three days of academic agenda and multiple networking spaces, ALTA celebrates the closing of another successful ALTA CCMA & MRO. A historic edition, reaching post-pandemic milestones with 520 on-site participants, among which 100 were representatives from 31 airlines, as well as more than 400 people who followed the academic agenda via YouTube streaming.

“We are honored to offer aviation representatives from the Americas and the Caribbean a safe and productive meeting space. These three days of conference allowed colleagues to meet again after many months, share best practices, close deals and also send a message that it is possible to resume face-to-face events with all the biosafety protocols”, said José Ricardo Botelho, Executive Director & CEO of ALTA.

On the last day of conference, the academic agenda included panels on sustainability and environment, with the participation of Gonzalo Yelpo, Legal Director ALTA, Diana Calixto, SVP Supply Avianca, Jeffrey A Conner, Chief Consulting Engineer Industry & Regulatory Initiatives GE Aviation and Julio Siu, Deputy Regional Director ICAO. It was also discussed how the relationship between manufacturers and airlines changed during the pandemic, with the participation of Jonathan Berger, Director Alton Aviation Consultancy, Jayesh Shanbhag, Regional General Manager Customer & Product GE Aviation, Fernando Miwa, Maintenance Director GOL, Yohan Closs, VP Customer Service Airbus and Jorge Jacome, Corporate SVP Maintenance and Engineering, Aeromexico.

The agenda also addressed the impact of COVID19 on human talent within the airline industry with Michael Bell, Senior Client Partner Korn Ferry, Tracy Cooper, CEO Bahamasair, Francisco Lalinde, COO VivaAir and Mercy Correia, Head of Industry Relations ALTA. And a conversation on digital transformation was also held with Philipp Haugwitz Associate Partner, McKinsey & Co, Julio Toro CIO, Copa Airlines and Andrew J. Coleman, CEO GE Digital.

Panelists shared, from different perspectives, an up-to-date overview of the airline industry operation, especially from a technical and human angle, looking for ways on how to prepare for the future of aviation.

To access the recordings of the presentations:
click here for day one
click here for day two

Simultaneously, Punta Cana hosted the first post-pandemic face-to-face meeting of the ALTA-IATA Fuel Committee with the participation of representatives from 9 airlines and 9 supplier companies. Meetings of ALTA’s Technical and Purchasing Committees were also held.

During the awards dinner, ALTA recognized Aerospares 2000, Dedienne Aerospace, Liebherr, Michelin, Thales, Sky Source Inc, Skymart, Med-craft Inc and GoodYear for being the suppliers with the highest scores in the Supplier Evaluation conducted by ALTA among 23 airlines and 55 supplier companies.

General Director of the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute, Román E. Caamaño, and Deputy Director, Héctor Porchela, presented ALTA with an award for “ALTA’s contribution to strengthening and developing the aeronautical sector in Latin America and the Caribbean”. José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA’s CEO, expressed his gratitude for the recognition of such authority in the Dominican Republic, as well as the commitment to work together with the industry to move quickly towards recovery. “The Dominican Republic is an example in the region of government and industry working together. The rapid progress in vaccination campaigns in the country, especially in areas such as Punta Cana, where more than 90% of the population is vaccinated, is a concrete example of the efforts to recover such an important sector that generates jobs and welfare,” Botelho highlighted.

Today more than ever, aviation is synonymous with resilience, efficiency, safety, teamwork and constant innovation. We look forward to seeing you at the next ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference on May 14-16, 2022 in Cartagena, Colombia, to continue working together and generate greater efficiencies in the safest means of transportation.