Hogan’s KGL targets African, Asian aviation sectors

AVIATION consultant and Knighthood Global Limited (KGL) chairman James Hogan says “airlines are on the cusp of a golden age of innovation and service”, which is hinged on five key points.

This comes as other experts say Africa and Asia remain the biggest growth frontiers – in a sector that was severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic – due to their burgeoning trade opportunities, and middle class populations.

“Smart operators will treat this as a ‘blank sheet of paper’ moment, looking to reinvent processes, products and mind-sets. There is a huge opportunity… for airlines to create a golden age of innovation and service,” Hogan said, adding the “renewal process of commercial aviation hinged on further deregulation of the industry, consolidations, customer-driven restructurings and use of technologies to expand revenue streams”.

“…aviation is a hugely resilient industry and will recover from this systemic shock as it always has before. In previous recoveries… there have always been winners that used the crisis to surge ahead,” he said.

A former Etihad Aviation Group (Etihad) chief executive and president, who developed the airline from a US$300 million operator to a US$20 billion travel and tourism behemoth, Hogan said there is also need for newer ways for employee engagement, rebuilding staff levels post the pandemic and responding to climate change pressures.

The Australian businessman was also the president and CE of Gulf Air, a senior executive of BMI, Forte Hotels, Hertz, board member and vice chairman of Alitalia, airberlin, Jet Airways, and Air Serbia as well as serving on the World Travel and Tourism Council executive committee and International Air Travel Aassociations board of governors.

Honoured for his strategic leadership, including the 2017 ‘officer of Canberra order’ for his “distinguished service to the global hospitality industry”, Hogan is a 40-year veteran who has also served as a Gallagher Group non-executive director and UBS industrialisation advisory council.

Apart from running KGL, which is a business advisory, capital structuring and aerospace industry investment services as well as a foothold or interest in the real estate sector, he is also associated with Sanad Services Group – a Mubadala company.

Using his experience at such airlines as Etihad, which he built from a regular outfit to a diversified, world-class and profitable travel group, especially between 2011 and 2015, Hogan’s knowledge and network can help African countries like Zimbabwe to transform their aviation sectors through top-class solutions, and even restoring its cargo service infrastructure.

And the 65-year old has also previously chaired the World Economic Forum’s tourism committee.