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Shaking the Skies

Shaking the Skies

by Giovanni Bisignani
Publisher: LID Publishing
Release Date: September 2013
ISBN: 9781907794445
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Book Description

This book is about change, about its challenges and the talent necessary to drive it through. Specifically, it is about transforming the world’s most important and event-shaping industry – aviation. Giovanni Bisignani became Director General of IATA (International Air Transport Association) in June 2002, just after 9/11, which created one of the greatest threats ever to the aviation industry. IATA is the central body of the world’s airlines, responsible for its financial ($300 billion/year) clearing system, ticketing, government lobbying, passenger safety policies and the future of commercial flying. During his 10 years as Director General, Bisignani implemented and oversaw enormous and controversial changes in aviation. This book is the inside story of the struggle for survival in one of the world’s most dynamic industries.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Dedication
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Prologue
  7. Chapter One: Why Me?
    1. Background and arrival at IATA
    2. A change of heart
    3. Walking into a collapsing structure
    4. Leading a revolution
    5. Decision time
    6. Assessing the situation
    7. The right man
    8. Alitalia
    9. New beginnings in Latin America
    10. A very special passenger
    11. A future saint in my office
    12. Fashion statement
    13. Positive thinking
    14. Call of the seas
    15. Call of the skies
    16. Time to start work
  8. Chapter Two: Internal Combustion
    1. Making internal changes at IATA
    2. Blowing away cobwebs
    3. Ending the committee excuse
    4. A strange animal
    5. Why become relevant?
    6. The right tools for the job
    7. A bomb in the church
    8. Leaders developing leaders
    9. Performance assessment
    10. A different organization
    11. Regional variations
    12. The value of leadership
  9. Chapter Three: Making Waves
    1. The first external warning shots, views on airports
    2. The Narita Case
    3. Blending Japan and Italy
    4. Shouting politely
    5. Lessons learned
    6. The Taj Mahal with gates
    7. Airport privatization
    8. Stuck for space
  10. Chapter Four: Raising the Profile
    1. Using the media to communicate strategy
    2. Stop being shy
    3. A plane is not part of the deal
    4. Change, change, change
    5. Building a communication strategy
    6. Internal and external confirmation
    7. Star of the small screen
    8. Hold the front page
    9. Raising IATA’s profile in North America
    10. An eruption of truth
    11. Speaking clearly
  11. Chapter Five: Getting Technical
    1. Simplifying the Business and the role of technology
    2. Ambitious undertakings
    3. Time for a revolution
    4. False dawn
    5. Creating the networks
    6. Colour by numbers
    7. Phone a friend
    8. Eliminating paper tickets
    9. To extend or not to extend
    10. Celebration on the Bosphorus
    11. Good and bad technology
  12. Chapter Six: The Future is Green
    1. Environmental initiatives, including airspace issues and the EU ETS
    2. The case for the defence
    3. Widening the focus
    4. Getting prepared
    5. The industry under pressure
    6. “I have a dream…”
    7. A united approach
    8. The road to Copenhagen, Part 1
    9. G8 connections
    10. The road to Copenhagen, Part 2
    11. Improving air traffic management
    12. SES and NextGen
    13. Fuelling the future
    14. EU Emissions Trading Scheme
  13. Chapter Seven: Safety First
    1. Making the skies ever safer
    2. Number one
    3. Handle with care
    4. Beginning the audit process
    5. The main players
    6. Devil in the detail
    7. A maybe to a must
    8. A meeting at the Kremlin
    9. A dangerous traffic jam
  14. Chapter Eight: Bad People, not Bad Objects
    1. The need for more efficient and harmonized security
    2. A knee-jerk reaction
    3. Admirals in the air
    4. The Amsterdam incident
    5. Trusting the shipper
    6. Security costs
    7. Tomorrow’s system today
  15. Chapter Nine: Vision 2050
    1. A look at Vision 2050, liberalization and thoughts on the future
    2. The need for change
    3. The Latin American model
    4. A leadership dilemma: colour and rules
    5. The agenda for freedom
    6. A dramatic difference
    7. The think tank and the venue
    8. Five Forces
    9. Governments must listen
    10. Serving the customer
    11. We need more runways Future technology
    12. Our greatest sin
    13. Europe and the United States
    14. Asia-Pacific
    15. The Middle East
    16. Africa
    17. Latin America
    18. The benefits of aviation
  16. Appendix I
    1. Industry figures 2001-11 (revenues, profits, fuel price, etc)
  17. Appendix II
    1. Extracts from Giovanni Bisignani’s State of Industry Speeches, 2003-11
  18. Appendix III
    1. Table of people
  19. About the author