Jean-Emmanuel Hay: The theme of this year’s World Connect by APG, ‘Beyond Words: The Power of Communication in Aviation,’ is broad and should open up many perspec- tives on future developments. Antoine Huet: Indeed, it is a multifac- eted subject. Air transport fascinates both the media and the general pub- lic because it inspires dreams while provoking very divergent opinions. When a plane turns back following an incident, even a minor one, the news is reported around the world. On the other hand, no one talks about a bus forced to return to its point of depar- ture for technical reasons, or a train immobilised for hours thousands of kilometres from home. When it comes to aeroplanes, everyone has an opinion, whether they are experts or not, and many misconceptions cir- culate. For example, when people are
asked what contribution air transport makes to global CO 2 emissions, the answers often vary between 10%, 15%, even 20% and up to 30%. In reality, it does not exceed 2.5 to 3%. Aircraft are highly visible in the sky, particularly with their white trails, which many people think are pol- luting emissions, when in fact they are just condensation. It is obviously harmful to allow such misconceptions to persist: airlines find themselves on the defensive instead of taking a proactive stance. However, it is not easy to communi- cate simply on subjects as complex as the environment. It is always difficult to challenge deeply rooted preju- dices, especially when they concern sensitive subjects . Jean-Emmanuel Hay: As Secretary General of APG, you are in charge of the group’s office network. Does the
global geopolitical situation, which seems to be deteriorating, have an impact on your business? Antoine Huet: The situation has certainly become more complex. Air transport is a bit like an old Galeries Lafayette slogan said: ‘There’s always something going on.’ Every event on the planet has repercussions on air transport.New phenomena have emerged, such as flight bans over certain territories, which have a sig- nificant impact on airlines. In the past, even if it was impossible to land in a country, airlines were still free to fly over its airspace. This is no longer the case today. Some countries now prohibit certain airlines from flying over their territory, which consider- ably complicates flight routes. As a result, flights connecting Europe to Asia, whether Southeast Asia or North Asia, are now longer because
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