Interview with : Rob Gurney, CEO of the oneworld alliance

Royal Air Maroc has become the first African airline to join oneworld. Why have you waited so long to take this step?

Rob Gurney - The aim was to finding the right candidate and be able to identify mutual benefits. I think there was a sort of confluence of events. Royal Air Maroc entered into a partnership with Qatar Airways, one of our largest member airlines. This has facilitated closer collaboration between the airline's management, oneworld and its members. Royal Air Maroc also had very ambitious development plans, particularly in terms of fleet growth. And the quality of the product was rewarded by a rapid rise in the Skytrax rankings. So it was a case of aligning the right candidate with the right timing... Would we have liked to welcome a powerful African airline ten years ago? Of course we would have! Royal Air Maroc ticked a lot of the boxes, with the added support of the Kingdom of Morocco, which wants to make the airline a strategic tool for the development of the Moroccan economy. There really is a vision, an ambition for the company, particularly on the African continent. Some of our ambitions have been hampered by the difficulties caused by the pandemic. But I know that they will be relaunched as quickly as the situation allows.

Are you now satisfied with your coverage of the African continent or are you keeping an eye on other companies?

Rob Gurney - We are very satisfied with what Royal Air Maroc brings us. But there are always development paths We have to keep a close eye on these situations as they evolve over time. So we need to keep an eye on the African landscape as a whole, even if at the moment we are focused on supporting Royal Air Maroc in their development projects.

What role does Africa play in oneworld's strategy for the coming years?

Rob Gurney - We know that the development of the African continent will be very important in the 21st century in terms of travel, given the population concerned, the resources, the economic progress... It is therefore crucial for an alliance like oneworld to consolidate its positions in a market where business and attractiveness will grow exponentially, particularly business traffic, but also tourism.

Does Africa have the potential to offset the fall in volumes seen in traditionally strong markets affected by the crisis?

Rob Gurney - I can't speak on behalf of any of the companies in the alliance, but having spoken to a number of CEOs, their revenues have been so badly affected! So they are looking to diversify their sources of income, like any company in any business sector. It's easier said than done, depending on a number of parameters, but I do think that companies in the "Western Hemisphere" will be looking more to the East and South.

What role did an alliance like oneworld play during the two years of the pandemic? If the same crisis occurred today, would you act differently?

Rob Gurney - There are always lessons to be learned from crisis situations. I think that, fundamentally, the reaction would be the same. But I would say that we would react more quickly. In March 2020, we all thought that this crisis would be measured in months, not years... As an alliance, we have worked on strategies to promote a post-Covid recovery, we have supported our member airlines, in particular by relying on the coordination of resources. You can imagine what the work of an airline CEO might have been like in March, April or May 2020... Virtually from one day to the next, they had to cut into their networks, make very rapid decisions to restructure the company, decisions that were often difficult for the employees... All while integrating all these new health protocols. So we set up a task force comprising representatives from the worlds of health, technology, customer service and the legal department. And together we thought about strategies that would enable us to emerge from the crisis and bounce back. We did this fairly quickly, and we worked well together to project ourselves over six, twelve or even 18 months. Our work focused in particular on test protocols, and then on certifications to cross borders: a complex subject, given that the rules differed from country to countryWe also worked with IATAAnd with the other alliances, because it was a problem common to the whole industry. It was no longer a question of competition between Star Alliance, Skyteam and oneworld Our sector is going through an existential crisis. So we need to work together to look at what we can do to support our industry, and limit the impact of this crisis as much as possible.

How has the crisis changed oneworld?

Rob Gurney - The crisis has made it clearer than ever that member companies have an imperative: tackle certain issues, and in particular certain expenditure items, collectively rather than acting individually. There has been a real change in philosophy. This applies in particular to the subject of FAS, on which our office dedicated to sustainable development within oneworld is working. For example, instead of companies A, B and C going to the same technology supplier, they should come to an agreement beforehand. Ultimately, it is also beneficial for technology partners to work more strategically and more efficiently. The other change I've noticed over the last two years concerns the management of the alliance, to ensure more effective decision-making. In the same way that a single person can easily decide how to organise a holiday, or which restaurant to choose, as a group of travellers, a single company can make decisions more quickly. In an alliance, you have to take into account the points of view of the other member airlines, and facing the challenges of the last two years has pushed us to make decisions more quickly than before. It's a significant change, and I'm pleased with the progress we've made. Especially as I'm an impatient person, I like to get things done quickly!

new business travel formats will emerge

When do you expect travellers, particularly business travellers, to return?

Rob Gurney - There's a combination of factors, with the product and service for organising meetings becoming more sophisticated. At the same time, some sectors have been hard hit financially, but some areas have seen a real boom with the crisis. Finally, there is also the sustainable commitment that some business travellers are making themselves by seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. No one really knows when we'll see a return to the 2019 levels. Perhaps in 2024 or in 2025 ? But business travel will probably be replaced by other means of exchange. There will also be new business travel formats that will emerge. Employees can now live in a town other than the one where their company is based. And the teams have to meet face to face on a regular basisIt's a way of making new journeys that wouldn't have happened before. With remote communication, the ability to observe certain things, body language for example, and the possibility of interacting are not the same. In a meeting on ZoomFor example, you can't meet up with someone at a coffee break and ask for clarification on a point raised earlier. Videoconferencing works well for people who already know each other well, but not for a presentation to a new client, or for very complex subjects. It would be astonishing if companies didn't recognise the need and the benefits of videoconferencing. added value of a face-to-face meeting.