Airfinance Journal Middle East 2019

8:00AM Registration & morning refreshments

8:55AM Chairperson's opening remarks

9:00AM A view from the cockpit: How strong is the Middle Eastern economy?

• Rising fuel prices impact the Middle East uniquely – what effect have we seen on the aviation industry?
• How are Middle Eastern airlines, lessors & financiers handling with FX fluctuations against the dollar?
• Have rising interest rates dampened Middle Eastern appetite for capital?

9:30AM Etihad continue on the path to profitability

• How has the airline managed to mediate the impact of increased fuel prices?
• Greater capacity discipline and greater focus on point-to-point traffic have both resulted in stronger yields, do we expect this strategy to continue moving forward?
• Will the airline consider further capital partnerships after the challenges surrounding EA II

10:00AM Questions still loom over the region's widebody backlog

• Over half of the global blacklog for the A380 still resides in the Middle East, what is the future of this aircraft program?
• With the first A380’s to come off lease being parted out, how much confidence do lessors in the region have in their ability to remarket this aircraft in the future?
• Which financing structures make sense to fund these deals?

10:40AM Morning networking break & refreshments

11:10AM Emirates remain resilient amidst macro headwinds

11:40AM How important is Islamic Finance to the region's carriers & lessors?

• With Natixis & Noordbank closing their recent aviation asset backed Sukuk with Abu Dhabi Global Markets, what role do we expect this bespoke financing to play in the region moving forward?
• What impact can we expect to have increased capital from the Middle East to have on the wider aviation finance market?
• Can we expect the amount of Islamic Finance deals to increase in the year to come?

12:20PM Networking lunch

1:50PM Saudi Arabian airlines continue to evolve

• Will we see the demand for widebody aircraft from Saudi airlines grow and how well positioned are they to take on extra capacity?
• Which financing solutions have we seen being utilised in Saudi Arabia?
• How strong is the appetite from Saudi financiers & investors for aviation?

2:30PM How great is the appetite of local financiers for aviation paper and metal?

• What needs to happen to bring more local financiers to the table?
• What opportunities are there for financiers who wish to deploy capital into aviation outside of the ME3?
• Which financing structures work in the Middle East and what innovations have we seen in this regard?

3:10PM Afternoon networking break & refreshments

3:40PM Is airline consolidation necessary for Middle Eastern carriers in the long run?

• At a meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organisation AGM carriers put forward the view that airline consolidation will likely not happen in the next 5 years, but is this a good or bad thing for the industry?
• What options do Middle Eastern carriers have in the face of chronic overcapacity and a more challenging macro environment?
• How strongly positioned are the smaller Middle Eastern carriers?

4:20PM Airline closing keynote

5:00PM Chairperson's closing remarks

8:00AM Morning refreshments & networking

9:00AM Chairperson's opening remarks

9:05AM Oil pricing experiences turbulance

• After enjoying a slow and steady climb for much of 2018 – oil prices have dropped nearly 27% since October 1^st, what caused this shift?
• Do we expect oil pricing to recover in 2019?
• What impact has this had on Middle Eastern carriers?

9:35AM Developing new engine technology

• What impact have engine delivery challenges had in the Middle East?
• What innovations are engine OEMs providing in engine technology?

9:55AM Is the region's airline performance a cause for concern for financiers?

• With some of the ME3 announcing cut profits in the first half of 2019, what is the broad outlook for Middle Eastern airlines amongst the financial community?
• What role can innovative financing solutions play in helping financiers deploy capital more effectively
• How strong is the appetite to fund smaller Middle Eastern airlines outside of the ME3?

10:35AM Morning networking break & refreshments