Dubliner Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Travel Association , was in ebullient mood earlier this week as he unveiled the global airline industry’s latest biannual outlook. As well he might. The former chief executive of Aer Lingus owner, International Airlines Group , said revenues for the industry are set to rise 10 per cent this year to within a whisker of $1 trillion – a record, and almost a fifth higher than pre-pandemic levels.
The need for airlines to squeeze as much money as possible out of passengers should play into the hands of Irish travel retail software company Datalex, which has gone through a massive restructuring – and refocusing – since it was the subject of an accounting scandal five years ago. That investor day presentation predicted the total addressable market for its products would explode from $800 million in 2019 to $3 billion by the end of this decade. However, the perennial problem with Datalex – whose range of customers include Aer Lingus, EasyJet, JetBlue and Air China – has been the pace at which it can deliver on its promise.
American Airlines – while not a customer of Datalex – recently highlighted perils of airlines moving too aggressively to take more control of bookings. It swung into a loss for the first quarter as the strategy alienated corporate travellers and agents. The new team also includes Stephen Moloney, a former finance executive with payments fintech Block, who joined as chief financial officer in April.