CLIA Calls on General Session Panels with all Member Cruise Lines

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced additional details on the general sessions taking place at the 2016 Cruise360 Conference, held June 1-6 in beautiful Vancouver, B.C.  These panels each provide a unique perspective on the cruise industry and represent important segments of the industry.

“More than ever before, the cruise industry continues to evolve, offering a myriad of options to travelers,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. “Cruise360, a must-attend educational event, offers tools and training to help our travel professional community grow their business and deliver greater value to their clients. Expert panelists bring innovation to life along with tips for success on how to inform, engage and inspire their current and potential clients.”

Panels for the 2016 Cruise360 Conference include:

The Cruise Industry Evolution
As leaders of the top ocean cruise lines in the world, each brand president will highlight how the cruise industry has evolved for today’s traveler to offer a cruise for every travel style and budget.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Cruisers
Bringing together the top sales and marketing leaders in the cruise industry, these executives will spotlight advertising and sales strategies, discuss new campaigns and trends, and share insights in new ways they are inspiring travel agents to sell a cruise vacation experience.

The Rise of River & Luxury Cruising: How to Break Into the Growing Market
River and Luxury Cruising provides the largest single sales potential for travel agents.  Executives from the world’s leading luxury and river brands will divulge valuable insights on the cruise industry’s niche segments, offering an insider’s view into the dynamic upscale segment of the cruise industry and sharing how travel professionals can grow their business by expanding into these growing segments.

These cruise line executives join the Cruise360 recently announced keynote speakers which include: Arnold Donald, President & CEO, Carnival Corporation & plc; Adam M. Goldstein, President & COO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; and Edie Rodriguez, President & CEO, Crystal Cruises. In addition to Cruise Line executives, Cruise360 will feature outside speakers to lend a fresh perspective for attendees.

The CLIA Cruise360, the largest and only official conference of the cruise industry, offers a truly panoramic view of the cruise industry and features exclusive networking events, live and virtual ship inspections, professional development opportunities, educational seminars and an in-depth analysis into current cruise and travel industry trends.

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Miami’s Airbus Training Center Installs A350 XWB Full-Flight Simulator

Airbus Training Center (ATC) in Miami – part of the growing worldwide network of Training by Airbus* facilities – has installed its first A350 XWB full-flight simulator. The A350 XWB simulator has received Level-D** qualification from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
 
This is the first A350 XWB full-flight simulator in the Americas and complements the Miami Training Center’s existing two A330/A340 and four A320 full-flight simulators. American Airlines and TAM are the first customers to train on the new equipment. The new simulator will also train flight crews from Azul, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and other A350 XWB customers from around the world.

“With the A350 XWB entering into service in the Americas, we anticipate an increase in demand for widebody full-flight simulator training, especially given the program’s success in the Americas,” said Joe Houghton, Airbus Vice President of Training & Flight Operations Support. “Our new A350 XWB simulator now broadens our service offering, allowing Airbus to continue to deliver the most comprehensive flight training services in the industry.”
 
In January, LATAM Airlines Group, made up of LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines, started operating the first of its 27 A350 XWB aircraft on order, becoming the first operator in the Americas to fly the highly efficient widebody airliner.

Additionally, Synergy Aerospace, Avianca’s main shareholder and owner of Avianca Brasil, has ordered 10 A350 XWB aircraft and Azul Linhas Aereas has announced its intention to fly new international routes with a fleet of five A350-900s.
 
In the U.S., there are currently firm orders for 82 A350 XWB aircraft: American Airlines has 22 A350-900s on order; Delta Air Lines has ordered 25 A350-900s; and United Airlines has 35 A350-1000s on order.

The Miami ATC serves as a Center of Excellence for the Americas. Built in 1999, the facility complements other “Training by Airbus” facilities in Toulouse, Beijing, Hamburg, Bangalore, and the recently inaugurated flight-training center in Singapore.

The custom-designed, 110,000-square-foot complex in Miami has a total of seven full-flight simulators, as well as cabin door and slide trainers, state-of-the-art computer-based training classrooms and seven flight training devices simulating A320, A330, A340 and now A350 XWB aircraft.

Approximately 2,200 trainees from Airbus operators in the U.S., Canada and Latin America attend training annually at the Miami ATC.

Airbus, a division of Airbus Group, is the global leading commercial aircraft manufacturer with the most modern, comprehensive and efficient family of airliners, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 600 seats.

Airbus has sold over 16,300 aircraft to around 400 customers and, in addition, provides the highest standard of customer support and training through an expanding international network. Airbus employs some 55,000 people and in 2015 generated revenues of 45.9 billion Euros/$51.4 billion (U.S.).