Amadeus is back to the future in Russia

Russia is an extensive market with an appetite for innovation. It is also one of the top spenders in the world by international tourism expenditure.

The future is now. That was the conclusion of yesterday’s discussion with Russia’s leading airlines and travel agency players at the second edition of the Amadeus Partners Event, held at Moscow’s Skolkovo Innovation Center. 

Within the futurist “Matryoshka” MatRex Business Center at Skolkovo, an old Greek axiom resounded louder than ever: the only constant in life is change. So, we asked several of the attendees to give us their thoughts on the changes ahead. 

Champa Magesh, EVP Retail in Travel Channels and Managing Director EMEA, Amadeus, knows that the travel industry needs to be ahead of the curve to meet increasingly demanding customer needs. Amadeus is building a solid platform ecosystem to make sure this happens in a timely manner.

There’s growth in the air for the Russian market. LCC share in Russia  is climbing, and passenger numbers are expected to increase from seven million in 2018 up to 25 or 30 million in 2023. More competition is also foreseeable in that market. Navitaire, an Amadeus company, helps low cost carriers and hybrid airlines  achieve a competitive edge and further succeed. Dave Evans, CEO of Navitaire, points out that technology is crucial.

Aleksandr Ulan, Head of the PSS Competence Center at S7 Airlines, the largest private airline in Russia, comments about the importance of partnership. Christian Baillet, SVP, Continental Eastern & Southern Eastern Europe, Amadeus, explains why the company is investing in a new airline platform that will be simple, agile and open. Sustained investment in innovation and best-in-class customer partnership and industry collaboration make all the difference.

The Russian Federation is the world’s 4th largest source of outbound tourists, while an increasing number of Russia’s 115 million Internet users search for travel and book their trips online. The online travel booking market is growing by 40–50 percent every year  and that trend seems steady. With the growing popularity of mobile devices and social networks, online travel has good prospects there. Frédéric Barou, SVP, Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Europe, Online Travel, Amadeus, highlights the opportunities ahead.

This article was previously published at

https://amadeus.com/en/insights/blog/amadeus-is-back-to-the-future-in-russia