Air Canada 2009 Annual Report Download - page 6

2009 Air Canada Annual Report
6
operational process and productivity impro ve ments
and revenue enhancements without compromising
the passenger experience.
Third, we will re-engage our customers with an
added focus on premium revenue passengers.
Many of the required elements are already in place
with our Maple Leaf Lounges, Concierge Service
and new and refurbished fleet, including our long-
haul Executive First service featuring lie-flat suites.
We intend to drive home these advantages through
customer-friendly initiatives such as the intro-
duction of new technologies for added customer
convenience and a greater emphasis on service.
The awards from Business Traveler and Global
Traveler are evidence we are making significant
headway in this area.
Finally, Air Canada is committed to changing its
corporate culture by instilling in employees a more
customer-centric and entrepreneurial ethic.
Given the still difficult economic conditions and
unrelenting competitive pressures, it is imperative
that employees be empowered to respond appro-
priately to day-to-day challenges and opportunities
so that Air Canada becomes a more nimble,
responsive company.
In many respects, it is culture change that will
harness together the company’s priorities and
drive our transformation. While effecting such
change is not possible overnight, already there are
signs that employees are embracing this new spirit.
They readily advanced ideas that we incorporated
into our successful winter operations plan. More
significantly, they also eagerly joined together
to ensure one of the smoothest Olympic and
Paralympic operations in memory.
In 2009, the global airline industry faced the
most severe drop in traffic since the Second World
War and a corresponding decline in revenue.
Through operational discipline, focused action on
our priorities and by vigorously pursuing solutions,
we stabilized the company and began rebuilding in
anticipation of an eventual return of economic
prosperity. By channeling that same level of
determination into our four priorities, we are
positioning ourselves to generate income in the
current economic cycle in order that we can grow
the business profitably on a sustainable basis.
Although well-founded, our optimism is guarded.
Achieving this ultimate goal is contingent upon
several factors, including the execution of our
business priorities, a sensible approach by
governments to security, travel infrastructure, and
to direct and indirect taxation, the establishment
of a rational pension funding regime and an overall
improvement in macroeconomic conditions.
In closing, I wish to thank the 26,000 employees
of Air Canada for their dedication to safety
and customer service and for their unwavering
professionalism during a tumultuous year for both
our company and our industry. Similarly, I thank
all of our stakeholders and customers for their
continued support and loyalty. Although the airline
industry is highly cyclical and fragile, our company
is actively transforming itself to prepare for an
upturn in the sector, to be ready to capitalize on
opportunities as they emerge
Calin Rovinescu
President and Chief Executive Officer