Bracing for disruption - How not to become a business dinosaur

AT A recent aviation seminar in Hong Kong, some industry leaders were rather blase about disruption, viewing it as an incremental evolution rather than a big bang transformation. They were mostly from large companies that manage the distribution of airline seats through travel agents and online sites.

With 66 per cent of global air tickets sold through these indirect channels - the rest of the sales are done over direct channels of airlines' websites and call centres - they cover a large swathe of the market. But this is set to change soon.

By 2021, airlines are expected to sell more tickets through direct channels - accounting for 45 per cent of seats sold, up from 33 per cent now, according to a report by Atmosphere Research Group. This is driven by airlines adopting new digital technology and the rise of millennial travellers.