Sabre global boss forecasts Asia slowdown

Travel in Asia Pacific will continue to grow but not at the same pace as recent years as airlines become more disciplined with capacity, the global boss of Sabre Travel Network has forecast.

In a wide-ranging interview with Travel Today, the technology giant’s president Greg Webb said the rate of expansion is unlikely to be sustainable.

The aviation industry can only add capacity so quickly and a generally more restrained approach from airlines is limiting growth opportunities for the wider travel market, he said.

“Asia Pacific and Australia has been right where we expected it to be,” Webb said of region’s performance this year. “That is, it’s still growing at a good pace but we’re starting to see signs that it’s not going to continue.

“For a period it was the only part of the industry that was growing at a rapid pace. I’m not sure it is sustainable.”

While sharing a belief among airlines that there remain growth opportunities – he cited the recent China…