More than 140 airline leaders from the top global carriers convened in Iceland this month for Grounded—the only summit dedicated to passenger disruption management. With disruption costs topping $60 billion annually, airlines collaborated on actionable solutions ranging from Cross-functional operating models to Expanded digital self-service capabilities, signaling a new industry commitment to improving the disrupted travel experience.
REYKJAVÍK, Iceland, Sept. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Grounded, the premier summit dedicated to tackling passenger disruption management (IROPs), convened earlier this month in Iceland, bringing together more than 140 senior leaders from the world's top airlines. Over 40 airlines signed up representing more than 20% of global passenger volumes.
With airline disruption costs estimated to exceed $60 billion annually, and 2025 already marked by labour disputes, geopolitical instability, and severe weather events, the urgency to address IROPs has never been greater.
Now in its second year, Grounded has cemented itself as the central forum for building a global passenger disruption community. Over two days, airline executives engaged in panels, case studies, and collaborative workshops—culminating in a vote on the most actionable solutions with the potential to reshape industry standards.
Some of the key outputs from this year's summit include:
- Cross-functional operating models linking experience to financial outcomes
- Two-way omnichannel passenger communications
- Expanded digital self-service capabilities
- AI-assisted decision support tools
- Unified passenger management dashboards
- Predictive operations platforms
- Real-time passenger context layers
"Grounded brought together an unparalleled depth of airline expertise, sparking outcomes that could shape industry standards for years to come," said Lee Mitchell, Director of CX Servicing & Disruption Recovery at Southwest Airlines.
"Grounded has created lasting value by bringing together airline leaders responsible for IROPs to share experiences and insights, and build stronger collaboration going forward," added Alexia Leong, Head of Customer Happiness at AirAsia.
"Grounded is a fantastic event! With that many airline leaders in the room, it is such a valuable way to get straightforward feedback on how to better design passenger disruption management. I would absolutely recommend it!" said Guðný Halla Hauksdóttir, Director of Customer Experience at Icelandair.
"Airlines are increasingly recognising the ROI of effective passenger disruption management. With a 25% rise in participating airlines since last year's summit, their commitment to improving the disrupted passenger experience is clear—and we expect this momentum to continue into 2026," said Sveinn Akerlie, CEO at Plan3 and Co-creator of Grounded.
About Grounded
Grounded is the world's only dedicated summit focused exclusively on passenger disruption management (IROPs). Co-created by Plan3, it brings together senior airline leaders from across the globe to share knowledge, collaborate on best practices, and develop actionable solutions that improve both passenger experience and airline efficiency.
Media Contact
Matthew Walker, Plan3 [Creators of Grounded], 353 0876798661, [email protected], www.plan3.aero
SOURCE Grounded
Share this article