By Mary Li, Founder & CEO at Atlas
It’s around this time most of us reflect on the year that was. After a few crazy years of Covid and some difficult economic conditions, I know 2022 had been hard for many. But it was also a year of recovery. A year of hope. And a year of realization (for me and Atlas).
Globally, low-cost carrier (LCC) capacity experienced higher growth during Covid. LCCs grew by 60% during 2020 and 2022, compared with 47% of traditional airlines¹. During these years, the number of LCCs operating increased 5%, while Traditional and Leisure Carrier numbers declined by the same amount¹. We’ve seen air travel recovery in every region and I think LCCs are leading the charge.
And so, my reflection of 2022 is one of impact. I’m so proud of the partnerships we’ve forged last year to bring more affordable and accessible air travel to the world. I’m inspired by the way my team have worked collaboratively with each other, our partners and our clients to build next generation technology that has delivered significant growth for our agency customers and given them insight into the hearts of minds of their travelers.
After just three years in business, Atlas started to become a driving force across the industry. We have engaged with some of the biggest and most successful names in travel, and we have big plans to support even more in 2023. But we won’t just deliver technology and content enablement this year, we’ll launch impactful initiatives that help more people to experience travel, in more meaningful ways.
Because Atlas has always been about more than just the best tech and content. It’s been about creating more inclusion and acceptance in the world – enabling more people to travel so that they can experience different perspectives, expand their horizons and better understand the rich diversity of other people, cultures and traditions.
As I look ahead to 2023, I am committed to our mission of making a difference in the world by enabling more people to travel, in more meaningful ways. What this means is that, in addition to providing the most choice for low-cost content worldwide on what I believe to be the fastest, most stable platform, Atlas and I will support initiatives that:
- Enable the ‘untraveled’ to experience travel;
- Enable the mobility of international teachers to poverty-stricken communities;
- Connect technology students from underprivileged backgrounds with hands-on learning opportunities in our development teams;
- Identify the impact of travel & tourism on popular destinations and offer more sustainable alternatives; and
- Analyze the impact of travel booking search in terms of carbon emissions and identify solutions for the industry to reduce impact.
I’m personally changing a few of my habits this year too. I want to be more mindful and conscious of my own purchasing power. I declare that in 2023, I will not purchase any new clothes and instead, the money I would have spent on clothing, will be donated to grassroots charities that are making a real impact on the lives of other people, animals or the environment.
How will you impact the world in 2023? If our mission and initiatives resonate, I’d love you to join us!
¹ Source: OAG 2020 Q1 – 2022 Q4 Capacity Data – analyzed by Atlas in September 2022 for WiT Singapore.
