Five airline industry leaders will talk about the issues confronting their industry; at the 80th annual, student-led Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, April 7-9. The event attracts top hospitality industry executives.

"This year we chose the airline industry for one of our panel discussions because of its importance to the hospitality industry as a whole," said Kurt Zitzner, Cornell Hotel School senior and managing director of HEC 80.

This year's featured panel, "Flying High for Years to Come?" on April 8 in the Alice Statler Auditorium, includes:

• JetBlue CEO David Neeleman;
• American Airlines Executive Vice President of Marketing Dan Garton;
• Virgin Atlantic Airways Vice President of Customer Service John Riordan;
• MAIR Holdings Inc. President, CEO and Director Paul Foley; and
• Economist and Cornell Professor Emeritus Alfred Kahn, former chairman of the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board and the "father of airline deregulation."

Hotel Ezra Cornell is an annual hospitality industry conference planned and managed by students in Cornell's Hotel School for about 300 hospitality industry leaders, many of whom are Hotel School alumni. The weekend features interactive panel discussions on key issues in the industry and networking opportunities between students and industry leaders.

Another highlighted panel during this year's HEC, also on April 8, in the Alice Statler Auditorium, spotlights the restaurant industry and features: Stoddard Crane, Darden Restaurants vice president of business growth; Marc Bruno, regional vice president of ARAMARK Business Services; Mark Brezinski, Pei Wei Asian Diner development partner; and Burton "Skip" Sack, National Restaurant Association chairman.

Following a long-standing HEC tradition, a renowned guest chef -- this year, Michel Stroot of San Diego's Golden Door Spa -- will lead students in the preparation of the closing formal dinner, April 9. Hospitality professionals also will be involved in many other facets of HEC.