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Bigger Airport Show in 2015

 
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28 Oct 2014

Dubai’s iconic airport industry B2B event is expected to witness a substantial increase in the number of exhibitors and hosted buyers and the gross exhibition space for the 2015 edition that will take place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) from May 10 to 12.

The 15th edition of Airport Show will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

Bigger Airport Show in 2015

H.E. Eng. Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said: “The aviation industry is getting bigger due to massive investments in airports expansion and new developments that are needed to accommodate the growth in air traffic in the region. Dubai leads the region in terms of airport investments which plays a strategic role in our agenda for the aviation industry expansion.

Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central (DWC) project is being carried out in two phases with the first stage costing up to AED120 billion and it will be the biggest airport in the world when completed with a capacity to handle 200 million passengers with 400 aircraft parking. The benefits of this huge and consistent investment would have a positive impact not just on Dubai but also on the UAE, the Gulf region and the world.”

He added: “Airport Show, being hosted by Dubai, has become an ideal B2B platform for the industry decision-makers to explore an impressive portfolio of latest technology and innovation under one roof. The industry’s growth will be reflected in the Airport Show 2015 with more exhibitors, hosted buyers and exhibition space.”

The event will focus on the $100 billion regional airport developments with decision-makers utilizing the annual show to explore and finalize their procurements and supplies, thereby offering immense business growth prospects for global exhibitors.

Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organisers of Airport Show, said: “We are delighted about the Show’s progress over the years and the growth potential for next year’s edition. Airport Show 2015 will be the strongest on several fronts, and will deliver the global expertise and innovation that the region’s aviation leaders are looking to reflect in their mega-airport developments.”

“The strong interest among international aviation industry players to participate in the event clearly highlights their keenness to tap into the region’s economic optimism and meets the requirements of regional decision-makers to source their requirements at their doorsteps,” he added.

The organizers said about 275 exhibitors from over 40 countries are expected for the 2015 edition. Last year, the number of exhibitors surged 11 per cent compared with the 2013 participation. A record 39 countries were represented at the show, including eight new entrants -Estonia, India, Libya, Luxemburg, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Thailand.

The gross exhibition space is also expected to go up substantially next year. Last year’s show took place on a gross exhibition space of 12,600 square metres, an increase of nine per cent compared with the previous edition.

The event’s Hosted Buyers Programme is expected to get further strengthened with 130 buyers from 25 countries in 2015. A spectacular 80 per cent growth was recorded last year with the record participation of 105 decision-makers representing 38 airport operators and civil aviation authorities from 19 countries. The programme has maintained a growth curve since its debut in 2009, reflecting the event’s status as the key platform for regional airport procurement and networking.

A new feature at the 2015 edition will be dedicated ‘Meet the Buyer’ programmes for Ground Handling, Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Aviation Security.

Country Pavilions will be another important highlight of the show. Last year’s show featured six country pavilions, including the first-ever US-Canada joint marquee, while the German Pavilion was the biggest with 31 exhibitors. The China, France and Swiss pavilions featured a total of 28 exhibitors, including seven new participants.

Over 7000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day event which will be collocated with the 3rd Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF) and 2nd Travel Catering Expo (TCE) at the DICEC.

The global airport industry has continued its solid growth curve with the Middle East one of its fastest growing markets. There is airport construction activity globally to the value of approximately $415 billion, according to the CAPA Airport Construction and CapEx database. About $40 billion investments are in airports development in the six Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC) states alone, according to an IATA report.

The CAPA report said that while the majority of this expenditure is on projects at existing airports, the pipeline for entirely new airport developments is impressive as well. Expenditure on new airport facilities globally, either actual or planned and in the main smaller secondary level airports, currently runs to $70 billion and is spread across 229 airports on all continents.



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