More than 350 exhibitors from 60 countries, with the largest number of dedicated pavilions ever - representing Europe, US and Asia, along with over 7,500 visitors, are expected to attend the Airport Show being held in Dubai, UAE, from tomorrow (May 7).

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group will inaugurate the show, a leading annual B2B airport industry event.

The 18th edition of the event opens over 15,000-sq-m of space across three halls of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), it will have a couple of records to boot: highest number of exhibitors, hosted buyers and participants expected, said a statement.

For the first time this year, the three days of exhibition and knowledge sharing will also see the launch of the Innovation Awards, with winners selected from a global pool of submissions and industry jury.

This year’s event is also hosting its largest number of buyers ever, with 190 buyers attending from 34 countries, representing 75 airport, ground handling, police, immigration, customs, air traffic control and aviation authorities, it added.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “When it comes to construction projects, airports are at the top of the list. We cannot make compromises to make passenger journeys better through airports. Whether it is the latest scanning technologies, passenger experiences or robot baggage handlers, the region’s airports are investing in the latest technology and concepts to delight customers and stay of the competition. This exiting time in the industry will be reflected at the Airport Show.”

According to the Centre for Aviation (CAPA) data, up to $1.1 trillion is spent on airport construction globally – this is broken down by $255 billion being invested in new (Greenfield) airport projects around the world and $845 billion in projects such as new runways and terminal buildings, runway and terminal extensions.

Daniyal Qureshi, group exhibition director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East - organisers of the trade show, said: “The event has everything related to airports under one roof, with a focus on cutting-edge technology and new-age innovation and knowledge-sharing as aviation infrastructure becomes totally business-oriented.”

“There are presently 1,953 airports in 176 countries – and their count is increasing as the number of flyers multiplies each year. Airlines are forecast to carry 7.8 billion passengers in 2036 and we want to be sure we are providing the right platform for the industry to discuss the most sustainable and innovative ways to meet this demand,” he said.

Reed Exhibitions has expanded the show’s global appeal by adding exclusive add-on forums like Global Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF), Women in Aviation (WIA), Air Traffic Control (ATC) Forum and Airport Security Middle East – the last two being this year’s new additions. Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), Dubai Airports, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and dnata are the key supporters for the show, while Dubai Police and Dubai Customs are supporting Airport Security Middle East and ATC Forum is supported by Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans) and GAL ANS, in addition to the four key supporters.

GALF, organised by CAPA, continues to attract wider industry participation as airports remain on the cutting-edge of business with management’s requiring equally sophisticated skills to meet increasing competition.

The ATC Forum is attempting at promoting safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic. The spiralling air traffic volumes has enlarged the role and responsibilities of ATCs to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve performance and safety. Over 100,000 flights take off and land every day across the world. In 2017, 36.8 million flights were operated worldwide. The ICAO had projected that the UAE airports will have to handle 1.62 million aircraft movements by 2030.

Mohammed Ahli, director general of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and CEO of Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans), said: “I consider the inclusion of the forum as part and parcel of the Airport Show as a timely decision. We are aware that ATM plays a pivotal role in making Dubai the world’s most-preferred airport destination.”

“The Middle East air passengers alone are projected to reach the 517 million mark by 2036. Iata expects 7.8 billion passengers to travel in 2036,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service