Top industry leaders will be the opening speakers at the second Global Aerospace Summit being held in Abu Dhabi in April next year.

James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways; Marillyn Hewson, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin; and Tony Douglas, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, have agreed to be  the opening speakers at the summit, a statement said.

The invitation-only strategic forum for senior international industry leaders in aviation, aerospace, defence and space is hosted by Mubadala Development Company and organised by Streamline Marketing Group.

The summit will run from April 7-8, 2014 at the St. Regis Hotel, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi and is expected to attract 1,000 C-suite executives from across the world, making it one of the most important industry forums in 2014.  

It will focus on the challenges of driving industrialisation and growth while adapting to global socio-economic change, said the statement.

Hogan will speak on how partnerships and collaboration offer a new and effective route for the industries to deliver improved returns.  Etihad Airways has introduced a unique new strategy in aviation, in which its industry-leading organic growth has been boosted further still by minority equity investment in airlines in key markets around the world.

“This will be one of the most significant gatherings of aviation and aerospace senior executives anywhere in the world this year,” said Hogan.  “I am delighted to have the opportunity to share with them the Etihad Airways story on partnership and collaboration.”

Badr Al-Olama, CEO of Strata Manufacturing, the composite aerostructures manufacturing facility owned by Mubadala, and a member of the Summit Advisory Board, said this second summit would build on a highly successful first event.

“Our first Summit in 2012 welcomed more than 900 senior executives to Abu Dhabi and the agenda for the upcoming event has been built around the outcomes from the first edition,” he said.

“Abu Dhabi is progressing towards becoming a truly international hub for the aerospace, defence and space sectors. This is reflected by the fact that at 2014’s summit, we are expecting a greater representation from emerging markets and we will drive industry-shaping initiatives that will make a difference globally. The summit will give us a chance to share some of our learning with emerging and mature markets, as well as hearing from world-leading companies on their best practice.” – TradeArabia News Service