More than 250 leading aviation groups from 39 countries will be showcasing their innovative products and solutions at the Airport Show-2014 which opens in Dubai on Sunday (May 11).

The event is co-located with the Global Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF), an industry meeting to generate solutions for airport leaders from around the world to overcome their common challenges and Travel Catering Expo.

When it takes off tomorrrow for a three-day run at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre’s three spacious exhibition halls, the 14th edition of Airport Show, with substantial growth in number of exhibitors, exhibition space, hosted buyers and delegates, is all set to provide a successful platform for the aviation industry professionals to explore the latest technology and innovation, debate the growth challenges and opportunities and develop networking and new customer base, said the organisers.  

The sold-out B2B event is designed for the airport procurement, supplies, solutions and technology and it has remained in the forefront of meeting the industry’s expectations, they added.

In the Middle East region, estimated $100 billion investments are planned for airports expansion and new developments, including $40 billion in the GCC. According to IATA, the Middle East is expected to have the third fastest growth rate at 6.6 per cent until 2016, making it the second-fastest growing aviation market.
 
Organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East and supported among others by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), the iconic event is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of Dubai Airports and chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group.

"Airport Show and its co-located events, GALF and Travel Catering Expo (TCE) will contribute to our combined efforts to promote the ongoing success of a thriving aviation industry. The event mirrors the aviation industry’s robust growth and the region’s economic resilience," remarked Sheikh Ahmed.

"Airports in the Mena region are projected to cater for 400 million passengers by 2020. Billions are being invested to provide the additional airport capacity required to accommodate the anticipated demand," he stated.

This year’s show will occupy a gross exhibition space of 12,600 square metres, an increase of nine per cent. The number of exhibitors has surged 11 per cent to reach the 250 mark.

A record 39 countries will be represented at the show, including eight new entrants -Estonia, India, Libya, Luxemburg, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Thailand. More than 64 per cent of the exhibitors at the sold-out 2013 edition are returning to this year’s show.

The popular Hosted Buyers Programme recorded a spectacular 80 per cent growth with all-time record participation of 105 decision-makers representing 38 airport operators and civil aviation authorities from 19 countries - Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe and the UAE.

Six country pavilions, including the first-ever US-Canada, will have a total of 66 companies showcasing their portfolio of products, solutions and services, said the organisers.

Germany Pavilion will be the biggest with 31 exhibitors including 11 new exhibitors, while China, France and Swiss pavilions will feature a total of 28 exhibitors, including seven new participants. As many as 30 new products, solutions and technology are due to be unveiled, including several Middle East debuts.

German Airport Technology and Equipment (Gate), Danish Airport Group, British Aviation Group, British Airport Services and Equipment Association, Swiss Airport Suppliers, Netherlands Airport Technology, UbiFrance, Middle East Business Aviation Association (Mebaa), UAE Society of Engineers, and Supply Chain and Logistics Group, have continued their support to the show.
 
The three-in-one platform has received strong support from key aviation industry players keen on strengthening their regional presence and business prospects. It has received the sponsorship of G4s (platinum), emaratech (gold) and Smartworld and Ultra Electronics Ithra (silver).

Honeywell is the sponsor of the Innovation Podium where 37 sessions will offer participants insights into the latest technology and products and emerging trends. LG Electronics has sponsored the Show Bag while the Lanyards have been backed by DTP. The B2B event, focused for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, will see the unveiling of 30 new technologies, products and solutions, including several firsts in the Middle East.

Daniyal Qureshi, the group exhibition director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: "The show’s progress and performance has remained overwhelming. This year’s show is the strongest on several fronts, reflecting high optimism and positive growth trends in the aviation industry."

"The big surge in Hosted Buyers and new exhibitors clearly reflects the unfaltering global interest in the massive regional airport developments for which decision-makers are looking to source the requirements with the show providing the platform to explore and network," he added.  

With the regional airports and airlines eyeing catering services expansion as part of their modernization drive, a Travel Catering Expo (TCE) was added to the Airport Show as a co-located event.  More than 50 companies from the UAE, Turkey, Jordan, China, Bahrain, France, Sri Lanka, Canada and The Netherlands are participating in the inaugural TCE.

TCE is supported by Emirates Flight Catering, Food Point, DCAA and Dubai Airports. The Expo aims to provide a dedicated platform for the key players of the $15 billion global travel catering industry which is recording an average five per cent growth annually.   

Over 1000 trade visitors from the Mena region are expected at the TCE which is seeing the participation of 21 hosted buyers from nine countries- Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, South Africa, Oman, Tunisia, Libya and the UAE.-TradeArabia News Service