Abu Dhabi Picked To Host Leading Air Transport Event in 2012

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) announced today that the UAE capital is to host the air transport industry’s largest international event The World Route Development Forum in 2012.

The news was welcomed by both ADAC and Routes, along with supporting partners Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC).

The World Route Development Forum is an annual event for the air service development industry, bringing together airlines, airports and tourism authorities. Providing opportunities to highlight route opportunities for airlines and host airports, the event also identifies areas for ongoing business development in the sector.

“Route development is the life-blood of any airport, airline and related industries,” says Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Chairman of ADAC. “Abu Dhabi International Airport is one of the fastest growing aviation hubs in the world today and we are very happy to have been selected to host the world’s leading air transport forum and event.

“The winning bid is a collective achievement for Abu Dhabi as a whole, not just for the aviation sector, and provides an opportunity to showcase the UAE’s capital city and the wider emirate to the world.”

Expected to be the largest ever, the 18th World Route Development Forum runs 30 September – 3 October 2012. ADNEC, the largest exhibition space in the region, is set to be fully occupied with up to 4,000 decision-making delegates in attendance.

“There is always intense competition to host Routes, the annual gathering of the people who make decisions as to where the world’s airlines fly,” says Mike Howarth, founder of Routes Development Group.

“Abu Dhabi met all the criteria; it is a new world aviation hub, ADNEC is now a major player on the international events circuit and the bidding partners led by the airport presented a compelling and powerful case.”

James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, says: “Hosting the World Route Development Forum in Abu Dhabi is another example of the city’s growing role and importance in the global aviation industry. As our home-base, Etihad is proud to play a central role in bringing the forum to Abu Dhabi and we look forward to a very successful edition of the event.”

Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General of ADTA, says: “This is a fantastic vote of confidence in Abu Dhabi as a destination. International MICE business is extremely important to us and Routes has even greater relevance to us as the development of air access is crucial to any destination’s business and tourism progression.”

Routes has partnerships with the world’s leading air transport associations such as International Civil Aviation Organisation and International Air Transport Association. The event is hosted by major air hubs around the world each year. Previous hosts include London, Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid, Copenhagen, Dubai and Beijing. The 2010 host will be Vancouver, followed by Berlin the following year.