Following discussions between Airports Council International, Tax Free World Association and confirmed participants, it has been decided…
Following discussions between Airports Council International, Tax Free World Association and confirmed participants, it has been decided that the inaugural Global Airport Trade Event (GATE One) will be postponed.
The two-day conference on the development of airport commercial revenues, featuring a line-up of eminent speakers, was due to take place in Singapore on 22 and 23 May.
Although airport operators from all over the world were keen to participate, the air transport industry is severely impacted by the combined effects of the war in Iraq and the effects of the SARS outbreak. Many airports are not able to commit time or resources to attending the conference at this point.
Alexander Strahl, ACI Secretary General, commented: We are naturally very disappointed that we have had to postpone GATE One but we are realistic. The first priority of the airport community now is to address global security concerns and the serious reduction in passenger traffic. Many airlines have cancelled or re-routed services, which has made the situation even more difficult for airports.
TFWA and ACI are committed to the principle of the event and hope to stage it as soon as the situation allows. The idea of an event in Southeast Asia focusing on airport commercial revenues was very well received, said TFWA CEO Andrew Ford. However, in the current environment when airports are working flat out to cope with operational problems, we cannot expect them to take time out to attend a conference, however valuable it would be.
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