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The Route Development Group is now gearing up for the world’s largest gathering of the route development industry. In just five months time thousands of airline and airport decision makers will set out for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take part in the 14th World Route Development Forum (Routes), 12-14th October, hosted by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.
A record attendance is forecast including more than 300 of the world’s top airlines, covering every market sector – network carriers, regional operators, low-cost carriers, charter airlines and the cargo airline community. While Cathay Pacific attends the World Route Development Forum for the first time, Malaysia Airlines and Emirates send enlarged delegations and even host their own meeting chalets. EasyJet, the European low-cost carrier, has requested four tables at the event.
New Market Development Manager, David Bell, says: “Routes offers easyJet a great way of meeting numerous airports in one location. It is therefore important to us to be at the world event each year and we are looking forward to travelling to Kuala Lumpur.”
Routes is the platform where the world’s airports can pro-actively attract the attention of the world’s airlines through a structured programme of one-to-one meetings and a format designed for maximum networking. Over 1000 airports will be represented and take advantage of this unique networking opportunity this year. Recently registered airports include Aeroports de Paris, Banjul International Airport, Billund Airport, Kiev International Airport, Chelyabinsk Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Hong Kong Airport
Authority, Milan Airports, San Diego International Airport, Singapore Changi International Airport and Windhoek International Airport. More than 25,000 meetings will be arranged.
Additionally, representatives from the world’s tourism authorities, economic development agencies, tour operators, aircraft manufacturers, data suppliers, investors and service providers will be present, making Routes the ultimate air transport networking forum.
Mike Howarth, CEO & Founder of Routes, on the event and the looming downturn in the industry: “There may be talk of a slowdown in the world economy, but you would not know it looking at the registration for this year’s Routes. We are already ahead of this point last year. Even in difficult times, there is a great need for airlines and airports to work together. New air services often take two to three years to be put into practice, so many of the delegates will now be planning for the next upturn.”
“With record aircraft deliveries over the next decade, Routes will facilitate the allocation of new routes. The airline-airport relationship has never been more important, as airlines are constantly seeking new opportunities,” he adds.
Delegates confirm that Routes is the ideal platform to do business. Azran Osman-Rani, AirAsia X, says: “Routes is definitely a must attend event. The key benefit is to meet airports from all over the world in a short period of time, particularly airports we might not even have thought of. The event is the perfect place to learn about new possibilities in the industry. We will add a few destinations to our portfolio this autumn, so the World Route Development Forum is an event that is definitely not to be missed.”
Besides the highly-regarded Routes meeting format, there will be a number of innovative colocated events, which will offer overlapping networking opportunities for all attending Routes delegates. These events include the ICAO/ATAG/World Bank Forum on ‘Maximizing Civil Aviation’s Economic Contribution – an Aviation Development Focus on Safe, Secure and Sustainable Air Transport in Asia’, the 2nd Routes Leaders Forum, a unique gathering of airline and airport CEOs who will discuss how to maintain a framework for sustainable growth in air transport, and IARDA, the annual meeting of the newly formed International Air Route Development Association.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
