•  His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum and Tony Douglas to address international aerospace leaders during live interviews with CNN’s John Defterios 
•  His Excellency Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs to open proceedings with Ministerial Address 

28 April 2018 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:  Defining the future of aerospace, mass transportation and urban mobility will be the central focus of day one at the Global Aerospace Summit 2018, which is taking place from 30 April to 2 May 2018 in Abu Dhabi at the St. Regis hotel on Saadiyat Island. 

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group will be interviewed by CNN’s John Defterios on day one of the event.

Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group will also be interviewed by John Defterios in what will be one of his first major summit appearances since joining the airline earlier this year.

The interviews will analyse the regional and global challenges within the aviation industry and provide unique insights into Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s future strategies for the sector.  

His Excellency Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs will begin the Summit proceedings with a Ministerial Address, which will be followed by a welcome address from Khaled Al Qubaisi, Chief Executive Officer, Aerospace, Renewables & Information Communications Technology (ICT), Mubadala. 

Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer Marillyn Hewson will follow H.H Sheikh Ahmed and Tony Douglas with a session on how the aerospace and defense industry serves as a catalyst for global security, international cooperation, and economic growth.

“This event will bring together many of the world’s most respected aerospace leaders to discuss issues that will shape the future of our industry for decades to come,” said Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

“I look forward to engaging attendees in a dialogue on how we can better collaborate across all sectors to harness the power of the aerospace industry for stronger international security, scientific advancement, and economic growth.”

Talel Kamel, Managing Director, Middle East, Turkey and North Africa for Rockwell Collins commented on the Summit: “Rockwell Collins is glad to be back at the Global Aerospace Summit this year.

Since its inception, Rockwell Collins has supported this event in Abu Dhabi, in support of Mubadala and its journey to further grow the UAE’s footprint in the aerospace and defense industry.

In this edition, Rockwell Collins takes its ‘Four C’ model — cockpit, connectivity, cabin and communications — to the next level. We will talk about the new insights and innovative ways to transform the future of passengers, airlines, pilots, crew and ground through an enhanced and seamless transition from ticket to destination.” 

The Global Aerospace Summit is an exclusive, invitation-only event for C-level executives, senior decision makers and government officials involved with the aerospace, aviation, defence and space industries. The 2018 edition, the fourth in this biennial series, will take place on 30th April to 1st May at the St. Regis hotel on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. 

Oisin Commane, Managing Director of SMG Aerospace, which is organising the Global Aerospace Summit, said: “It is a great honour for us to welcome H.H Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum to the Global Aerospace Summit as well as other high-profile industry leaders and distinguished guests.

The aerospace industry is going through rapid changes and it is important that collectively as a sector, knowledge is transferred, and experiences shared.

We will answer some critical questions around how new technologies are transforming these key sectors and we look forward to welcoming the world’s industry leaders once again in the UAE capital.”