• 375 companies from 94 countries expected in the B2B show
• Co-located events: GALF, ATC Forum and Airport Security 
• 2 new conferences added 
• US$750 billion global airport investments until 2025
• Emerging economies to account for 60% of air traffic by 2040

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 16, 2019:   Titans of the aviation industry from across the world will assemble in Dubai in mid-June next year to debate topics related to the future passenger experience as the widest range of newest technologies and innovations are showcased at the world’s largest annual airport industry gathering.

Organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the 20th edition of Airport Show will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. 

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum remarked: “The aviation industry is constantly striving to meet the expectations and demands of passengers for seamless journeys right from the moment they enter the airport. Technology is helping enormously, especially in airport operations, security and air traffic control. The future looks bright as we incorporate cutting-edge technologies to deliver smoother, more efficient and more sustainable operations.”

Supported by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and dnata, Airport Show and its co-located events are the ideal platforms for airports, airlines, ground handlers, service providers and suppliers to come together and collaborate to improve the global travel experience. The event will take place across four spacious halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 22 June for 3 days and will have more than 375 companies exhibiting and visitors coming from as many as 94 countries. The 2020 event is expected to draw over 8,500 attendees travelling to take a look at over 50 new technologies on display. 

The B2B show will continue hosting the ATC Forum and Airport Security Middle East events for the third successive year as co-located events, along with the Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF) for the sixth year. Two new conferences have been added to GALF: Airport Passengers’ Experience and Future GSE. GALF is expected to attract 1,000 delegates and over 50 government entities addressed by 65 speakers and hold 12 panel discussions. Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly will also take place on 24 June. 

Breaking all records in terms of occupied exhibition space, number of country pavilions, exhibitors, hosted buyers and visitors, the 2019 event hosted 351 exhibitors covering 15,599 square metres and attracted 7,100 attendees from 89 countries in addition to seven country pavilions. There were 208 hosted buyers and 2,900 business meetings were pre-scheduled.  

Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibitions Director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: “Airport Show offers a unique opportunity to discover the latest aviation trends, advanced technologies and cutting-edge solutions that are shaping the future of modern airports. The Future Ground Handling Summit will examine the current threats and challenges facing the ground handlers and passenger transportation. The aviation community will debate about the ultimate seamless experience of the future at the Airport Passengers’ Experience. Airport Show offers an invaluable opportunity to see the latest global technologies and create new opportunities to collaborate for the ever-growing industry.”

The aviation industry is continuing its upward growth. The Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are driving the demand for air travel. The Airport projects pipeline value in the Middle East and Africa comes in the second place, with projects valuing US$222.2 billion. Globally, the highest value of airport projects are at the execution stage (US$377.6 billion) followed by projects at the planning stage with US$215.8 billion. Assuming all projects tracked go ahead as planned; the highest value of projected contract value is in 2022, with US$108.0 billion. PricewaterhouseCoopers and Oxford Economics globally have estimated the airport investments at US$750 billion between 2015 and 2025 in a study.  

According to the ICAO, the 150 million passengers departing from the Middle East region will double around 2030 and triple by 2045. An IATA study suggests the UAE could generate an extra US$80 billion in GDP for the nation’s economy by 2037, up from the present contribution of US$47.4 billion, accounting for 13.3 percent of the UAE’s GDP. The value of the UAE’s investments in the aviation sector amounts to US$270 billion. A whopping AED85 billion worth of airport development projects are in progress in UAE, according to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).