Daniyal Qureshi, group exhibition director at Reed Exhibitions, organiser of the Airport Show held every year in Dubai, explains what will be on offer at the next example of the world’s largest annual airport show
What is going to be new for this year’s show?
The Airport Show 2019 will have two co-located events: Air Traffic Control (ATC) Forum and Airport Security Middle East, as well as a revamped Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF), Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly and a new addition, CAPA’s Middle East & Africa Aviation Summit.
The event will also focus on the theme of ‘Smart Airports’, which will bring together the most influential innovations that are shaping the design, features and day-to-day operations of the modern airport.
Exhibitors who have breakthrough technologies will be highlighted on the show floor, a new Smart Airports Conference will take place on day 1 of GALF and the new Innovation Hub will present a selection of innovators from across the globe who will be showcasing developments set to shape the future airport experience.
Finally, a dedicated ‘Live Stage’ featuring CPD-accredited industry presentations will also be available for all visitors to attend for free.
The Airport Show is different every year, with changes to co-located events and other features such as new exhibits. The show reflects the industry’s trends and what is coming up in the future. The aviation industry is soaring to new heights of growth and expansion.
An investment of $90 billion is projected to go into the aviation industry in the Middle East by 2020, more than three-quarters of which will be in the Arabian Gulf states alone. Together with the $845 billion investment in existing airport projects such as new runways, terminal buildings and extensions, $1.1 trillion in airport infrastructure projects are planned or underway. UAE airports are investing up to $50 billion in new and expanded projects over the next 15 years.
Why did you opt for ATC and Airport Security as two key themes this year?
The ATC Forum is important as the number of aircraft in the skies will more than double by 2037. With 37,390 new aircraft predicted to take off, the world’s total fleet will increase by 123% to reach 47,990.
By 2034, the fleet of passenger and freighter aircraft in the Middle East region alone will almost treble to over 2,950.
The global smart airport market is expected to reach close to a value of US$13 billion by 2019 and $14.87 billion by 2021.
In the Middle East, the smart airports market will be worth $850 million by 2019 and airports in the UAE lead in smart technology adoption. The airport security market is projected to hit a value of US$16 billion by 2024, according to Global Market Insights, Inc.
The threat of criminal attacks and terrorism continues to be the key market driver. The rising penetration of smart technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) in airports is fuelling the demand within the airport security market. These include technologies such as remote check-ins, sensor equipment, e-gates and RFID (radio frequency identification) baggage reconciliation systems.
In an annual survey, co-sponsored by SITA and Airports Council International (ACI), more than half of the world’s airports listed security as the top priority for IT investments for passenger and airport security.
Are you expecting to see even more exhibitors and visitors than you did at last year’s event?
The world’s largest annual airport exhibition will have a record 375 exhibitors from 60 countries this year. Approximately 7,500 attendees are expected to attend the B2B show, with 75% of exhibitors returning after their highly successful 2018 participation.
The show will take place in an exhibition space of over 15,000 square meters. In last year’s show, the largest number of regional hosted buyers – 190 – came from 34 countries, and this year we aim to exceed 300 buyers hosted at multiple content and networking events.
Can you offer some detail on the nature of your exhibitor base?
Exhibitors come from almost all geographical regions and all sectors related to the airport industry, but exhibitors are more common from Europe, the US and the Middle East and Asia.
What do you think distinguishes this show from other regular industry events? What sets it apart and attracts visitors from right around the world?
The Airport Show has its own USP [unique selling points] and we continue to maintain our uniqueness, much to the industry’s benefit. For the exhibitors, it remains a good platform to showcase their products and to win new business. The show has everything related to airports under one roof.
