In June this year, an entirely new sister conference and accompanying exhibition to Airside magazine will launch: the inaugural GSE & RAMP-OPS AFRICA event will take place in Casablanca, Morocco
GSE & RAMP-OPS AFRICA will run between 11 and 13 June this year and will be held at the Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche hotel. GSE & RAMP-OPS AFRICA will be a regular new feature of the airside conference calendar: a biennial, must-attend for those with a professional interest in ramp operations, and especially for those with a specific interest in operating on the African continent.
Building on the success of the annual international GSE & RAMP-OPS Event which has complemented Airside International magazine for many years, GSE & RAMP-OPS AFRICA represents a move into an entirely new market, one that is growing but also represents a range of unique challenges to those that work there.
Passenger numbers and trading volumes between Africa and other continents are growing, and this trend is only set to accelerate in the future. The potential of this continent is huge in so many ways, and not least for its aviation sector.
Meanwhile, Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, home hub of flag-carrier Royal Air Maroc, recently completed a programme of redevelopment. It is the busiest airport in Morocco and also ranks amongst the busiest in Africa in terms of passenger traffic.
Conference and exhibition
GSE & RAMP-OPS AFRICA will feature a conference programme tailored to the needs of the local market and built around current industry interests.
The 2019 event will bring together top-level experts to discuss the biggest issues facing our industry. Our aim is to attract aviation leaders and offer an insight into where opportunities and growing markets are to be found, as well as to provide an important networking forum. GSE & RAMP-OPS AFRICA will build upon our many years of experience in providing an invaluable rendezvous for the ramp industry, acting as a critical meeting point for all the key players in this business.
Speakers and delegates will be leading aviation industry decision-makers and influencers, with years of experience and knowledge in operations – airlines, airport authorities, ground handlers, GSE manufacturers, financiers and equipment lessors – each a specialist keen to share their knowledge.
Key themes of the conference will include:
- The regulatory environment surrounding Africa’s aviation industry
- Airport development across the continent
- Achieving cost efficiencies in the aviation market in Africa
- The African perspective on GSE
- Leveraging technology to improve airside safety
- The applicability and value of ISAGO to African stakeholders
- Preventing airside damage
- Increasing operational safety and efficiency through relevant training
Speakers already confirmed for the conference include:
- Dimitrios Sanos, product manager, airport & ground operations training at the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Murat Demirbilek, vice president of ground operations at Pegasus Airlines
- Kehinde Abioye, technical director at Engequip Concepts
- Amr Samir, CEO of Link Aero Trading Agency
- Hervé Gueusquin, managing partner at Air Business Consultants
- David Burgess, vice president global fleet management at Swissport
- Tafadzwa Zaza, manger of ground handling and airport services at Air Zimbabwe
- Marja Aalto, director air transportation development business at Tampere in Finland
- Christoph Fladung, sales director for GSE and catering high loaders at Atlas Avia
- Nick Welch, technical director at industry standards and training provider RTITB
- Dany Vranckx, CEO of Aviaco GSE
Meanwhile, a range of sponsors already signed up include Aviaco, Denge Airport Equipment and Miloco Groupe, all of which will also have a stand at the exhibition that will accompany the conference. Other confirmed exhibitors include Air Marrel, Airside GSE, Charlatte Manutention, Goldhofer, JBT, TCR and TLD.
We look forward to seeing you in Casablanca in June!
