With Dubai International already straining to cope with the expansion of Emirates Airline and its sister Flydubai, Expo 2020 - which the city will host - could be a major test of the UAE's airports to cope with a influx of high-end visitors.
More than 25 million tourists are expected for the six-month-long international extravaganza, and "Investing in business aviation infrastructure in the lead up to Expo 2020" will be one of the themes covered in a conference that takes place on 5 December, ahead of the MEBAA show.
A panel discussion will examine how new developments at airports such as Al Maktoum, Sharjah and Al Bateen will impact business aviation across the UAE, examining potential improvements in passenger handling and the expected benefits to the local economy.
Other panel discussions will include continuous improvement in safety and security, examining ways in which security measures are implemented in business aviation, best practice implementation in audits and oversight and tracking safety ratings; while another will address the importance of fixed base operations at airports, paying particular attention to the challenges of the Middle East market. The final panel will address the personnel shortage in the industry and training of local staff to meet demand.
The show itself takes place on 6-8 December and Ali Alnaqbi, founding chairman of the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) anticipates a successful event. “The interest we have seen from exhibitors for this year’s show is incredible,” he says. “There really is an incredible appetite for business aviation in the Middle East. This has come to the attention of companies outside the region too, we have seen a significant increase in exhibitors from places such as Asia and Europe.
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Source: Flight Daily News