Airport Show 2022 to Give a Strong Boost to the Global Airport Industry

• Sheikh Ahmed: The exhibition to help identify sustainable innovations and smart solutions to reshape the future of the aviation industry.

• Airports Council International: US$2.4 trillion investment to develop the world’s airports until 2040, out of which US$151 billion for the Middle East.

• Travel demand picks up mid-2022; airlines return to profitability in 2023.

• Technology is the centrepiece of developments to improve the passenger experience in the post-pandemic era.

Dubai is giving another big impetus to the global airport industry through the 21^st edition of Airport Show that will be held from 17-19 May 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Patron of Airport Show, said, “The Airport Show and the co-located events and conferences are to provide an impetus for the aviation industry to appear stronger and better in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and to learn about the latest smart solutions and innovations that will reshape the future of the industry. This is exactly what the Airport Show provided over the past two decades as an ideal platform for collaboration to create the world’s most advanced aviation facilities.”

He added, “Airports and airlines have a technology-based approach to achieve sustainable levels of safety, health, security and efficiency. During the period spent by the international airports on innovation and adopting technology, Dubai has remained at the forefront of developing initiatives that enabled the aviation to recover rapidly.”

Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the organizer of the world’s top global B2B event for the global airport industry, expects the exhibition in this session, to post record growth in the number of exhibitors from different countries as the airports across the world have broken the isolation they experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic and urgently needed networking with the manufacturers of smart solutions and global airports to learn about the best practices to work to keep pace with the projected growth in travel demand starting mid-2022.

According to the forecasts by the Airports Council International (ACI) whose members operate 1,933 airports in 183 countries, the volume of investments that airports around the world will spend will reach US$2.4 trillion until the year 2040 to maintain, upgrade, expand and modernize airport infrastructure to deal with any conditions in the future similar to the challenges faced during the 21^st century’s second pandemic.

The report stated countries in the Middle East, alone need to spend about US$151 billion to complete the expansion and modernization for their airports that were slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These countries have to start again their forward journey to keep pace with the expected boom in passenger traffic in the coming years and improve the overall airport experience by utilizing new technologies like artificial intelligence and the adoption of biometric systems at check-in and baggage.

The exhibition is supported by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), Dubai Airports and dnata. The co-located events will be ATC Forum, Airport Security Middle East, Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF) and Women in Aviation (WIA) Forum, Airport Passengers Experience Conference and the Future GSE Summit. At the Airport Show, the visitors will be able to see the latest in contactless technologies, artificial intelligence, biometrics, and clean mobility solutions to ensure the hygiene and safety of passengers.

Firas Abu Ltaif, Exhibition Manager at Reeds Exhibitions Middle East, said, “Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, as part of its commitment to the constant advancement of the airport industry, organized the 20^th edition of the Airport Show last May. We saw the need for decision-makers, airport leaders and manufacturers of airport technology, to meet under one roof to discuss the future of the industry and learn about the best experiences and ways to overcome the effects of the pandemic and prepare for the boom period in the near future.”

He added, “Despite all the challenges, more than 100 companies from different countries participated in the exhibition, in addition to the participation of 3,441 specialists and experts from 48 countries, in the hybrid conferences that were held on the sidelines. They communicated, exchanged ideas and visions, and identified the needs of the industry in the world and the Middle East to adapt to changing travel patterns and adopt advanced technologies to keep pace in the post-COVID-19 era.”

Aviation across the world, as per IATA, is now on their way to recovery and airlines are expected to return to profitability in 2023. After a decade of consistent and robust growth in global passenger traffic, the pandemic halted the surge in airports around the world in the second quarter of 2020, causing total passenger numbers for that year to drop sharply to a level not seen in the world’s airports since 1997.