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CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa forum to welcome 40 airlines on 28 April

CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa forum to welcome 40 airlines on 28 April
The four-day event will include a diverse conference programme

UAE – Mubasher: Up to 40 airlines and more than 60 represented airports have confirmed that they will participate at the inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa – co-located with Arabian Travel Market 2019 (ATM 2019), CONNECT said in a statement. 

The inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa forum will take place during the period between 28 April and 1 May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), one of the largest event venue in the region. 

The four-day event will include a diverse conference programme, including panel discussions, keynotes, Q&A’s and airline & industry briefings, in addition to unlimited one-to-one meetings pre-scheduled for airlines, airports and suppliers.

It will also host up to 300 delegates from different countries across the globe.

“2018 was a busy year for flight routes both to and from the Middle East and as we look ahead this trend is expected to continue with IATA predicting an extra 290 million air passengers on routes to, from and within the region by 2037 - with the total market size increasing to 501 million passengers during the same period,” Nick Pilbeam, Divisional Director of Reed Travel Exhibitions, said.

He added that the expected growth highlights the emirate of Dubai, and of course the Middle East, as the ideal location to bring together professionals from the aviation and tourism industry for the high-profile event. 

In 2018, GCC airlines added 58 new flight routes – focusing on areas of consistent and substantial growth - according to research from Collieers International - based on a sample of 10 airlines including Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Salaam Air, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Saudia, flyadeal, Air Arabia and IndiGo Airlines.

“2019 is set to be an exciting year for new routes – particularly between the Middle East and Europe – with various new and direct flights announced by UAE airlines to destinations such as Budapest, Naples, Prague and Belgrade as well as an increased number of flights to Barcelona and London,” Karin Butot, CEO of The Airport Agency, commented.