Largest Asian Route Development Event Ever to Open in Mumbai

AsiaNet 52423

MANCHESTER, England, Mar. 14 /PRN=KYODO JBN/--

    Record numbers register to attend Routes Asia, hosted by GVK Chhatrapati

Shivaji Interational Airport, Mumbai

    In just three days time the 11th Routes Asia event will take place in

Mumbai, India. The event will be hosted by GVK's Chhatrapati Shivaji

International Airport (CSIA) which is managed by Mumbai International Airport

Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL), at the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Centre which is

one of the largest convention centres in the city.

    Almost 160 airline delegates representing 88 airlines will be represented

at Routes Asia, which will take place from 17-19 March. This year will also see

more airports represented at the event than in previous years with 257

currently listed. This record participation for any pan-Asian route development

event highlights the continuous demand for new air links across Asia and the

fast-growing ties between Asian nations.

    Airlines such as Air India, Jet Airways, Spicejet and IndiGo will attend

with very senior delegations along with Air India Express and JetLite. The Low

Cost sector will also be well represented with attendance from Jetstar Airways,

LionAir, The AirAsia Group and Tiger Airways along with major carriers Qantas,

Malaysia Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Etihad and Japan

Airlines. The event also promises a large Chinese presence with Air China,

Shenzhen Airlines, Hainan Airlines, China Eastern and China Southern Airlines

all registered to attend. Other carriers who have signed up for the Indian

event recently include Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, GoAir and Qatar Airways.

    "We will have a record attendance at Routes Asia in Mumbai," said David

Stroud, Executive Vice President, Routes explaining: "Airlines from around the

globe are looking for ways to expand into the Indian market and Routes Asia in

Mumbai will see attendance by airports and airlines from across Asia as well as

representation from the Middle East, Europe and the US. We are looking forward

to welcoming the wider aviation community to Mumbai where they will have ample

opportunity to discuss the future of the industry within Asia."

    Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director, Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd said:

"As the countdown to Routes Asia 2013 begins, we are excited with the

overwhelming response and look forward to the opportunity to showcase all that

Mumbai and GVK CSIA have to offer to both domestic and international visitors.

Over the next few days, delegates from across the world including a varied mix

of business leaders & marketing heads representing some of the region's biggest

airlines and airports, industry experts and commentators will discuss

opportunities for airline route development. The forum this year has attracted

a diverse group who we strongly feel will appreciate the market opportunities

and investment attractiveness associated with GVK CSIA as a host airport"

    Taking place on Sunday 17th March 2013, the Routes Asia Strategy Summit

will open the event and will address issues affecting aviation and route

development across the region. Panels of leading industry experts will take

part in a number of moderator led discussions such as Developing Hubs in Asia

and Chasing the Tiger and the Dragon, which will look the fast-growing outbound

travel markets for China and India and Where next for Asian Low Cost Carriers?

which will look at this rapidly evolving segment of the Asian aviation market.

    High level delegates involved in the panel sessions include, amongst many

others, Aditya Ghosh, President of IndiGo, Neil Mills, CEO of Spicejet, Deepak

Brara, Commercial Director of Air India, Rajeev Jain, CEO of Mumbai

International Airport, VP Agrawal, Chairman of Airport Authority of India,

Germal Singh, SVP of Government & International Affairs for Malaysia Airlines

and Venggataroa Niadu, Head of Network for AirAsia X.

    In addition to the Strategy Summit and the Face-to-Face meetings taking

place at the event, this year's Route Exchange programme will see senior

network planners from four carriers deliver an overview of their route

development opportunities and how airports can be part of their airline

expansion. The carriers delivering briefings, which are open to all attending

airports, are Qantas, Jet Airways, Saudi Airlines Cargo and MEGA Maldives.

Additional content will be provided by Tourism Australia and Singapore Tourism

Board who will both deliver a destination briefing whilst in Mumbai.

    Notes to Editors

    About Routes

    - Routes organises world-renowned airline and airport networking events

through its regional and global Route Development Forums. Each year, there is

one global event and one regional event in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas

and CIS respectively. http://www.routesonline.com

    - Routes was founded in 1995 as part of the Manchester UK-based ASM Ltd.,

a consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports.

http://www.asm‐global.com [http://www.asm%E2%80%90global.com ]

    - Routes and ASM were acquired by UBM Aviation Worldwide Ltd in August

2010. From 1st August 2012 Routes, ASM and the Airport Cities Conference and

Exhibition become part of the UBM Live division of UBM plc.

     - UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across

five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products,

promote their brands and expand their markets. Through premiere brands such as

MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes

portfolio of events, Airport Cities and many others, UBM Live exhibitions,

conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and

certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies

across more than 20 industry sectors. http://www.ubmlive.com

    Follow us on twitter: @Routesonline, @TheHUBRoutes, @VictoriaRoutes,

@NLPROU, @airlineroute

    SOURCE: UBM Aviation Routes Limited