Focus on Emerging Opportunities at Asia & the Middle East’s Biggest Airport & ANS Development Event

These critical issues present an immense global challenge for all governments, air service providers and suppliers seeking to convert the growth potential on offer into tangible financial and economic benefits.

In a ground-breaking initiative designed to highlight the opportunities available and provide much-needed direction to investors and stakeholders alike, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has joined forces with world airports organisation, Airports Council International (ACI) and airport financial services consultancy, IJK and Associates to present a conference and series of master classes over five days in late August/September in Singapore.

Airport Development 2006 will be the biggest and the most significant airport financing and strategy conference ever held in the region. More than 400 industry leaders from airports, air navigation services (ANS), governments and financial sectors will attend the conference, which is being supported by the global ANS providers' organisation CANSO and Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority, CAAS.

Bringing together investors and stakeholders from all over the world, this event programme will be primarily finance-oriented, with a specific focus on privatisation - reflecting the investment potential of developments planned for Japan, China, Hong Kong, India, the UAE, South-East Asia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union States.

Airport Development 2006 will also address strategic regulatory and commercial issues central to the process of how airport managers and ANS providers plan and implement infrastructure and economic development. Other main sub-topics include growth markets, innovation, policy issues, low cost airport development, the evolution of hubs and point-to-point operations, non-aeronautical and airport retail revenues, and commercial risk management.

"Anyone seriously interested in accessing the many investment and development opportunities offered for airports and ANS in Asia and the Middle East should attend this event," Mr. Peter Harbison, the Executive Chairman of the Centre, says. "It offers a rare opportunity for investors, government and industry stakeholders and operators to gain a perspective and understanding of where the prospects exist and how to address them."

He says that the event comes at a time when airports and air traffic services are undergoing a transformation, with the entry of growth-oriented low cost airline models which provide substantial traffic benefits, while challenging every aspect of doing business in the airport and airways sectors.

"Asia, the Middle East and the emerging Eastern European states are the fastest growing markets in the world and, like precocious children, are starting to offer new lessons - and opportunities - to their longer established models elsewhere in the world," Mr. Harbison says.

The three day conference will be supplemented by two high level full-day master classes held prior to and after the event. There will also be a cluster of workshops and networking opportunities, led by the major organisations responsible for the event. The speakers will represent world's leading finance houses and institutions, government authorities, airports, airlines, ANS providers, IT companies, ground suppliers, aviation experts, regulatory bodies, trade and tourism industry organizations.

More information is available on the Centre's website
centreforaviation.com