ATM to focus on aviation and the future of transport
- Private and domestic flights expected to recover faster than international travel
- Emirates, Etihad, SAUDIA, Qatar Airways continue to drive investment
- Aviation sector expected 6% CAGR over next five years
The Middle East’s aviation industry is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 6 percent during the period 2022-27, according to data from research firm Mordor Intelligence. The news comes as the global travel and tourism community prepares to gather in Dubai for Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May.
Although the recovery estimated for international passenger traffic is gradual, Mordor Intelligence shows that the Middle East’s private and domestic aviation segments remained resilient during the pandemic and are continuing to display signs of growth.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “The latest market analysis suggests that budget carriers such as Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will drive demand for new narrow-body aircraft during the coming years.
“The Middle East’s aviation sector has also witnessed high demand for private travel during recent years, thanks to corporations and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) opting for business jet and helicopter journeys during the pandemic,” she added.
“As such, the Middle East’s aviation sector will represent a major focus at ATM 2022, thanks to a dedicated session on the ATM Global Stage, plus a number of related events and forums throughout the event. We also look forward to exploring long-term opportunities related to the future of transport,” she added.
On the second day of ATM 2022, ‘Airlines Evolving for the Future: Hear From the Industry Leaders’ will address pandemic-related challenges faced by the industry. Moderated by John Strickland, Director of JLS Consulting, speakers including Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group and Adel Abdullah Al Ali, Board Member and Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, will also share insights into opportunities and likely structural change within the aviation sector as its recovery continues.
Later the same day, ‘The Future of Transport’ session, held in conjunction with the Global Travel & Tourism Resilience Council, will explore new and emerging modes of transport – such as hyperloop systems, driverless vehicles, next-generation aircraft and space travel – with the potential to revolutionise how we move from A to B. Moderated by Sarah Hedley Hymers, Editorial Director in the Middle East for Connecting Travel, speakers will include Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President – Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Boeing; Kata Cserep, Vice President and Global Managing Director – Aviation at ICF; and Karime Makhlouf, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Jordanian.
“Market leaders such as Emirates, Etihad, SAUDIA, Qatar Airways and others also reflect a positive longer-term trajectory for the sector,” added Curtis.
In October 2021, Etihad announced it had raised $1.2 billion as part of the first regional sustainability-linked loan (SSL) to include environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics. The deal’s terms were tied to targets to reduce CO2 emissions, increase corporate governance and promote female participation.
In November 2021, Emirates announced a major retrofit programme which will see 52 of its existing A380 aircraft fitted with Premium Economy cabins and other enhancements, signalling its optimism for industry recovery and the return of travel demand. The following month, Emirates received delivery of its 123rd Airbus A380 superjumbo jet, despite the outbreak of the Omicron variant.
More recently in January 2022, Boeing revealed that it had won a major order from Qatar Airways worth $34 billion at list prices. The order includes the purchase of 25 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets along with options to buy 25 more. Qatar’s national airline also signed an order for 34 Boeing 777X models, with options to buy 16 more.
Meanwhile in the kingdom, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) is reported to be mulling an order of more than 100 aircraft from either Airbus or Boeing, according to Mordor Intelligence. The carrier aims to grow its fleet to 250 aircraft by 2030.
Now in its 29th year and working in collaboration with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) – formerly the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), this year’s edition of ATM will commence on Monday 9 May, following the UAE government’s forward-thinking transition to the Monday-to-Friday workweek,
If you are planning to attend ATM in person, please feel free to post using the hashtags #ATMDubai and #IamgoingtoATM.
To register for ATM 2022, go to https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb/enquire.html.
For more news about ATM, you can visit https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/.
For general information on this year’s show, please visit wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html.
About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)
Arabian Travel Market (ATM), now on its 29th year, is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2021 showcased over 1,300 exhibiting companies from 62 countries across nine halls at Dubai World Trade Centre, with attendees from more than 110 countries over the four days. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
Next in-person event: Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May 2022, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Next virtual event: Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 18 May 2022
About Arabian Travel Week
Arabian Travel Week is a festival of events taking place within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2022. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes ATM Virtual, ILTM Arabia, ARIVAL Dubai, Influencers’ events and activations, as well as Travel Tech. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, ATM Speed Networking Events as well as a series of country summits.
https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html
About RX (Reed Exhibitions)
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com
RELX About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn, €39bn, $47bn.*
*Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
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About World Travel Market
World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events, online portals and virtual platforms across four continents, generating more than $7.5 billion of industry deals. The events are:
WTM Virtual, is the WTM Portfolio virtual platform, created to offer global delegates the chance to arrange one-to-one virtual meetings, to do business, attend conference sessions and roundtables, take part in speed networking and more. WTM Virtual embrace the global leading travel shows in one platform.
WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. Around 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating over £3.71 billion in travel industry contracts.
WTM Latin America takes place annually in São Paulo and attracts around 19,000 tourism professionals during a three-day event. The show offers qualified content, as well as networking and business opportunities. In its ninth edition – the first 100% virtual – WTM Latin America followed its focus on effective business generation and reached the milestone of 4,200 meetings held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors.
Next event: Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 April 2022 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. More than 6,000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading inbound and outbound travel and tourism market. WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, pre-scheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors.
Next event: Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 April 2022 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
Aashif Shaikh
Mumbai, India