BRISBANE, 19 March 2018: Asia-Pacific’s aviation industry leaders gathered in Brisbane over the weekend for the opening of the 16th annual Routes Asia.
Convening, 18 to 20 March, aviation leaders will plan and negotiate new air services within the Asia-Pacific region.
Around 950 delegates are taking part in 2,350 meetings and networking sessions with airline representatives from full-service and regional low-cost carriers.
Airlines in attendance include Qantas, China Southern Airlines, Norwegian, Korean Air, British Airways, Air China, IndiGo, and American Airlines. Around 96 airlines, 146 airports and 23 tourism authorities.
Routes Asia brings together airlines, airports and tourism authorities to develop air route networks. It moves to a new city every year to highlight the diverse aviation markets within Asia.
Brisbane Airport Corporation, Brisbane Marketing, Tourism Australia and Tourism Events Queensland are the hosts for the even being held in the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Industry experts will explore major challenges facing Asia Pacific’s aviation sector including how the region will deal with overcapacity and whether low-cost carriers can continue their phenomenal growth.
High-profile speakers include: Gareth Evans, chief executive officer, Jetstar Group; Rob Sharp, roup executive, Virgin Australia Airlines; Nadda Buranasiri, chief executive officer Thai AirAsia X Co Ltd and Conrad Clifford, regional vice president for Asia-Pacific, IATA.
Brisbane Airport is Australia’s third-largest hub and recorded decade-high growth in international traffic in 2017, with many international carriers increasing the frequency of their services to accommodate the demand.
In 2020 the airport’s new runway will open, effectively doubling the city’s aviation capacity and positioning Brisbane as the future major gateway to Australia.
“This is the perfect time for Brisbane to host Routes Asia and showcase the major investments taking place at the airport and across the city,” said Routes brand director Steven Small.
Minister for Tourism Industry Development Kate Jones said attracting more visitors and business delegations from Asia was an important part of the strategy to strengthen Queensland’s tourism industry.
“We know strengthening our relationships with airlines in key tourism markets and improving access to our great destinations are pivotal parts of ensuring our tourism industry grows,” she said.
“In the last term of government we secured around 740,000 additional seats worth in direct flights to Queensland – this was worth around USD 570 million for our economy each year.”
