Monday, February 26, 2024
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that carriers in the Asia Pacific region will achieve profitability again by 2024. In light of the vital importance of the aviation industry in sustaining countless jobs throughout the area, Routes Asia is gearing up for its session in Langkawi from February 27 to 29, assembling over 900 key figures from the airline, airport, and tourism sectors to strategize on enhancing air links within the region.
Celebrating its 20th gathering, the conference will witness unprecedented participation from airlines, with vice presidents and network planning chiefs from 110 of the area’s most influential and rapidly expanding carriers poised to partake in upwards of 3,500 discussions with representatives from airports and tourist destinations to explore potential new air routes. Among the airlines present will be Air India, AirAsia Group, Etihad Airways, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Thai Airways, and Vietnam Airlines. A complete list of participants is available.
Before the outbreak of COVID-19, China was a major source of visitors for many countries in the Asia-Pacific, and the event will see representation from China’s ten leading airlines by available seat kilometers (ASK). These carriers, including Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, and Shandong Airlines, which previously accounted for a significant portion of worldwide air travel demand, will be evaluating airport proposals to determine their strategic focus areas during recovery.
Additionally, Routes Asia will host over 30 leaders from various associations, airlines, airports, and tourism bodies in its conference program. Notably, presentations will be given by:
This edition of the event is proudly hosted by Malaysia Airports and Tourism Malaysia, marking a return to the venue that held the first three events from 2003 to 2005. The platform aims to boost direct international access to Langkawi and Malaysia at large.
Steven Small, director of Routes, said: “Malaysia Airports and Tourism Malaysia are long standing partners of Routes. This year marks the 20th edition of the event, we are delighted to be in Malaysia again delivering what will be our biggest Routes Asia event.”
Small added: “Route development has perhaps become more important than it has ever been, with airlines scrutinising opportunities more carefully than ever before. Routes Asia continues to play a vital role in this process, providing a meeting place for airline decision makers to negotiate new and existing air services with their airport and destination partners.”
Mohamed Rastam Shahrom, acting group chief executive officer of Malaysia Airports, said: “Routes Asia has become an indispensable platform for fostering collaboration, exploring new opportunities, and driving innovation within the dynamic aviation landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. With over 3,500 meetings expected over the course of this year’s conference, this is the flagship event for aviation players to collaborate on developing new routes within the region. For Malaysia Airports, we look forward to bringing new airlines to our network of airports, and encourage others to start new routes or return to sunny Malaysia.”
Manoharan Periasamy, director general of Tourism Malaysia, said: “Routes Asia provides an excellent platform for us to showcase Malaysia’s appeal as a premier travel destination. As we gear up for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, airline route development and partnerships will be integral to increasing connectivity and accessibility to Malaysia. Langkawi presents the ideal backdrop for delegates to experience Malaysian Hospitality and tremendous appeal as a leisure and business travel destination, supporting our target of achieving 27.3 million tourist arrivals and RM102.7 billion in tourist receipts this year.”
Saturday, April 27, 2024
