The Chinese city of Macau will host Routes’ next Regional Asia forum from the 13th to 15th April 2008. Hosted by Macau International Airport, the 2008 Intra-Regional Route Development Forum will offer an unrivalled platform for airlines and airports across Asia to explore new opportunities.

The announcement comes at the end of this year’s World Route Development Forum in Stockholm, which saw more than 2,300 delegates, including 500 airline decision makers and representatives from nearly 750 airports across 110 countries.

Over the past four years, the Route Development Group (RDG) has organised a number of Routes' Regional Events in Asia, Europe and Africa that allow airports and airlines to meet, network and do business. Routes events are increasingly seen as the most important gathering for the world’s air service development community.

Mike Howarth, chairman and founder of Routes, comments on the announcement; “It is fantastic to be bringing the Routes forum to Macau. Every year the global and regional Routes events grow and we are confident that Macau will also be a great success.”

It is estimated that the event will attract hundreds of delegates from key airlines and airport operators as well as representatives from the aviation industry across Asia. Routes believes that the regional platform will continue to grow to be the key discussion forum for the aviation industry in the region.

Mike Howarth continues; “We are very excited about this opportunity and aim to make this event the best attended and most productive event for air service development professionals anywhere in the region. Macau was an obvious choice as its location, and facilities, are ideal for the intra regional Asia event.”

Suning Liu, Executive Director, Macau International Airport, comments; “It is a great honour and sense of responsibility to host the Routes Regional Asia event next year. We have a great programme lined up for the attending delegates, to complement the meetings and exhibitions, and we aim to exceed all expectations.”


For further information, images please contact:


Susan Willis, Marketing Manager

Susan.willis@routedevgroup.com

T: +44 (0) 161 234 2713

F: +44 (0) 161 234 2702



Notes to Editors
 

• Routes The World Route Development Forum is the world renowned annual airline and airport networking event. Routes facilitates and encourages the role of airports in the development of air services through organising global and region specific airline/airport networking forums. www.routesonline.com
• This year’s World Route Development Forum will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, 23-25 September. Previous World Route Development Forums occurred in Cannes, Abu Dhabi, Oslo, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Dublin, Athens, Edinburgh, Madrid, Copenhagen and Dubai. Region-specific events are: Routes Regional Europe, Routes Regional Asia, Routes Regional Africa and Routes Regional Americas.
• Routes was founded in 1995 by Chairman Mike Howarth as part of the Manchester UK-based ASM Ltd., a consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports. www.asm-global.com
• Both companies are now subsidiaries of the Route Development Group (RDG), a family of inter-related companies, strategic partners and associates that is the leading global force in the strategically important ‘route development’ sector of air transport. www.routedevgroup.com. For more information, visit www.routesonline.com
• In April of this year, Routes also won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2007. The award, for outstanding business performance and commercial success, recognised Routes’ sustained contribution to aviation route development through its innovative Regional and World Route Development Forums.