ROUTES EUROPE OFFICIALLY HANDED OVER TO ABERDEEN
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A successful Routes Europe event came to a close in Marseille, which saw a record number of delegates descend on the city to discuss the future of Europe’s air traffic, making this year’s event the largest regional route development event ever. The event was officially handed over to Aberdeen City and Shire, the host of the 2015 event which will take place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) from 12-14 April 2015.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen said, “Aberdeen International Airport is growing at a fantastic rate, with two new air services taking off in the last week alone. Routes Europe provides a fantastic opportunity to market Aberdeen to every airline and airport in Europe, and hosting the event will undoubtedly bring great benefits to the city and wider region. Team Scotland and the local collective working in Marseille this week will learn a great deal about how Routes Europe is run and the work which goes into it, which will help to ensure that the Aberdeen event is a huge success.”
An ambitious GBP 15 million redevelopment is already underway at Aberdeen International Airport (AIA), designed to transform the customer experience. The project comes hot on the heels of a 24 per cent increase in passenger numbers since 2011, the addition of a number of new routes including Corfu and Riga, and saw the airport enjoy its busiest ever year last year. Passenger numbers are forecast to grow further in the coming decade and this significant investment will ensure the team can continue to deliver excellence in customer service. With 65 per cent of its passengers using the airport for business trip purposes, AIA is the best connected regional airport in the UK for daily hub connections and the best connected UK-UK airport in the country.
Aberdeenshire Provost Jill Webster said, “By hosting Routes Europe we can raise the profile of Aberdeen International Airport amongst airlines and support ongoing route development efforts. This is a chance to promote our area to people at the heart of decision making on aviation matters, and they will be given a taste of Scotland in Aberdeenshire. I will be delighted to welcome delegates to a gala night I'm hosting at Castle Fraser, and they will also be offered a chance to sample the world-class golfing we have on our doorstep.”
Carol Benzie, MD, Aberdeen International Airport stated, “We hope that by bringing the aviation industry to our doorstep they will see the benefits of doing business with us, and we look forward to giving them a good Scottish welcome.”
Steve Harris, Chief Executive, Visit Aberdeen added, “Aberdeen has so much to offer in terms of history, culture, attractions and economic growth. It is a city on the move, a city of opportunity. We are delighted to be able to welcome travel industry partners to share it with us.”
“Routes Europe is the largest of our regional events and we have experienced significant growth this year with 115 airlines, 380 airports and over 1200 delegates in total. When the event moves to Aberdeen next year, delegates will experience the economically vibrant region of the North-East of Scotland and the multitude of business and leisure opportunities on offer. Aberdeen International Airport is already well connected across Europe and will allow easy access for delegates. We are looking forward to working with the Aberdeen team and to the 10th Routes Europe in 2015,” commented Katie Bland, Director Routes for UBM Live.