Airport developers, officials and suppliers worldwide will reach Dubai in mid-May 2024 to participate in the world’s largest annual event dedicated to the airport industry. The 23rd edition of the three-day Airport Show is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 14 to 16 May.
The event is set to welcome more than 150 exhibitors from more than 20 countries along with 7,500 visitors from over 30 countries.
The Airport Show will have co-located events – ATC Forum, Airport Security Middle East, and the 11th edition of the Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF).
With the civil aviation industry having almost fully recovered after the steepest fall in passenger numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, airports across the world are bracing themselves to handle a big boom in air travel until 2030 by going in for expansions and redevelopments.
High growth forecast for Middle East market
The Middle East Aviation Market, valued at $60 billion in 2023, is predicted to rise substantially until 2030. Air connectivity in the Middle East had seen a 26 percent-plus growth in 2022 compared to 2019.
The Middle East’s airports are set to handle 1.1 billion passengers by 2040, more than double the 2019 figure of 405 million passengers. They will be required to invest around $151 billion in capacity expansion. The region, with over 110 airports, is among the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world.
“The business event will provide the industry professionals from Middle East, South Asia, and Africa region the opportunity to see innovations in airport sustainability, digitalisation, and urban air mobility,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, and Patron of Airport Show, said.
The show is supported by prominent players in the aviation industry, including the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), and dnata.
Mega project investments
According to a CAPA report, 425 major construction projects were on at existing airports worldwide, with $450 billion in investments. There were 225 new airport projects, and more than 70 percent of the investment was in Asia Pacific. There were 1,074 airport investors, of which 258 were airport operators, groups or consortiums. About 68 percent of all projects were based on terminals, either expansions or new developments. A report has disclosed that the global airport construction market grew to $1.14 trillion in 2023 and would reach $1.8 trillion by 2030.
Dubai International expanding capacity
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international travellers continuously for nine years, is also building up the capacity and facilities to make the hub more impressive. Now serving 250 destinations in 104 countries through 95 airlines, DXB has mega expansion plans that will entail investments of up to $2.7 billion. The capacity and service level enhancements over the coming 10 years have been necessitated as its home base carriers ordered another 120 aircraft – 90 Boeing-777s for Emirates and 30 Boeing-787s for flydubai.
Sharjah, home to the Arabian Gulf’s first airport, has started work on an AED1.2 billion ($327 million) terminal expansion that will increase the airport’s capacity to 20 million passengers a year. The expansion project will separate the arrivals from departures areas and enhance its systems and amenities. It is the largest phase of expansion work being undertaken at a total cost of AED2.4 billion and is expected to be completed in 2027. Improvements will include additional self-check-in kiosks, electronic boarding gates, a spacious waiting zone, dining facilities, and a transit passenger hotel.
