Number One Air Service Development Event for all the Americas Once Again a Great Success

Posted 24/06/2010 - Viewed 189 time(s)

 

Lima, Peru, 16 February 2010

 

Productive meetings and intensive networking characterized the third edition of Routes

Americas, the biggest networking event for the region's air transport industry and the most

successful to date. Hosted by Lima Airport Partners and held in Lima, Peru, the forum

attracted airlines, airports and tourism authorities from North, Central and South America as

well as the Caribbean, and once again proofed to be the number one air transport platform

for all the Americas.

 

Over the three days of the event delegates discussed air service expansion and performance

in an effort to leverage on the region's vast opportunities. The strength and continuous

growth of South America's air transport industry and the route development potential in the

Caribbean were of particular interest at this strategically important event.

 

While Central America maintained its strong airport presence with Guatemala, Costa Rica,

Panama and Honduras in attendance, other parts of the region significantly raised their

profiles at the event, including Atlantic Canada Airports Association and Las Vegas/McCarran

International Airport, who for the first time decided to promote their services not only at

World Routes in Vancouver, but also at the region's premier air transport networking event.

Also represented were Los Angeles World Airports. Mark Thorpe, Director of Air Service

Development, said: "This year, due to the recession, we were concentrating on route

maintenance more than growth. At Routes Americas we can find out how certain routes are

performing and how we can support the airlines we work with. It allows us to build on

existing relationships. However, we were also discussing new opportunities. By meeting with

up to 15 airlines at the event, we manage to filter out real opportunities. We are focusing on

the South and Central American markets, and Routes Americas is a good platform to meet

with the respective carriers."

 

Brian Solis from Southwest Florida International Airport added: "Apart from increasing our

domestic traffic, we want to expand our network across the whole continent. A particular

focus is Latin America. Our meetings here in Lima have been very beneficial. We met quite a

few airlines we hadn't had meetings with before, and at the same time we re-connected

with existing clients. The event was, as always, very well organised and spot on."

 

Bob Hill, Director of Route Planning at American Airlines, commented: "As always, the event

was really successful for us. We are very interested in South America; Peru and Colombia,

for example, are very important markets for us. We are planning to add capacity within

certain countries in South America, and here at the event we once again had the

opportunity to start and continue essential discussions."

 

"Routes makes it possible for us to have wide and consistent exposure. We meet with about

125-150 airports every year, and only up to 35 of those airports would visit us at our

headquarters. The majority of our meetings take place at Routes events," he added.

Mauricio Emboaba Moreira, Planning and Statistics Director at Gol Transportes Aéreos,

elaborated on his company's plans to improve the route network, especially regarding the

Caribbean. "We are looking at new places in the flight range of seven hours. This basically

includes all of the Caribbean. Over the past couple of days we had the opportunity to discuss

new services with airports and tourism authorities, which will help us to develop joint

ventures. I am going back to Brazil with very promising contacts and relationships."

 

The 4th Routes Americas in 2011 will be held in the Dominican Republic. This year's World

Routes will take place in Vancouver on 19-21 September 2010. For further details, please

visit the official website at www.routesonline.com.

- Ends -

Notes to Editors

About The Host

• Lima Airport Partners (LAP) is the private operator of the "Jorge Chavez" International

Airport. LAP is comprised of the following associations and relevant percentage share:

Fraport AG., Operator of Frankfurt Airport amongst other important airports from around

the world (Egypt, Bulgaria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China, Senegal and India) with 70.01%; The

International Finance Corporation - IFC (the abbreviation) - of the World Bank with 19.99%;

and the Infrastructure Investment Fund, Public Services and Natural Resources, administered

by AC Capitals SAFI S.A., with 10%. Up to now, LAP has invested over US$ 261 million in

modernizing the International Airport of Jorge Chavez and has transferred more than US$527

million back to the Peruvian State during 8 years of privatization of the Airport.

• Jorge Chavez International Airport has been named the Best Airport in South America in

2009 by Skytrax Research, a market study consultant which specialises in airport matters,

based in London, and which carries out, every year, an Online Internet survey to more than

8.6 million passengers of 95 different nationalities and users of at least 190 Air Terminals

worldwide, in order to choose the winners of the World Airport Awards.

• Currently, Jorge Chavez International Airport has new facilities and new equipment, which

have helped to position it as the best airport in the region:

• 19 Airplane Embarkation Bridges
• A Passenger Terminal measuring 84,570 m2 (In 2001, it was 39,467 m2)
• A Platform area measuring 304,881 m2 (In 2001 it was 165,000 m2)
• 5 conveyer belts to collect luggage in the International Area
• 16 Migration Control Counters in the Departure Area
• 22 Migration Control Counters in the Arrivals Area
• 63 Airport Shops operated by 34 franchised companies.

About Routes

• World 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. The 16th World Routes will be held in Vancouver,

Canada - September 19-21, 2010.

• Routes Regional events include Routes Americas, Routes Asia, Routes Europe, Routes CIS

and Routes Africa.

• Routes was founded in 1995 by Chairman Mike Howarth as part of the Manchester UKbased

ASM Ltd., a consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports.

www.asm-global.com.

• Both companies are now subsidiaries of RDG -The Route Development Group - which is

the leading global solutions provider in the strategically important 'route development'

sector of air transport. www.routedevgroup.com

• In April 2007, 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.

 

For further press information please contact Nadine Wenn at:

The Route Development Group (RDG)

T: +44 (0)161 234 2711

E: pr@routesonline.com

113-115 Portland Street

Manchester M1 6DW