The Airport Show 2022 will run from May 17 to 19 in Dubai next year and will bring together key stakeholders to discuss the future of travel as the aviation sector charts a steady recovery out of the pandemic.
A three-day event, the show will focus on the latest technological advancements that are reshaping the aviation sector, organisers said on Sunday.
The Airport Show will “provide an impetus for the aviation industry to appear stronger and better in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and to learn about the latest smart solutions and innovations that will reshape the future of the industry”, said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Dubai Airports.
Aviation, which was one of the sectors worst-hit by the pandemic, is on its way to recovery and airlines are expected to return to profitability in 2023, according to the International Air Transport Association. The global airlines are also expected to narrow losses next year amid the recovery.
Countries are also investing heavily to modernise infrastructure at airports to deal with any situation in the future similar to the pandemic. The total spend is expected to reach $2.4 trillion by 2040, according to forecasts by the Airports Council International whose members operate 1,933 airports in 183 countries.
The Middle East alone needs to spend about $151 billion to complete the expansion and modernisation of airports that were slowed down owing to the pandemic, according to the ACI report.
“These countries have to start again their forward journey to keep pace with the expected boom in passenger traffic in the coming years and improve the overall airport experience by utilising new technologies like artificial intelligence and the adoption of biometric systems at check-in and baggage,” the report said.
The UAE has hosted a number of major events in the past month, including the Dubai Airshow, the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference as well as the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit as movement restrictions are eased owing to a drop in the country's number of coronavirus infections.
Airbus forecasts that air traffic in the Middle East will achieve full recovery to 2019 levels between late 2022 and mid-2024.
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Dubai Airshow 2021
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, watches aerobatic displays at Dubai Airshow. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
Sheikh Mohammed visited the Dubai Airshow on day one. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, receives official delegations at Dubai Airshow. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
Sheikh Mohammed receives ministers of defence and chiefs of staff of countries participating in Dubai Airshow. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
The Russian Knights perform. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Telal International design and manufacture pilot and steward uniforms. The company is exhibiting at the airshow for the first time. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A visitor takes pictures of the Russian Knights. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dubai Airshow begins at Dubai World Central. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
Crowds at the Dubai Airshow. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
An Etihad Airbus A350-1041, in special livery to celebrate the UAE's Golden Jubilee, at the Dubai Airshow, with a Boeing 777X in the background. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A Thunder B-VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle system at the Israel Aerospace Industries stand at the Dubai Airshow. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Al Tariq series at The Edge stand at the Dubai Airshow. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The new suite at the Emirates stand at the Dubai Airshow. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Members of the Navy attend the airshow. Chris Whiteoak/ The National -
The Russian Knights perform at the airshow. Chris Whiteoak/ The National -
A model of the Airbus A400M at the Dubai Airshow. Chris Whiteoak/ The National -
Official delegations at Dubai Airshow. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
The show gets off to a flying start. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
A Boeing 777-X at the airshow. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dubai Airshow begins at Dubai World Central. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
Jets impress the crowds. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
Boeing's newest 777X wide-body aircraft makes its international debut at Dubai Airshow. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
An aerobatic display at Dubai World Central. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
The show begins. Photo: Dubai Media Office
