Registration for Routes Africa 2012 officially opens

The Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Mr.

The Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Mr. Alain St.Ange, has applauded the official launch this week of Routes Africa, and he said that he was encouraged by the number of airlines and airports that had already registered for the event. Minister St.Ange said that in these troubled times for aviation, it is important for airlines, airport authorities, and tourism boards to meet and to strategize together.

Africa needed a voice in this changing world of aviation, and Routes Africa is clearly a forum now available to Africa as a whole.

On a post dated March 3 by the Routes Organization, it was stated that: Routes Africa, now in its 7th year, is the annual gathering of air service decision makers for the African region, and the 2012 event will take place on July 8-10, hosted by the Seychelles Tourism Board in partnership with the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority. The event will take place in the Seychelles capital of Victoria and is expected to attract up to 150 delegates.

This will be the first time that the event has been held in the Indian Ocean region and will raise awareness of the need to increase connectivity between Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean region. It will also provide an ideal opportunity for Seychelles to showcase its destination and celebrate the airportโ€™s 40th anniversary.

Routes Africa attracts key decision makers from a wide variety of airlines, with a growing presence from charter carriers and airlines based outside of the region wishing to learn more about the existing opportunities. Early registrations have already been received from, among others, Arik Air, Etihad Airways, Air Seychelles, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Mega Maldives, and South African Airways, who is the largest airline in the African region.

Airports registering early include Ghana Airports, Aeroports du Mali, Aeroportos de Mozambique, and Entebbe International Airport, along with those outside the region including Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Istanbul Sabiha Gรถkcen International Airport, and Bangalore International Airport.

In addition to the one-to-one meetings, the Routes Africa Strategy Forum will take place on the afternoon of Sunday, July 8, and the morning of Monday, July 9. A panel of leading industry experts will take part in moderator-led discussions addressing aviation and route development issues across the region including: โ€œUnlocking the Market โ€“ Liberalization vs. Competition;โ€ โ€œSafety, Security & Standards,โ€ and โ€œThe Road to Recovery โ€“ Rebuilding & Looking to the Future.โ€

The forum, which is open to all Routes Africa delegates, promises to be both stimulating and enjoyable, with moderators encouraging debate between the panelists and members of the audience. This is a key element of the event, which should not be missed.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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