Global Aerospace Summit 2012 (The Summit) announced the agenda for the Summit taking place at St. Regis Hotel, Abu Dhabi on 16-17 April 2012 has now been finalized.
Tony Tyler, IATA Director General, will deliver a State of the Industry Address to the 500 attendees, an audience that represents the global leadership of the aerospace, aviation and space industries.
The Summit’s opening panel session will focus on “Meeting the aviation and aerospace industry’s current and future challenges” which will set the tone for much of the discussion over the two days. Moderated by Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), the panel will include Homaid Al Shemmari, Executive Director, Mubadala Aerospace; David P. Hess, President, Pratt & Whitney; Marwan Lahoud, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, EADS; James F. Albaugh, CEO, Boeing Commercial Airlines; and Neil Mills, CEO, SpiceJet.
“We will discuss important issues such as sustainability and fuel efficiency, as well the evolution of customer expectations for meeting future air space demands. When looking at future growth of the industry, we must understand how to become emerging market entrepreneurs to play a key role in shaping its future,” David P. Hess, President, Pratt & Whitney, said.
With “the future” being a core theme for this year’s Summit, there is a dedicated careers component, “Careers Direct”, on offer to Emirati students that will combine technical challenges with networking opportunities alongside other students and global industry leaders. Careers Direct will culminate with the construction and launching of projectiles in a showcase of engineering skill by the students.
The Summit will also feature a series of Strategy Sessions, which are high level discussions to facilitate knowledge transfer and high level networking, focused around space strategy, aviation safety and defense topics. Furthermore, the Business Direct matchmaking tool will provide a platform to facilitate interaction between international suppliers and high-level participants from the aerospace, aviation and space industries.
In addition to the two days of panel discussions and strategy sessions, the Summit also includes two additional days (18th-19th April) of site tours to some of Abu Dhabi’s key aerospace industry sites such as Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies’ (ADAT) engine workshop and state of the art three bay hangar; Abu Dhabi Airport Company’s (ADAC) control tower and midfield terminal as well as Etihad’s new facilities and Yahsat’s technical area and control room.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore the Emirate’s facilities in Al Ain including the Al Ain International Aviation Academy, Strata’s advanced composite aerostructures facility and Horizon’s flight training operations.
“In creating a unique agenda for the Global Aerospace Summit 2012 we have sought guidance from the industry at large through a specially created Advisory Board, and undertaken significant amounts of research to create and produce an event that will become a cornerstone of the aerospace, aviation and space calendars for years to come,” Nicholas Webb, Managing Partner at Streamline Marketing Group, the organizers of Global Aerospace Summit, added.
“With only three weeks to go, there is great enthusiasm from the industry about the discussions that will take place, and most importantly the outcomes and action points that will arise from having such a high profile gathering of individuals and companies all under one roof. Abu Dhabi is showing that it is a real challenger to the world’s established aerospace hubs, and this Summit will go a long way to cementing its credentials.”
“The Summit will be happening in less than three weeks and I can see that leaders in the aviation industry are becoming more excited about it as it will be a chance for all companies and employees that are attending to interact with each other. Global Aerospace Summit proves Abu Dhabi’s capabilities as a leading competitor in the aviation and aerospace industries,” Badr Al Olama, Deputy CEO, Strata, said.