Routes – Europe Preview

The eighth annual Routes Europe 2013 opens in Budapest this week to record-breaking attendance.  Over 1,000 delegates have registered to attend the popular route development event which will be held at Hungary’s brand new SYMA Conference Venue, the capital’s most modern, state-of-the-art multifunctional facility, 12 to 14 May.

Low-cost carriers (easyJet, Germanwings, Norwegian, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air) along with the largest number of full service carriers ever to attend Routes Europe (Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Czech Airlines, Iberia, Lufthansa, SAS and Swiss) are all booked to attend.  From further afield all four of the Middle Eastern major carriers (Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air and Qatar Airways) will participate, along with Air Transat, American Airlines and China Southern.   

A panel of leading industry experts will take part in a number of moderator-led discussions during the opening Strategy Summit.  These sessions will address key issues affecting aviation and route development across the region including what effect the EU freeze on ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme) will likely have on traffic from the US and China into the EU; Survival of the Fittest – Consolidation, Mergers & Alliances and The Future Evolution of the LCC Business Model. 

Highlights include a keynote address from József Váradi. CEO of Wizz Air, an airline which continues to build up its route network out of host airport Budapest, adding low-cost flights to the new Dubai World Central this autumn. 

There will also be a keynote presentation from Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism for Cyprus entitled Cyprus – What Happens Next, during which attendees will hear about the country’s future plans. www.routesonline.com

ALISON CHAMBERS 

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