An official handover ceremony at Routes Berlin rolls the wheels for Routes Abu Dhabi 2012.

Abu Dhabi Airports Company announced last week that it has officially been handed over the hosting of the next World Routes Conference in Abu Dhabi running from 30 September to 3rd of October 2012 and is expected to attract more 3,500 senior aviation professionals from around the world.

The announcement was made in a press conference during the World Routes Conference 2011 in Berlin from 2- 4 October, which was attended by Abu Dhabi Airports Company’s CEO, James E. Bennett, and COO, Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi, along with senior officials from the Department of Transport, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, and the UAE Embassy in Germany.

At the press conference, Jim Bennett highlighted the importance of Routes coming to Abu Dhabi as with an event at this magnitude will give Abu Dhabi Airports a golden opportunity to showcase to the Routes audience, Abu Dhabi as a business and leisure destination, as well as the award winning services that Abu Dhabi International Airport is offering to its airlines-partners. The conference will offer a platform for the company to share the success story of the capital’s airport and bring an in-depth insight of the airport’s impressive expansion and development plans for the years to come.

Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi presented the portfolio of Abu Dhabi as a destination and promised the delegates of Routes 2012 a unique voyage into the Emirate to experience its cosmopolitan mix and the harmony offered between heritage, culture and modernity.

Commenting on the event, Mr. James E Bennett, CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports Company, said: “Hosting the next Routes in Abu Dhabi demonstrates the Emirate’s position as a leading driver in the aviation industry. We look forward to welcoming aviation professionals to see our dynamic city and discuss the growth opportunities of air services to Abu Dhabi. The event will showcase Abu Dhabi as a thriving business and tourism destination and it gives us great honour to be the next hosting company.”

The World Routes conference is an industry-wide renowned event in the aviation sector’s calendar. It is attended by senior and decision making personnel including airlines, airports, industry bodies, and is a yearly event rotated worldwide and has proven to be an excellent networking, business building and social event. The 18th World Route Development Forum Abu Dhabi 2012 is expected to be the largest ever planned, as 3,500-4,000 decision-making delegates are estimated to attend the event.