An evening of celebration

Financial worries and the effects of the economic slump were forgotten, for one night at least, as CEOs and aviation leaders gathered for the Aviation Business Awards 2008.

The event brought together industry leaders in Abu Dhabi for an evening of celebration that recognised the outstanding achievements of individuals and companies during the last 12 months.

As expected, conversation throughout the evening soon turned to the global financial crisis and its current, and predicted ongoing impact on the travel industry. But despite the world’s recession it proved difficult to dampen the spirits of guests.

Regional players seem unperturbed by the economic downturn, as the Middle East’s aviation industry continues to prosper, and the event’s categories paid homage to the progress and exciting developments that have surrounded the region’s airports.

The judges were asked to choose award winners for Airport Passenger Handling, Airport Security, Airport of the Year and Ground Handling Provider of the Year. Passenger services and customer-focused improvements were key points to consider when choosing a worthy winner and the accolades were well received.

With 2008 seeing the opening of Terminal 3 at Dubai International, next year’s awards promise to be hotly contested. The new terminal brings with it the many challenges associated with handling huge numbers of passengers, but it is already proving that it can deliver. Safety, security, baggage handling and customer service strategies have been taken to a new level and will raise the bar across the aviation sector.

The year ahead is already promising to be an interesting one. Dubai Airports denies rumours that it is definitely planning a fourth terminal at Dubai International, but it does admit that talks are ongoing. It makes no secret of the fact that it is the world’s fastest growing airport, and it is certainly embracing the city’s booming tourism industry.

And it is not just Dubai airport that is growing. Many of the region’s airports continue with, or begin expansion projects in 2009, including Muscat International, which will begin building its new terminal in February, in a bid to cope with the rising popularity of Oman as a holiday destination.

Undoubtedly, more expansion projects will be announced over the following year and this will only continue to push up passenger service levels, making the decision of picking one winner, increasingly more difficult.

Sarah Cowell is the editor of Airports Middle East.

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