In the past few weeks, severalleading players in the cargo industryhave confirmed their presenceat the AFA 2007 exhibition. Amongthem is Dubai Logistics City, whichwill bring a 50 sqm mock-up ofone of the most sensational andfuturistic plans of this decade, the70 square kilometre airport cumlogistics project currently underconstruction in the Jebel Ali areaof Dubai. The airport – with sixparallel runways – and the logisticsfacilities aside, the DLC will alsoinclude office, hotel and conferencefacilities, manufacturingplants, residential areas and a hugerecreational area.
The DLC stand will be located oppositethe familiar "double-decker"stand of Emirates SkyCargo, a regularexhibitor at Air Freight Asia and oneof the first companies to sign up forthis year’s event.
Other Middle East carriers, whichhave decided to participate in AFA2007, include rapidly expanding EtihadCrystal Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo andSaudia Cargo. In addition, Sharjah Airportand leading Middle East expressand logistics operator Aramex will jointhis trade event.
Another major exhibitor at thisyear’s Air Freight Asia will be theSkyTeam Cargo Alliance, the most successfulcargo alliance in the industry.The Skyteam Cargo members includesome well-known "heavyweights" suchAir France – KLM Cargo, Korean AirCargo, NWA Cargo, Delta Air Logistics,as well as AeroMexico Cargo, AlitaliaCargo, and CSA Cargo. The Alliancehas been a regular participant in previousAir Freight Asia events.
Among the international airportswhich are joining the event, is HongKong International Airport with alarge display along the main thoroughfareor "boulevard" of AsianAerospace, the Manchester AirportGroup, which in addition to ManchesterAirport, now includes EastMidlands Airport, BournemouthInternational Airport, and HumbersideInternational Airport.
"The decision by Reed Exhibitionsto focus the Asian AerospaceExpo entirely on the commercialaviation industry and leave themilitary content to other shows,has been a major factor for manycompanies in their decision to jointhis event in Hong Kong," said AFA2007 organiser, Nol van Fenema, whonoted that, compared to previous AsianAerospace shows, a large number ofcombination carriers and full cargooperators had signed up as exhibitors."Airlines used to come to announceaircraft or engine orders at this show.Now they are showing their incrediblerange of services, networks and dedicatedfreighter aircraft to support theglobal supply chains and their vital rolein the world’s economies," explainedvan Fenema.
