The inaugural event of this exciting development took place in Stockholm in September 2007 and was co-located with the World Routes Development Forum (Routes) that is now firmly established as the leading forum for airlines and airports to discuss new air services and plan network expansion activity.

Routes itself is attended by the air service decision makers from the airlines and, of course, those who seek to persuade them from the airports.

With air service development’s growing role within an airport’s overall business strategy it is often the airport’s senior officers that lead their delegations. However they are not always there to take one-on-one meetings with airlines but rather to keep a finger on the industry’s pulse. In the past this has been done amidst the excitement of the social programme that surrounds Routes. But with the key issues of the day increasingly global and affecting the industry as a whole, Routes has introduced a high level conference for these senior executives. But it is more than just a conference. It continues the ‘spirit’ of Routes in its approach to networking and aims to provide an opportunity for the industry’s leaders from both airlines and airports to shape the industry of the future.

This year participants in The Routes Leaders Forum discussed four key global issues affecting air transportation; the environment, open skies, the dynamic growth of China & India and the imminent development of low cost-long haul services. These topics are now having a profound effect on the framework in which route planners and airport marketers attending Routes are working.

For this reason, I believe the Routes Leaders Forum will become an essential element of our annual event, helping airlines and airports to continue to grow in a profitable and sustainable way. Furthermore, we have arranged it such that the events have plenty of opportunity to network both within and between themselves – further strengthening Routes reputation as the ultimate airline / airport networking event.

Mike Howarth
Chairman, Routes