Delegates from 41 companies gathered in Dubai from September 10 a 12 for Embraer’s third Middle East Airline Business Seminar. Representatives from airlines, airports, the fuel supply industry, aircraft leasing companies, academia, the media and several consultants participated in sessions featuring presentations and panel discussions from more than a dozen speakers.
The afternoon prior to the start of the conference, some 40 guests flew in the skies above Dubai aboard a Gulf Air E190. Although E-Jets make up the largest fleet of aircraft in the 70 to 120-seat aircraft capacity segment in the Middle East, the demo flight allowed those passengers who were still unfamiliar with the airplane to experience the E190 firsthand.
The opening remarks of Mathieu Duquesnoy, Embraer’s VP for Sales and Marketing in the Middle East and Africa, emphasized the potential the company sees for improved flight frequency, better network connectivity and the acquisition of right-sized aircraft.
Speakers and their topics included Mr. Ehab Ghazi, the Deputy VP of Planning at EgyptAir who talked about the challenges of long term fleet planning; Mr. Hussein Dabbas, IATA VP for the Middle East & North Africa on the outlook for aviation; and Mr. Jochen Hoesch, Sr. Manager Fleet Planning & Research at Emirates on the strategy of connecting the world with air service; Mr. Michael Corley, the President of Mercatus Energy who spoke about mitigating the volatility of fuel prices; and Markku Nokkala, VP of Oman Air and his views on airline connectivity in the Middle East.
Additional presentations covered the impact of social media, leasing and buying aircraft, and onboard connectivity. Mr. Paul Clark, Managing Director of Through the Looking Glass consultancy, moderated a panel discussion about fleet planning for aircraft flying in different business applications.
1. Mathieu Duquesnoy, VP, Sales & Marketing, Middle East & Africa, Embraer
2. Mr. Pedro Waengertner, CEO, Group Connect, spoke about connecting people through social media.
3. Seminar guests flew aboard a special demo flight in a Gulf Air E190 over Dubai prior to the start of the event.
