Page 54 - DAEP PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2025

2/19/25, 5:17 PM Airport Show 2025 to reflect the pace of technological progress at airports
Airport Show, remarked: “Airports are vital connectors and economic engines for communities and
countries. By 2040, airports in the Middle East will handle 1.1 billion passengers. Airports across the
region are also modernizing and expanding to meet growing demand. The Airport Show has remained a
vital stage for business growth and expansion in the airport industry.”

The three-day show will have co-located conferences - the Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF),
Airport Security Middle East, the ATC Forum, and Women in Aviation (WIA). The annual platform is
supported by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects,
Emirates Airlines, Dubai Air Navigation Services, and dnata.

The Airport Show will remain a crucial platform in 2025 too for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia
region as US$1.3 trillion in airport development projects are readying to take off. The B2B platform will
facilitate global companies to showcase their cutting-edge technologies and innovations designed to
enhance airport operations, facility expansion, safety enhancement, improve passenger experiences
and sustainability, and widen automation.

The Middle East region is required to invest up to US$151 billion in near-future expansions and
improvements to facilities. According to the Airports Council International (ACI) whose members operate
1925 airports across 171 countries, passenger numbers to/from/within the Middle East are expected to
reach 105 percent of 2019 levels in 2025.

May Ismail, Event Manager at RX, a global company that organizes about 400 events across 42
industry sectors in 22 countries including Airport Show, said: “Digital transformation is happening fast
across the airport industry. Airports are focusing on advanced technologies. The buzz world today is
convenience, efficiency, and communication. Enhancing the airport experience boils down to three
critical factors - easy navigation, cleanliness, and passenger service. By 2050, several processes within

the airport environment are predicted to be fully autonomous, and the airports with better passenger
experience will have a competitive edge. In the technology-driven era, the focus for airports is on thriving
rather than just staying operational.”

According to a white paper by global consultancy Frost & Sullivan, airports are constantly evolving

especially now when the rate of change is faster than ever. They are faced with changing demand,
varied operating conditions, rising costs, and workforce shortages coupled with rising passenger
demands. Stakeholders across the ecosystem are working on innovating, backed by advanced
technology to solve airport’s various pain points and achieve the desired goals and priorities. These

innovations span across landside and airside for passenger processing and for operations
management.

It noted: “Airport operators, with the support of technology suppliers, are working on deploying
comprehensive Digital Twin solutions that covers not only airside but also Landside and the Terminals.

This gives operators the ability to get better real-time insights into operations and processes but also

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