Doha Aviation Summit to gather leaders in aviation under the "Aviation vision for limitless skies" theme

Doha Aviation Summit taking place from 25th - 27th October is an important and timely gathering committed to bringing together aviation thought leaders to Qatar.

"Small in size but big in value, Qatar has achieved in decades what takes centuries for other countries to achieve. As we are all aware, Qatar has taken a lead role in the development of the aviation industry and I am very pleased to host a distinguished gathering of delegates in Doha for discussions on matter of vital importance to the aviation industry." said His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi, Chairman, Qatar ,Civil Aviation Authority.

Mr Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways further added: "On behalf of Qatar Airways, I am delighted to support the Doha Aviation Summit in my home city - a vital forum for global industry leaders to get together at a crucial time facing the entire aviation sector. In Qatar, we continue to buck industry trends, enjoying growth, with a vibrant travel sector supporting a vibrant economy. I look forward to being part of the interactive panel discussion on the opening day addressing key challenges facing the industry."

Some of the key experts speaking at the summit include: Mr. Yap Ong Heng, Director General, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Samer Majali, CEO, Gulf Air; Lawrence Hoskins, CEO, NATS; Dr Michael Kerkloh, President and CEO, Munich International Airport; Jerry Tobey, Vice president, Raytheon Network centric systems; Dr Sani Sener, President and CEO, TAV Airports; Dr Majdi Sabri, Regional Vice President, IATA; Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General, Arab Air Carriers Organisation; Stefan Pichler, CEO, Jazeera Airways; Peter Hill, CEO, Oman Air; Kati Ihamaki, VP - Sustainable Development, Finnair; Quentin Browell, Assistant Director Aviation environment, IATA; Mohamed Al Sobai, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Qatar Fuel Company; Haytham Haidar, Chief Development Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports Company; Prof Khawar Qureshi, Head of chambers, MC Nair Chambers; Kurt Edwards, Senior International advisor, environment, US Federal Aviation Administration; Jan Zuurbier, VP, Alcatel Lucent, Captain Chris Schroeder, Head of corporate social responsibility, environment and fuel optimization, Qatar Airways amongst others.

"For the next three days, some of the key aviation leaders will exchange valuable experiences and explore new ideas, learn from top case studies and best practices, benefit from a wide range of topics and perspectives and network with their peers in the most exclusive environment in Qatar. We would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to Qatar Civil Aviation Authority for graciously supporting the Doha Aviation Summit." commented Prachi Dawar, Project Manager, naseba.

Qatar Civil Aviation Authority(QCAA) and naseba (Euronext Paris: MLNSB) are also hosting the aviation awards of the MENA region, 'Leaders in Aviation Awards 2009', as part of the Doha Aviation Summit, which will be held October 25th at the W Doha Hotel & Residencies. Honoring achievers and awarding individuals and organizations across a range of categories in the aviation sector, the Leaders in Aviation Awards will highlight exemplary success stories.

The categories for 'Leaders in Aviation Awards 2009' include: Airport of the year; Airline of the year; Civil Aviation Authority of the year; Low cost carrier of the year; Green initiative by airport and the Green initiative by airline.