Sheikh Ahmed opens region's leading airport suppliers exhibition

Sheikh Ahmed was accompanied by Laith Kubba and Nicholas Webb directors of Streamline Marketing and organisers of the event, as he cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate the three-day exhibition taking place at Airport Expo Dubai.

He then toured the exhibition hall where more than 130 exhibitors representing almost 30 countries, including Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, Finland, Lebanon and the UAE, are displaying a vast number of products and services vital to airports.

Many of the products on display are being given their Middle East debut. UK-based National Air Traffic Services Ltd (NATS) will use the event to showcase its Electronic Briefing Solution, which allows air traffic control centres to deliver information to key staff in a targeted, auditable and secure manner, through an intranet server. All content is fully verified and validated prior to display on each user's PC, while user access to the information is tracked and logged allowing supervisors to make sure that mandatory briefing material has been distributed, read and positively acknowledged by the users.

NATS is the sole provider of en-route and oceanic air traffic services in the United Kingdom and also provides air traffic services at all major UK airports including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester. NATS is one of the first air traffic control organisations allowed to offer their services on a commercial basis.

Leading UK joinery company, Edmont is showcasing a new range of airport doors developed after two years of close collaboration with engineers and designers at the British Airports Authority. The doors are manufactured off-site and then supplied ready to fit, which helps reduce costs and site time. The new range maintains high fire protection standards and is designed to be extremely durable.

A new range of automatic immigration gates will also see its Middle East debut at the exhibition. Showcased by Transguard Solutions, Dubai in collaboration with Sweden-based Gunnebo Entrance Controls, the new gates are designed to simplify passenger flow while boosting security at airports. The product can integrate a biometrics solutions programme for passenger verification, which will relieve manned monitoring and reduce operational costs at airports.

As in previous years, the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai, will be present at the exhibition, while each exhibitor at the show will be able to take advantage of private, pre-arranged meetings with relevant project managers, engineers or architects involved in Dubai International Airport's massive expansion project.

The Departments of Civil Aviation of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah as well as Qatar Airways have all booked stands at the event this year. Official delegations representing civil aviation authorities from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa are also expected.

Held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai and chairman of Emirates Group, the event will give visitors the chance to attend seminars presented by 13 leading companies dealing in products and services relevant to the aviation and airport industries. Visitors can learn more on a wide variety of issues, including boarding solutions and noise and blast protection at airports. Attendance is free for trade visitors.