Brisbane is set to roll out the red carpet to more than 1200 delegates from over 230 airlines across the world when it plays host to the 145th International Air Transport Association(IATA) Slot Conference from 12-15 November 2019.
A consortium of tourism advocates, including Brisbane Airport Corporation(BAC), Brisbane Marketing, Tourism Australia, Tourism and Events Queensland, and Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, combined forces to bring this fiercely sought-after conference to Queensland.
Following the hugely successful Routes Asia Forum held in Brisbane early this year, this bi-annual conference is one of IATA’s largest events bringing airlines and airports together to negotiate slots that will give them the best possible schedule to offer their passengers.
The conference also provides a perfect opportunity to showcase the best of our city and region to a global audience keen on identifying and establishing future flight routes across the world. Gert-Jan de Graaff, BAC Chief Executive Officer, said that being the host airport and city for this global conference is critical in keeping our city and state front of mind for key route development decision-makers from around the world.
There is enormous competition for airlines to secure the best ‘slots’ at key airports and with Brisbane’s new runway coming online in 2020, now is the time for airlines to be securing highly sought-after peak time slots to enhance and grow their operations, he added.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said securing hosting rights for the IATA conference once again demonstrated Brisbane’s new world city status. He stated that this significant aviation conference perfectly aligns with the Brisbane 2022 New World City Action Plan for economic growth by furthering focus on securing more direct air routes, building our visitor economy and hosting more high-caliber business events.
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the 145thInternational Air Transport Association (IATA) Slot Conference would pump more than $2.3 million into the Queensland economy. This event will bring to Queensland some of the biggest players in international aviation to negotiate for the most sought-after slots on the planet, she said.
It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase the state to the world but will also open up discussions around how we can continue to strategically grow tourism in Queensland through aviation.
Hosting this conference will help grow existing routes and identify new opportunities for Queensland.
