The 7th Routes Asia 2009, a premier event for airlines and airports to work together to sustain and develop air services, will be hosted by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) in Hyderabad from March 29th to 31st, 2009.

At Routes Asia, airports and airlines meet and do business, focusing especially on the Asia Pacific market. Building on the achievement of last year’s event, where a record number of new opportunities were discussed, this 7th Routes Asia will be an ideal platform for the incredibly dynamic Indian airline and airport scene. New air services can and will be discussed, but in these difficult times, ‘route recovery’ strategies are expected to be high on the agenda. The forum not only reinforces the activities of the aviation industry throughout the year, but through the discussions and decisions taken at the event itself, it directly shapes the region’s future air networks.

Commenting on the event Mr. A. Viswanath, Chief Commercial Officer of GHIAL said, “Despite the current meltdown, the continuing growth of air transport in the Asia Pacific region provides Routes Asia 2009 an opportunity to offer a unique platform for airlines and airports to discuss new route opportunities within a structured, pre-arranged meetings format. It has become a ‘must attend’ event for aviation professionals in the region, from the Middle East to the Pacific, from Russia to Australia. We also plan to present to the participants, a taste of ‘Incredible India’ in association with AP Tourism.” “As on date 33 airlines, 52 airport delegates and four tourism agencies from overseas have registered for participation,” Mr.Viswanath added.

The delegates can expect unlimited networking opportunities over the three days of the event including the formal and informal meetings, and there will also be a free route development conference and a CEO Forum on the opening day. The event will bring more than four hundred aviation industry experts to Hyderabad, India. Amongst the participants who have already registered are airports’ delegates from Melbourne Airport, Shanghai Airport Group and Gold Coast Airport to name but a few; tourism authorities such as Tourism New Zealand and airlines such as Air Asia, AirAsia X, Cathay Pacific, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines. The lists of airports and airlines that have registered so far can be viewed on the official website at www.routesonline.com

Jet Airways has been designated as the official carrier and is offering exciting, genuine discounts to all the participants.

About Routes:
The World Route Development Forum – is the world renowned annual airline and airport networking event. Routes facilitate and encourage the role of airports in the development of air services through organizing global and region specific airline/airport networking forums. Routes is not a conference, but the annual gathering of the route development industry offering formal and informal networking opportunities. Region-specific events are: Routes Americas, Routes Asia, Routes Europe and Routes Africa. www.routesonline.com. Routes was founded in 1995 by Chairman Mike Howarth as part of the Manchester UK-based ASM Ltd., a consultancy specializing in the field of route development for airports.

About GHIAL:
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd.(GHIAL), is a joint venture company promoted by GMR Infrastructure Ltd., (63%); Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (11%), Airports Authority of India (13%) and Government of Andhra Pradesh (13%), with a mandate to develop a the world-class Rajiv Gandhi International Airport spread over 5,495 acres in Shamshabad, about 25 kms from the main city of Hyderabad. The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport will position Hyderabad as an important aviation hub in the coming years.