This
total of over 215 airlines is up 7% on the same point last year for
World Routes in Abu Dhabi, which attracted more than 650 airline
delegates.
Last
week, alone, saw registrations from two airlines that have not
attended World Routes for several years – Royal Jordanian and
Virgin Australia.
Royal
Jordanian’s participation will be led by Basma Majali, director
fleet, network planning and alliances. Virgin Australia’s team is
headed by Hope Antzoulatos, GM network planning.
North
America-based carriers signed up for the event include the
full-service carriers United, Delta, American and US Airways (ahead
of the Q3 merger), alongside low-cost airlines such as Southwest,
JetBlue and Spirit.
Allegiant,
Sun Country, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America have also booked to
take part.
Canada
will be represented by Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet and Sunwing.
Key
Latin American operators at the forum will include LATAM, Avianca,
Aeromexico and COPA Airlines.
A
strong Chinese presence includes the big four Chinese carriers: China
Southern, Hainan Airlines, Air China and China Eastern.
From
Japan, the event has attracted ANA and JAL.
Asia
Pacific’s presence will include Vietnam Airlines, China Airlines,
Thai Airways Intl and Philippine Airlines. Qantas and Jetstar, from
Australia, are also due to take part.
Europe-based
carriers at Las Vegas will include Air France, the Lufthansa Group,
British Airways, KLM, Alitalia and SAS – as well as low-cost
carriers such as easyJet, Norwegian, Germanwings and Transavia.
The
Middle East will be represented by airlines such as Emirates, Etihad,
Qatar and Oman Air.
Paul
Winfield, airline relations director for Routes, said the number of
airline delegates at World Routes has almost doubled since 2010.
"Moving
ahead to Las Vegas, we expect to see more airlines confirm their
presence," he said.
The
19th World Route Development Forum – co-hosted by Las Vegas
Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and Las Vegas McCarran
International Airport – is the first Routes event to take place in
the US.
Rosemary
Vassiliadis, director of aviation at McCarran International Airport,
said the airport is honoured to co-host the event.
"Just
a year ago we introduced Terminal 3, a $2.4bn facility that showcases
our position as the industry leader in common-use passenger
processing and self-service technologies," she said.
"Pair
those technologies with an expansive, 28-lane customs and border
protection area, and McCarran is poised and ready to welcome Routes
delegates, the international tourism community, and the world, to
fabulous Las Vegas and the United States."
In
addition, more than 650 delegates from over 500 airports have already
registered to attend World Routes in Las Vegas.
First
time attendees include Raleigh - Durham International Airport, El
Paso International Airport, and Atlantic City International Airport.
Other
recent airport registrations include Abidjan International Airport
(AERIA), Maastricht Aachen Airport, GMR Hyderabad International
Airport, Donetsk International Airport, Chubu Centrair International
Airport (NGO), King Fahd International Airport and Aruba Airport
Authority.
