The largest route development forum in the Americas opens today. Held in Canada for the first time, with Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) hosting, Routes Americas 2019 takes place 12-14 February with around 800 delegates expected to attend.
The 12th annual Routes Americas forum will allow airports in Canada and the Americas to meet with key airline decision makers, to develop existing relationships and forge new connections with some of the most influential aviation professionals in the world, while discovering the area’s beauty and business potential.
“This annual forum is one of the largest and most prestigious in the air transport industry. It’s an invaluable opportunity to build relationships with airlines from around the world, showcase YQB and its cutting-edge facilities and pave the way for fruitful partnerships, all to the benefit of our 1.75 million passengers. Hosting this event in Québec City will position YQB as a world class airport capable of rivalling the best in the industry,” stated Gaëtan Gagné, President and CEO of YQB.
All but one of Canada's major airports will be in attendance, with the large majority of smaller airports represented too. More than 80 airlines are registered to attend, including the region’s biggest airlines (American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines) and two of the region’s fastest growing airlines (Alaska Airlines and Spirit Airlines). Over 150 senior airline representatives will be in attendance, including notable figures in the industry such as Javier Suarez, CEO of Jetlines; Ferio Pugliese, Senior Vice President, Regional Markets & Government Relations for Air Canada; and Michele Barre, Vice President, Network, Revenue Management & Pricing for Air Transat. Over 30 senior figures are scheduled to take part in the event’s conference programme.
Steven Small, brand director of Routes, said “Québec City is a fascinating, historic city with a dynamic economy and exciting aviation opportunities supported by the growth plans of YQB. It is an ideal location for the first Canadian Routes Americas and we firmly believe that the highly qualified YQB team will do a fantastic job of showing it off to the thousand delegates who are preparing to discover the city.”
