Dubai: Participants at this week’s Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi are expected to touch on issues critical to the growth of the aviation industry.

The second Global Aerospace Summit, held from Monday April 7 until Tuesday April 8 at the St Regis Hotel on Saadiyat Island, will discuss several segments of the industry including aerospace, defence and space sectors, sustainability and innovation.

The UAE’s aviation industry is recording rapid growth, led by major airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways. Last November. Emirates posted a record fleet order worth $99 billion. Etihad Airways ordered 56 Boeing B777s valued at $25.2 billion at list prices including GE engines on day one of the airshow. Flydubai ordered 111 Boeing B737s for $11.4 billion while Gulf neighbour Qatar Airways announced a $19 billion letter of intent for 54 Boeing B777s.

Executives from the UAE attending the Summit will include Etihad Airways President and chief executive, James Hogan, Abu Dhabi Airports chief executive Tony Douglas and Mubadala Aerospace chief executive Homain Al Shemmari, among others.

Super hub

Airports in the Gulf are rapidly expanding in order to handle the regions passenger traffic growth. Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central opened to passenger traffic in October 2013 and is set to be a super hub with a capacity of 160 million passengers a year once fully complete. In Abu Dhabi, the Dh10.8 billion Midfield Terminal Building project will take capacity up to 55 million at the International airport when it opens in 2017. In the Gulf, Qatar’s Hamad International airport is expected to open later this year.

From abroad, Virgin Galactic President and chief executive George Whitesides, KLM chief executive Camiel Eurlings and Boeing Commercial Aeroplanes Vice President of Marketing Randy Tinseth are also expected to appear alongside a number of other executives.

Astronaut

One of the most high profile attendees will be USA astronaut and one of the first people to set foot on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin is expected to give a keynote address on day two of the Summit. Organisers have said that Aldrin will touch on his vision for space exploration, mission to mars legacy and his views on the latest developments in aerospace technology.

The inaugural Global Aerospace Summit was held in 2012, attracting 900 C level executives from 52 countries.

According to organisers, the Summit is set to attract a number of C level executives from across the globe. The Global Aerospace Summit is an invitation only event and will include a defence industry closed door briefing and open panel sessions.