Routes Europe Officially Handed Over to Aberdeen

Marseille, France (ots/PRNewswire) -

10th Routes Europe heads to Scotland marking the first time the
event has been held in the UK

A successful Routes Europe event came to a close today in
Marseille, which has seen a record number of delegates descend on the
city to discuss the future of Europe's air traffic, making this
year's event the largest regional route development event ever.

The event was officially handed over to Aberdeen City and Shire,
the host of the 2015 event, earlier today during a superb networking
lunch which saw Lord Provost of Aberdeen George Adam, Aberdeenshire
Provost Jill Webster and Aberdeen International Airport managing
director Carol Benzie accept the event which will take place at the
Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) from 12-14 April
2015.

The Lord Provost said: "There is a palpable excitement building
about Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire hosting Routes Europe next year.
Aberdeen International Airport is growing at a fantastic rate, with
two new air services taking off in the last week alone. Aberdeen is
playing in a league of much bigger cities than previously, competing
with the likes of Marseille and Berlin. When we won the bid to host
Routes Europe 2015, we said it was a huge vote of confidence in the
economy of Aberdeen and its future. The support and excitement the
news has attracted within the city region, Scotland and the UK is a
clear demonstration of that confidence."

"Routes Europe provides a fantastic opportunity to market Aberdeen
to every airline and airport in Europe, and hosting the event will
undoubtedly bring great benefits to the city and wider region. Team
Scotland and the local collective working in Marseille this week will
learn a great deal about how Routes Europe is run and the work which
goes into it, which will help to ensure that the Aberdeen event is a
huge success."

Aberdeenshire Provost Jill Webster said: "This important event
provides a platform for industry leaders to discuss market
opportunities and consider Scotland as a key destination for flights
from around the world. I'm delighted it's coming to Aberdeen next
year on its first outing to the UK and this is an excellent
opportunity to showcase the North-east of Scotland to the rest of the
world.

"By hosting Routes Europe we can raise the profile of Aberdeen
International Airport amongst airlines and support ongoing route
development efforts. This is a chance to promote our area to people
at the heart of decision making on aviation matters, and they will be
given a taste of Scotland in Aberdeenshire. I will be delighted to
welcome delegates to a gala night I'm hosting at Castle Fraser, and
they will also be offered a chance to sample the world-class golfing
we have on our doorstep."

An ambitious GBP15 million redevelopment is already underway at
Aberdeen International Airport (AIA), designed to transform the
customer experience. The project comes hot on the heels of a 24%
increase in passenger numbers since 2011, the addition of a number of
new routes including Corfu and Riga, and saw the airport enjoy its
busiest ever year last year. Passenger numbers are forecast to grow
further in the coming decade and this significant investment will
ensure the team can continue to deliver excellence in customer
service. With 65% of its passengers using the airport for business
trip purposes, AIA is the best connected regional airport in the UK
for daily hub connections and the best connected UK-UK airport in the
country.

Aberdeen International Airport MD Carol Benzie said: "I was
delighted to be on stage as the handover took place, and all eyes are
now firmly on Aberdeen as we prepare for 2015. The arrival of the
event in the North-east of Scotland next year will mean a lot for the
airport and the wider region that we serve. We hope that by bringing
the aviation industry to our doorstep they will see the benefits of
doing business with us, and we look forward to giving them a good
Scottish welcome."

Visit Aberdeen chief executive Steve Harris added: "Aberdeen has
so much to offer in terms of history, culture, attractions and
economic growth. It is a city on the move, a city of opportunity. We
are delighted to be able to welcome travel industry partners to share
it with us."

"Routes Europe is the largest of our regional events and we have
experienced significant growth this year with 115 airlines, 380
airports and over 1200 delegates in total," commented Katie Bland,
Director Routes for UBM Live continuing: "When the event moves to
Aberdeen next year, delegates will experience the economically
vibrant region of the North-East of Scotland and the multitude of
business and leisure opportunities on offer. Aberdeen International
Airport is already well connected across Europe and will allow easy
access for delegates. We are looking forward to working with the
Aberdeen team and to the 10th Routes Europe in 2015."

Aberdeen is the gateway to Scotland's castle and whisky country.
Scotland's Castle trail runs through the heart of Aberdeenshire and
the region is home to 13 of the world's most unique castles. Aberdeen
is also known as 'the Granite City' named for its sparkling
buildings, built from locally quarried grey granite, and elegant
architecture. The city's old town, Old Aberdeen, dates back to the
1400s and is home to the oldest granite cathedral in the world, St
Machar's Cathedral. The City, which is home to around 250,000
inhabitants, is within 15 minutes of the stunning countryside which
surrounds Aberdeen and is also the capital of the Grampian Highlands
with the majestic Grampian Mountains dominating the skyline to the
west and miles of unspoiled coastline to the east.

Notes to Editors

About Routes

- Routes organises world-renowned airline and airport networking events
through its regional and global Route Development Forums. Each year, there is one
global event and one regional event in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and CIS
respectively. http://www.routesonline.com
- Routes was founded in 1995 as part of the Manchester UK-based ASM Ltd., a
consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports.
http://www.asm-global.com. Routes and ASM are part of the UBM Live division of UBM
plc.
- UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five
continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their
brands and expand their markets. Through premiere brands such as MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC,
TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes portfolio of events,
Airport Cities and many others, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs,
publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of
the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors.
http://www.ubmlive.com

Follow us on twitter: @Routesonline, @TheHUBRoutes,
@VictoriaRoutes, @NLPROU, @airlineroute

About UBM plc

- UBM plc is a global events-led marketing services and communications
company. We help businesses do business, bringing the world's buyers and sellers
together at events and online, as well as producing and distributing news and
specialist content. Our 5,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into
expert teams which serve commercial and professional communities, helping them to do
business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.
- For more information, go to http://www.ubm.com; follow us on Twitter at
@UBM_plc [http://twitter.com/UBM_plc ] to get the latest UBM corporate news; follow
@UBM for news from all UBM's businesses; follow @UBM for a flavour of UBM from
selected members of UBM's Twitterati.

ots Originaltext: UBM Live Routes Ltd
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For further press information please contact: Victoria Jones, PR
Executive, Routes, T: +44-(0)161-234-2730, E: pr@routesonline.com