DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways looks forward to hosting aviation industry leaders from across the globe next month following the announcement of the speaker line-up for the inaugural ‘CAPA Qatar Aviation, Aeropolitical and Regulatory Summit’, taking place in Doha from 5-6 February 2019.

The high-level forum, the first aeropolitical event of its kind to be held in the Middle East, will feature more than 35 expert speakers from across the airline, legal and government sectors to discuss the latest developments in international aviation regulation, both within the Gulf region and globally.

Senior decision-makers from across the international aviation industry are set to attend the two-day event, which will also include a gala dinner hosted by Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “With so many developments in the rapidly-evolving airline industry and the global regulatory environment, we are delighted to see such a wealth of industry experts have been lined-up for the inaugural summit.

“We look forward to welcoming them to Doha and to engaging in some meaningful discussion on the issues and challenges faced by the global industry, as well as developments in aircraft technology and airspace capacity.”

Key international industry speakers now set to present at the event include Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker; IATA Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac; European Commission Director General Mobility and Transport, Henrik Hololei; US Department of Transportation Director, Office of International Aviation, Brian Hedberg; FedEx Express Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Rush O’Keefe; Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM); Director of Aviation Development, Germal Singh Khera; JetBlue Airways Senior Vice President Government Affairs and General Counsel, Robert Land; and African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Secretary General, Abderahmane Berthe.

CAPA – Centre for Aviation Executive (CAPA) Chairman, Mr. Peter Harbison, said: “For an industry as global as the airline business, it seems impossible that there could be major constraints on international cooperation and national ownership. But there is a growing belief in the airline industry that the 70-year-old provisions restricting the foreign ownership and control of airlines are archaic and should be significantly liberalised – or abolished. Whether that can happen depends on establishing a powerful case for a new system. Bringing together the industry’s leaders under one roof to discuss these issues is one step in that direction.”

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) to more than 160 destinations worldwide.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat’, ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’.

Qatar Airways has launched an array of exciting new destinations recently, including Gothenburg, Sweden; Mombasa, Kenya and Da Nang, Vietnam. The airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its extensive route network in 2019, including Valletta, Malta and Isfahan, Iran, to name just a few.

CAPA is one of the world’s most trusted sources of market intelligence for the aviation and travel industry, with a global network of researchers and analysts located across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.

Established in 1990, CAPA hosts a series of global summit events in key markets throughout the year, offering valuable networking opportunities and in-depth insight on the issues and trends that are shaping the global airline industry.