Top Aviation Sector Leaders to Address Airports Canada 2009 Conference & Exhibition

Friday, January 16, 2009 -

Top Aviation Sector Leaders to Address
Airports Canada 2009 Conference & Exhibition

OTTAWA (January 17, 2009) – The Canadian Airports Council today unveiled its initial speaker line-up for the Airports Canada 2009 Conference and Exhibition.  The conference, Canada’s largest airport event, will be held in Ottawa-Gatineau April 28-30, 2009.

“Airports Canada 2007 set a new standard for the CAC,” said CAC President and CEO Jim Facette.  “As the aviation sector in Canada continues to face global challenges, Airports Canada 2009 will examine important issues facing our sector from a uniquely Canadian vantage.”

Themed “Leadership for Challenging Times,” Airports Canada 2009 will tackle the following issues:

• Economic Outlook and Canadian Competitiveness in the World
• World-Impacting Security Challenges in the 21st Century
• Passenger and Freight Facilitation
• International Air Policy for the 21st Century
• Aviation and the Environment

Confirmed speakers and panellists include:

• Andy Blackwell - Head of Aviation Security, Virgin Atlantic Airways
• Joram Bobasch, EVP, ICTS Europe
• Montie Brewer - President and CEO of Air Canada
• John Byerly - Deputy Assistant Secretary, Transportation Affairs, U.S. State Department (invited)
• Michelle di Leo - Director, Flying Matters (UK)
• Jean-Marc Eustache, President & CEO, Transat A.T
• Angela Gittens - Director General of Airports Council International
• Allan Gregg - Chairman of Harris/Decima
• Marc Gregoire - Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security at the Department of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
• Nick Nanos - President and CEO, Nanos Research
• Catherine Harmel-Tourneur - Director, DKMA
• Tina Kremmidas - Assistant Vice President and Senior Economist of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Andrew Lynch - CEO of SSP
• Kevin Molloy - Vice President, Simplified Passenger Travel and Chief Information Officer for the Vancouver Airport Authority
• Dr. Lloyd McCoomb - President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority
• Andrew Parker - SVP, Public and Environmental Affairs, Emirates
• Guylaine Roy - Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Transport Canada
• Jeffrey Shane, Partner, Hogan & Hartson LLP; Chair, IATA Agenda for Freedom
• Stanis Smith - Senior Vice President, Stantec
• Mike Tretheway, Executive Vice President, InterVISTAS
• Ajay Virmani, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cargojet

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for organizations involved in the airports sector.  Now held only every two years, Airports Canada is attended by over 200 top airport executives, and senior executives/officials from air carriers, retail/service partners and government. 

About the Canadian Airports Council

The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada’s airports.  Its 48 members represent more than 180 airports, including all of the National Airports System (NAS) airports and most significant municipal airports in every province and territory. Together, CAC members handle virtually all of the nation’s air cargo and international passenger traffic and 95% of domestic passenger traffic.  They create in excess of $45 billion in economic activity in the communities they serve.  And more than 200,000 jobs are directly associated with CAC member airports, generating a payroll of more than $8 billion annually.