ALMOST 300 delegates from the aviation world landed in Limerick last week for an aviation leasing conference.
The Shannon International Leasing Conference, held in the Strand Hotel, brought 280 delegates from Ireland and across the world together to discuss the building of resilience in the aviation industry in Shannon.
With over 100 aviation companies currently based in Shannon, the transferring of aircraft from one owner to another in the area is worth an estimated €35million to businesses in the area annually.
Conference organiser Samantha Harding said: “Once again, we are delighted to welcome delegates from all over the world for this conference. This conference has grown year after year and is now firmly in the international technical executive’s calendar each year, bringing industry professionals to the Shannon region.”
“The importance of this activity to the Shannon region cannot be overstated, and we understand the impact it has on employment and economic benefit to the area.”
Speaking at last week’s conference, John Drysdale, business development manager for the Shannon Airport Group, explained that the Shannon aviation services community has rebounded strongly and, when coupled with strong growth in routes and frequency from Shannon Airport, presents an opportunity for Shannon to galvanise its place as the location that first comes to mind when looking for aviation support services.
The growth in Shannon Airport and the aviation industry in the region was proved by the announcement of a new strategic alliance, formed by AerAdvise Limited and ABC International Srl, which will ultimately lead to extra job creation in the Shannon area, where both companies have opened offices in the past year.
AerAdvise Company Limited COO Michael Byrt said: “This venture with ABC International is key towards reinforcement of our position on the market and providing more complex services to our customers.”
