MANCHESTER, England, February 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Region's largest commercial aviation event to attract 300 airlines, airports and tourism authorities

The 7th Routes Americas, the only route development event for the entire Americas region, will open this weekend in San Salvador, El Salvador. The event which will take place from 23 to 25 February 2014 will bring together leading airports, airlines, tourism authorities, policy-makers and other aviation stakeholders to develop new air services to, from and within the Americas.

This year's Routes Americas, which is hosted by the Tourism Ministry of El Salvador, is expected to attract over 70 airlines, 200 airports and over 30 tourism authorities along with a number of other industry stakeholders from across the Americas to discuss air service development.

"We are delighted to host the 2014 edition of Routes Americas and we're ready to host the entire industry in our beloved El Salvador, a country that has made positive strides in tourism through air connectivity that today allows us to connect more directly with the major cities of Latin America," said José Napoleón Duarte Durán, Minister of Tourism of El Salvador continuing: "Routes Americas is the most important platform for the aviation industry, airports and tourism. Being part of this great experience is the result of years of work in making El Salvador a visible destination for tourism and for business."

Adrian Newton, Group Director Transport and Technology at UBM Live said: "As the largest regional aviation market in the world, the Americas are a key strategic priority for Routes. This year we are delighted to be organising both Routes Americas and World Routes in Chicago in September to support the development of improved air connectivity within this fascinating market. The region includes the world's largest national aviation market, the US, which is complemented by Latin America, one of the fastest growing and most exciting aviation markets in the world. El Salvador is a natural hub between North and South America and the Caribbean and is ideally placed to benefit from the growing traffic within the Americas."

The event attracts the highest level of senior decision makers and, following an announcement last December, the event now also incorporates Network USA, creating a single definitive event platform for all those interested in meeting with the industry's key players to discuss air service development in the entire Americas region.

The region's leading airlines will be represented by senior delegations in San Salvador, including all four major US network carriers (American Airlines, US Airways, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines), LATAM Airlines, COPA, Avianca, British Airways, Allegiant Air, AeroMexico, Gol Transportes Aereos and Iberia Airlines, as well as Low cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines and VivaColombia.

In addition, the high-level Routes Americas Strategy Summit, held in association with the Latin America & Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and sponsored by The New Quito International Airport, will open the event on Sunday 23^rd February. It will bring together leading industry experts to debate aviation and route development issues across the Americas region. Attendees will be addressed by, among others, José Napoleón Duarte Durán, the Minister of Tourism of El Salvador, and Eduardo Iglesias, Executive Director of the Latin America & Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA).

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 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.

SOURCE UBM Live Routes Ltd