Aviation Experts to Meet in Frankfurt for Airbus A380 Superjumbo Conference

Frankfurt/Main, Germany - Managers from major airports, airlines, equipment

manufacturers and other aviation experts will be gathering in Frankfurt on April 28 to 29 to

discuss the impact of the new Airbus A380 superjumbo on the global air transportation

industry. Hosted by Fraport AG (FRA), the two-day "Welcoming the A380" conference will

be held at the Arabella Sheraton Hotel in Frankfurt-Niederrad. This is the first industry

conference and exhibition dedicated solely to the Airbus A380. Further information is

available on the Internet at: www.a380conference.com.

U.K.-based Insight Media, which publishes Airport World magazine for Airports Council International (ACI), is organizing the conference in close cooperation with Fraport AG. The conference proceedings will be chaired by Prof. John D. Kasarda, director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina. About 150 participants from around the world are expected to attend.

Fraport AG�'s executive board chairman, Dr. Wilhelm Bender, will present the welcome address on day one. Fraport has positioned Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to be a key superhub in the global A380 route network of the future.

The program of high-level speakers begins with a presentation from Richard

Carcaillet, who is responsible for A380 marketing at Airbus. He will be followed

by Fraport specialists who will be reporting on preparations for the docking of

double-decker A380 jets at FRA�'s terminals. Representatives from Dubai, New

York-JFK, Paris, and San Francisco airports will also be presenting.

Day two will start with a presentation on how ground handling for the A380 will be done at Frankfurt Airport. For example, Fraport envisages that aircraft handling times for the A380 should not be any longer than for the existing B747 jumbo. Other speakers include equipment suppliers, as well as airlines that will be using the A380 in their fleets: Deutsche Lufthansa, Emirates and FedEx.

An interactive podium discussion will talk about "how the A380 will reshape the travel industry." Participants will include Prof. Uwe Klingauf of the recently founded European Center for Aviation Development (ECAD) in Darmstadt, Germany, as well as representatives from Singapore Airlines - the first air carrier to begin commercial A380 service in 2006 - and the travel industry. Delegates will also be able to tour A380-related facilities at FRA, including the passenger terminals and the site of the future A380 maintenance base.