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THE AIR CARGO FORUM HELD IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY BEATS ALL THE RECORDS SET BY PREVIOUS CONFERENCES
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The 22nd Air Cargo Forum (ACF 2004), the main international
event of the air cargo industry, held on September 14 - 17 in the Basque Country, has become the largest
world trade fair in the history of this event, beating all the participation records of previous events
held in Hong Kong, Washington and Paris thanks to the efforts of the directors of the International Air
Cargo Association (TIACA), organisers of the event, and VIA, the company entrusted with the promotion of
Vitoria Airport, hosts of ACF 2004.
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The presence of more than 5000 executives and 450 exhibitors from 64 countries made
the cities of Vitoria and Bilbao, as well as the Euskalduna Conference Centre and the Bilbao International
Trade Fair Centre, the focus of attention of the entire world air cargo industry. In short, an opportunity
to show off the industrial logistics capacity of the Basque Country. The President of VIA, Josu de Lapatza,
has highlighted the great efforts made by of the institutional partners of VIA, such as the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry of Alava, the Provincial Council of Alava, the Town Hall of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the
Basque Government, as well as AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea), to ensure that the Air Cargo
Forum held in the Basque Country would be the best ever conference in the history of this event.
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At 5:30 pm on September 14, Hall No 8 of the former premises of the Bilbao International
Trade Fair Centre opened its doors to receive
high-ranking authorities from the Basque Country, TIACA, and VIA,
as well as representatives of the companies taking part in the event and members of the local,
national and international media. Juan José Ibarretxe, Lehendakari of the Basque Government, Paulino
Luesma, Delegate of the Government in the Basque Country, Alfonso Alonso, Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Iñaki
Azkuna, Mayor of Bilbao, Ramón Rabanera, President of the Provincial Council of Alava, Josu de Lapatza,
President of VIA and President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Alava, Dora Kay, President of
TIACA, expressed their satisfaction with the decision to hold ACF in the Basque Country and their interest
in promoting Vitoria as an air cargo airport.
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After the speeches, Bilbao International Trade Fair Centre provided the setting
for the first conversations between executives and representatives of the international air cargo sector,
leading, without doubt, to a number of major business deals.
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The city of Vitoria-Gasteiz was the
following destination for the trustee members of TIACA.
The institutions of Alava invited
top ranking executives of the association to a dinner to give them a warm welcome and enable them to discover
some of the hidden secrets of the province of Alava. The restaurant Zaldiaran of Vitoria, which has been awarded
one Michelín star, was given the task of offering guests a first sample of Basque cuisine. The
President of VIA, Josu de Lapatza,
greeted the trustee members and thanked them for their presence and encouraged them to set up business at Vitoria
Airport and in the surrounding area. For his part, the
Alcalde de Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alfonso Alonso,
highlighted the relevant weight of Alava as a key location and passing place for goods traffic throughout history
and revealed the interest of Vitoria, in particular and Alava, in general, in promoting logistics infrastructures
and the industrial potential of the region.
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Dora Kay, President of TIACA, and Daniel Fernández, Secretary General of the
International Air Cargo Association, inaugurated a programme of talks by professionals
on air cargo at the Euslkalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao. During the opening ceremony she also highlighted
the presence of the Vice President and Transport and Energy Commissioner of the European Commission, Loyola de
Palacio, who described Air Cargo Forum as "an excellent opportunity to define the priority principles of our work
in the future of civil aviation "and praised "the relevant growth of the air industry during the first months of
2004". Nevertheless, she expressed concern about "the vulnerability of the sector, the threats to security, its
dependence on international development and high fuel costs".
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The inauguration ceremony gave way to an ambitious series of talks organised under the
"New solutions for new problems".
Key concepts in the air cargo sector such as new security measures, cost reduction or the latest regulations,
co-operation and coordination were the central themes analysed by the speakers. This series of lectures
continued until September 16.
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At the same time, the Bilbao International Trade Fair received more than 450 international companies who revealed the
latest novelties and innovations in the world air cargo market. Covering an area of 9000 sq m, the
stand of VIA,
Promoción del Aeropuerto de Vitoria, was a major attraction, providing information on the growth potential of
Vitoria Airport.
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The hustle and bustle, suitcases, notes, documents and the accelerated lifestyle
of ACF professionals took second place during the
Grand Gala Dinner organised by VIA,
as hosts of Air Cargo Forum. The Euskalduna Conference Centre was festooned in honour of more than 800 executives
from five continents as well as senior government representatives. These included the
President of the Basque Government, Juan José Ibarretxe,
the Vice President and Transport and Energy Commissioner of the European Commission, Loyola de Palacio,
the Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alfonso Alonso, the Industry Minister, Ana Aguirre, the Vice President of the
Provincial Council, Carlos Samaniego, the President of the General Councils of Alava, María Teresa Rodríguez,
the Deputy Delegate of the Government in Alava, Gloria Sánchez, the President of VIA, Josu de Lapatza, the President
of TIACA, Dora Kay, the Director of Vitoria Airport, Jesús Garay, and the Managing Director of CLASA, Jorge José
del Castillo.
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The night's entertainment, filled with stars and music and compered Anne Igartiburu,
featured the Vitoria-born countertenor Carlos Mena,
disk of the year in Spain, the powerful voices of the Orfeón Donostiarra choir
and the humour of the Golden Apple Quartet.
Without doubt, one of the major attractions of the night was the menu designed by
18 Basque chefs
holders of 19 Michelin stars and 4 recommendations. Maestros such as Juan María Arzak, Martín Berasategui,
Pedro Subijana, Gorka Txapartegi, Isaac Salaberria, Hilario Alberlaitz, Pilar Idoate, Koldo Rodero, Gonzalo
Antón, Andoni Luis Aduriz, José Juan Castillo, Roberto Asua, Aitor Elizegi, Daniel García, Juan Antonio Zaldua
and José Ramón Berriozabal, led by Fernando Canales, met at the Etxanobe restaurant of the Euskalduna to
disseminate Basque gastronomic culture throughout the five continents. An entertaining evening to the sound of the
txalaparta-players Oreka TX
and the Jazz Group Tarrasa Big Band.
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The representatives of
Calgary Airport Authority
did not want to leave the Basque Country without first thanking TIACA for their decision to appoint them as the
next hosts for ACF 2005. The international Guggenheim Museum was the scenario chosen by the Canadians to invite
delegates to ACF 2004 to a gala dinner, the main theme of which was the culture and traditional music of the
second-largest country in the world.
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One of the largest events ever held in the Basque Country
came to an end at 1:30 pm on Friday
September 17. The two years of intensive work by VIA, Promoción del Aeropuerto de Vitoria has been amply rewarded
but only in by the record attendance figures but also by the objective impression of having obtained the general
approval of delegates for their organisation of Air Cargo Forum, together with TIACA, and of having consolidated
the image of Vitoria International Airport in the cargo sector.
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Presentationn
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