5,000 international civil aviation delegates in Montréal
OPENING OF ACI WORLD CONFERENCE AND MONTRÉAL CIVIL AVIATION WEEK 2016

Montréal, Monday, September 26, 2016 – Beginning today, Airports Council International (ACI), under the aegis of ACI World and ACI North America, is hosting some 2,000 delegates from all over the world at its annual conference, taking place this year in Montréal. Exceptionally, the conference is being held at the same time as the 39th triennial Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for which 3,000 dignitaries from 191 countries are expected in the city.

“The presence here of these organizations, along with IATA (the International Air Transport Association) and IFALPA (the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations) is something of a well-kept secret in our city—one that deserves to be shared and celebrated with Montrealers,” says James Cherry, President and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), the instigator of Montréal Civil Aviation Week, which runs from September 26 to October 3, 2016.

ADM, in partnership with City of Montréal, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Aéro Montréal and Montréal International, seized this opportunity to organize the inaugural Montréal Civil Aviation Week. The purpose of the event is to underscore the presence in Montréal of these major international aviation industry organizations and their contributions to the vitality of the local aerospace industry, which encompasses four of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, some 200 companies, and more than 40,000 employees in Québec.

Current challenges in aviation on the agenda

The ACI World-NA Conference will address the principal challenges facing the world’s airports today. Topics to be debated at the September 26 and 27 sessions include crisis management in the era of the citizen journalist, airports as venues for showcasing cultures and communities to travellers, the key role of ICAO, and the impact of the digital revolution on the world’s airports.

In addition to the impressive gathering of civil aviation dignitaries, experts and professionals, the week will feature activities for members of the public, around the themes of innovation and the environment. Aéro Montréal hosts an open house day at École de Technologie Supérieure on October 1, during which teams of students will pitch solutions for recycling of end-of-life aircraft to a jury in a “Dragons’ Den” format. The Board of Trade, meanwhile, presents a September 30 lunch-and-learn session with Mr. Cherry on transformations at Montréal–Trudeau airport, and on October 3, a lecture in its International Leaders series with Bertrand Piccard, who piloted the Solar Impulse plane on its recent round-the-world journey without fuel.

ADM, speaking on behalf of all of its partners, has announced that Montréal Civil Aviation Week could become a regular event, coinciding with the ICAO Assembly, held every three years.

About ACI

Airports Council International (ACI) is a non-profit organization whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations. ACI World is based in Montréal, Canada, and includes five geographical regions including North America, under the abbreviation ACI-NA. As of January 2016, ACI serves 592 members operating 1,853 airports in 173 countries.

About ICAO

A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States.

About Montréal Civil Aviation Week 2016

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN organization established in Montréal since its creation in 1947, has drawn in its wake a number of prestigious aviation industry organizations that have made the city the world capital of civil aviation, among them ACI, IATA and IFALPA. The goal of Montréal Civil Aviation Week 2016 is to underscore the presence in Montréal of these key players in civil aviation and celebrate the vitality of Québec’s aerospace industry, which works closely with these global leaders. Aéroports de Montréal, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the City of Montréal, Aéro Montréal and Montréal International are the major organizing partners. The event is made possible with the financial support of the City of Montréal, the Government of Québec and the Government of Canada.

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For more information:
http://annual.aci-na.org/
http://www.semainedelaviationcivilemontreal.com/en

Source: Christiane Beaulieu
Vice-President, Public Affairs and Communications
Tel.: 514 394-7304

Pilot and explorer Bertrand Piccard coming in for a landing at the Bell International Leaders series as part of Montréal Civil Aviation Week

Montréal, August 25, 2016 – As part of Montréal Civil Aviation Week, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is pleased to welcome celebrated Swiss pilot and explorer Bertrand Piccard, who on July 25 completed a 40,000 km trip around the world in a solar plane, without using a single drop of fuel. He was already known as the first man to have made a non-stop, round-the-world trip in a balloon, a journey he made in 1999.

At the Bell International Leaders event on October 3 at the Centre Pierre-Péladeau’s Salle Pierre-Mercure, Mr. Piccard will talk about the genesis and joint creation of the solar plane Solar Impulse II, his passion for aerospace, the potential of renewable energy and his appetite for adventure.

A high-flying leader
“Bertrand Piccard’s life has been anything but ordinary, and his leadership is an example for decision-makers,” said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “His achievement of making the 16-month trip around the world in his solar plane, after 13 years of preparation, is a model of innovation and determination.”

“Mr. Piccard was one of the first to see ecology from the point of view of profitability, and with Solar Impulse II, he showed that sustainable development can be an opportunity for both business and innovation to fight climate change. His achievements make him a leading figure in the field of aerospace and an important influence for all those who are building the world of tomorrow.”

The first Montréal Civil Aviation Week
“Hosting a speaker of Bertrand Piccard’s calibre is a great way to mark the first edition of Montréal Civil Aviation Week,” Mr. Leblanc said. “The aerospace industry provides tens of thousands of high-quality jobs in the metropolitan area, and it also creates wealth and contributes to the development of a knowledge- and innovation-based economy. The presence of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and world leaders such as Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney make Montréal a leading light on the international scene as a high-tech city in the field of aviation.”

This Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal event is organized with the support of Bell, in partnership with Evenko and the cooperation of CJAD 800, La Presse+, the Government of Québec, The Montreal Gazette and the Ville de Montréal.

The Bell International Leaders series receives inspiring, internationally recognized figures from different spheres who have changed our world. Bertrand Piccard is the latest in a series of speakers that included Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who spoke in January 2014. The famous scientist and author David Suzuki, Secretary of State and American presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and television host Larry King are a few of the other luminaries who have spoken as part of this series in recent years.

For more information on Bertrand Piccard’s conference or to take part in it, please visit the Board of Trade website. 

To consult Bertrand Piccard’s biography, click here.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of over 7,000 members. Its mission is to be the voice of Montréal’s business community and to promote the city’s prosperity. It is involved in key areas of economic development, advocating a philosophy of action based on engagement, credibility, proactivity, collaboration, and innovation. The Board of Trade also offers a range of specialized services to individuals and to businesses of all sizes to support them in their growth at home and abroad.

About Montréal Civil Aviation Week
With its head office in Montréal since it was founded in 1947, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations body, has attracted many prestigious organizations in the aviation sector, making the city the world capital of civil aviation. For the ICAO annual meeting and the Airport Council International (ACI) conference, when over 5,000 delegates will gather in Montréal, the presence of these important players in civil aviation will be marked during a week devoted to a key sector of the economy, from September 26 to October 3, 2016. The vitality of Québec’s aerospace industry will also be marked, an industry that works closely with these world leaders. Aéroports de Montréal, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Ville de Montréal, Aéro Montréal and Montreal International are the main programming partners for this exciting week. The event is also made possible through the financial support of the Ville de Montréal and the Government of Québec. The program features a wide range of activities on the themes of innovation and the environment, including open houses, tours, exhibitions by flying clubs, “dragon” style competitions and high-level conferences.

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Source : 
Guillaume Bérubé
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Phone: 514 871-4000, extension 4042
gberube@ccmm.qc.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal 
Twitter: @chambremontreal
Follow the discussion: #ccmmqcca

Launching Concordia University's Think Tank

Civil Aviation Week will also mark the official launch of Concordia University’s Aviation Think Tank, whose external advisory board is chaired by Pierre Jeanniot, former Director General & CEO of IATA and former President and CEO of Air Canada. “Concordia has created a neutral platform — the first of its kind in the world – to provide a forum for industry experts, researchers and academics to collaborate and weigh in on the most important issues facing the aviation sector,” says Mr. Jeanniot. “The knowledge and ideas generated will promote forward-thinking policies, best practices and key actions to help set the pace in a complex arena.”