11 October 2022

• Hundreds of aviation professionals will meet in Vilamoura, Portugal this week, 11–13 October, for the highly-anticipated European Regions Airline Association (ERA) General Assembly.
• The three-day event provides unique and exclusive business opportunities for the association’s member companies and their representatives.
• ERA’s strong membership includes the entire spectrum of companies in the aviation ecosystem with more than 200 businesses, including 56 airlines.

ERA’s high-profile General Assembly will this year take place in Vilamoura, Portugal. Set in one of the most prestigious areas, it is a modern and sophisticated destination situated in the heart of the Algarve.

As the association’s largest event of the year, the General Assembly was set to take place in Vilamoura in 2020, but was postponed due to COVID restrictions. Hence, with more than 350 delegates expected to attend, this will be the first time since 2019 that the association has been able to host this high-profile event.

Like most popular tourist destinations, the pandemic dealt a severe blow to the Portuguese economy, but thankfully with the reopening of the industry, it has seen a significant rebound this year.

Montserrat Barriga, Director General, ERA, said: “We are so pleased to be reuniting in Portugal for our high-value event, the ERA General Assembly. We are very grateful and supportive to the Algarve region. ERA’s member airlines provide a vital role in connecting the territories of Europe and so being in this location, at this point in travel and tourism’s post-pandemic journey, feels poignant.”

João Fernandes, President, Algarve Tourism Bureau, said: “We are delighted to be hosting ERA and its members in the Algarve. We hope the event can become an opportunity to showcase our beautiful region – the fabulous beaches, seafood gastronomy and nature parks – to the participating airlines, so they can consider our destination when opening new routes. The Algarve and Faro Airport have a strong demand from the UK and Europe for airlift and the regional airlines play an important part in servicing that demand.”

* Founded in 1980, European Regions Airline Association (ERA) is a non-profit trade association representing over 55 airlines plus around 150 other companies involved in European air transport, and is the only association that bring together the entire spectrum of companies involved in European aviation. The association supports and defends the airline industry in providing safe, efficient and sustainable air connectivity to all regions of Europe. By lobbying European regulatory bodies on policy matters, ERA promotes and protects social responsibility, environmental sustainability and the development of regional economies and local communities.