World Aviation Leaders to Convene at the
Inaugural Las Vegas World Aviation Forum in October:
An Industry Turned Upside Down

Gathering of current and former top executives from U.S., Canadian,
European and Asian traditional and low-cost airlines and airports

(LAS VEGAS - April 12, 2005) - Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and Co-Organizer GCW Consulting today announced the launch of the inaugural Las Vegas World Aviation Forum, to be held October 24-26, 2005 at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas. Panelists for the event, who will be announced within the coming weeks, include top commercial aviation executives, government officials, manufacturers and policy analysts from the Americas, Europe and Asia.

"The aviation industry today operates in a changing environment where fuel costs are at record highs, low-cost carriers increasingly hold the pricing power, and many aspects of the legacy airlines' models are becoming unsustainable," said Las Vegas Director of Aviation Randall H. Walker. "The Las Vegas World Aviation Forum is a great opportunity for industry leaders to examine these changes and debate the various options for adapting to our new environment. For all who attended and participate, it will be a chance to frame the future."

The Las Vegas World Aviation Forum will bring together industry leaders - including executives from airlines, airports, vendors and governments - from around the world. The Forum is informal, with no lengthy presentations and a conversational format designed to provoke discussion, debate and ideas. The audience is encouraged to participate, as some of the industry's most important stakeholders candidly discuss the day's hot issues for commercial aviation executives.

Among the topics to be discussed at the Forum in October:

• The evolving roles of airports and labor as aviation industry paradigms shift
• "Fixing" the U.S. domestic airline industry, and bringing it back to profitability
• The next low-cost carrier frontiers: Prospects in Asia and South America, and on long-haul transatlantic and transpacific routes

"Here in Las Vegas, we experienced early on the rapidly changing dynamics that came with the rise of low-cost carriers, which now account for more than fifty percent of our scheduled capacity, while at the same time enjoying a fast-growing international presence," Walker noted. "We look forward to sharing our experience with Forum attendees, with our great city as a backdrop for the event."

The Las Vegas World Aviation Forum is being co-organized by GCW Consulting, a strategic consultancy for organizations in the aviation sector and a pioneer of similar events in the United States and China.

"As one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, and the largest inbound tourist market in North America, Las Vegas is an ideal site to host a gathering of the world's aviation industry leaders," said GCW Consulting President and CEO Mo Garfinkle. "In October, Las Vegas will be the place for a frank, candid discussion of airline industry issues among some of its most influential leaders."

Las Vegas serves as the venue for the Forum. The world's entertainment capital, Las Vegas has seen visitor traffic grow more than 67 percent in the past fifteen years, and McCarran International Airport has expanded to meet this growth.

For more information about the Forum, including registration information, please visit the forum's Web site at www.lasvegasaviationforum.com

About Las Vegas McCarran International Airport

The sixth busiest airport in the United States, Las Vegas McCarran International Airport is the gateway to the world's entertainment capital, and the 11th busiest in the world. In 2004, more than 40 million people traveled through McCarran, most on their way to the abundant entertainment, leisure and business facilities Las Vegas offers world travelers. Fresh with $1.14 billion in infrastructure improvements over the past decade, McCarran prepares for continued growth in the future with more than $1.5 billion in additional capacity and enhancement projects planned for the next ten years. For more information, please visit www.mccarran.com.

About GCW Consulting

GCW Consulting is a strategic consultancy for organizations in the aviation sector. GCW works for corporations and governments around the world, with particular expertise in business development and counseling in the People's Republic of China. Based in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area suburb of Arlington, Va., GCW also has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and London, England. For more information on GCW Consulting, please visit www.gcwconsulting.com.