ABOUT 40 delegates from across NSW and interstate have converged on Dubbo this week as the city hosts a major aviation conference.
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The Australian Airports Association (AAA) NSW Division conference takes place at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre on Monday and Tuesday.
The conference would not only be an opportunity to share best practice when it came to running airports, it would be an opportunity to showcase the city to the visitors, Dubbo City Regional Airport operations manager Lindsay Mason said.
"We put our name forward to host it and lo and behold Dubbo came up," he said.
"We run it over two half-days to give delegates the chance to travel here in the morning. The conference used to be held in Sydney but the last couple we've had it in Wagga Wagga and Ballina, for instance."
The Canberra-based AAA was a united voice for airports and aerodromes that provided advocacy for and organised learning events relating to airports and compiled government submissions, Mr Mason said.
He said the first day of the conference would see delegates updated on the recent NSW inquiry into regional aviation services and the Senate inquiry into security screening brought about by a motion from independent Senator Nick Xenophon, Mr Mason said.
Mr Mason and a representative from contractor Fulton Hogan would also deliver a presentation on the recent project to re-seal the tarmac at Dubbo airport.
Day two would see the two regulators, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia, provide an update on their activities.
"We'll also get an update on the western Sydney airport project," Mr Mason said.
"And there will be a few people speaking about the potential for the reintroduction of air services to remote areas of western NSW.
"We will also have a workshop session about the future of regional aviation.
"A broad range of topics are normally discussed, and it is a good chance for some of the smaller players to get support".
Guests had also been invited to a dinner at the Old Dubbo Gaol on Monday night where a special show would be put on for them, Mr Mason said.
"They will get the chance to experience Dubbo and we will give them a gift to take away, so they'll talk about us for a while," he said.