Dubai – Gensler, the world’s most influential architecture and design firm, today announced the appointment of Max Connop as Regional Aviation Practice Area Leader for the Asia Pacific Middle East (APME) region. Connop will lead the growth of Gensler’s aviation practice across the region, strengthening its position at the forefront of one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets.

With more than three decades of international experience, Connop is a UK-registered architect who has played a central role in the creative visioning and design delivery of some of this regions most ambitious aviation projects, including Hong Kong International Airport, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Yantai Penglai International Airport, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. He is widely recognised for embedding sustainability into every project, ensuring airports are designed for long-term resilience and environmental performance.

“Max joins us at a pivotal moment for aviation in APME,” said David Calkins and Theresa Sheils, Co-Regional Managing Principals, APME. “His expertise in designing high-performance, future-focused airports, combined with his commitment to sustainable solutions, perfectly aligns with our vision of creating aviation environments that are smart, green, and most importantly, human-centred.”

Connop’s appointment comes at the time the Middle East aviation sector continues to outpace global growth trajectories, with research data unveiling the region’s expanding influence on international aviation markets. The Middle East represents 6% of the global aviation market and according to Cirium’s global Schedules report, the region accounts for 6.1% of total global scheduled capacity, while the passenger fleet in service represents 6.2% of the worldwide total. Connop will collaborate with clients, partners, and multidisciplinary teams to deliver innovative airport solutions that enhance the traveller journey and respond to the global push toward decarbonisation.

“My goal has always been to create airports that perform at the highest level while responding to the environmental and cultural context of the communities they serve,” said Connop. “Gensler’s commitment to innovation and sustainability provides the perfect platform to reimagine the role of aviation in APME and shape future-ready infrastructure for the region.”

Connop’s appointment is part of Gensler’s broader strategy to expand its aviation expertise worldwide, addressing urgent priorities such as multimodal integration and the role of technology in shaping the future of travel. By strengthening its aviation leadership in APME, Gensler reinforces its commitment to redefining airports as gateways to greener and more connected cities.

For more information, please contact:
Neo Jia Hao
Regional Public Relations Manager
Asia Pacific Middle East
jiahao_neo@gensler.com

Rochelle Alphonso
A Communications
rochelle@a-comms.com

About Gensler

At Gensler, the value of our work stems from its positive impact on the human experience. We are a dynamic and collaborative design firm uniting creativity, research, and innovation to create impactful, cutting-edge solutions for our clients. Together, we are reimagining the cities, places, and experiences that impact people’s everyday lives. Founded in 1965, Gensler has built a team of 6,000 professionals who partner with clients in over 100 countries each year on projects that act as catalysts for growth. Everything we do is guided by our mission: to create a better world through the power of design.

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