The fire and rescue challenge of new generation large aircraft, such as Airbus Industrie's double-decker, superjumbo A380, are to come under the spotlight at a conference running alongside the Aviation Fire and Security International (AFSI) exhibition being held in Dubai next year.

Klaus Schmoetzer, Airbus Industrie's head of fire protection systems, is to address the conference, which will run in half-day sessions from April 27 to 29 at the Airport Expo Dubai.

"This is a crucial issue for the aviation industry," said Neil Wallington, AFSI consultant. "There are substantial challenges in ensuring safety, particularly in an evacuation scenario for an aircraft with two levels carrying over 550 people. We anticipate this address will be a 'world first' for the airline industry."

The AFSI Fire and Rescue Conference will also hear from the deputy chief fire officer of the Hong Kong Fire Service, Ken Tong.