Come November, the Dubai sky will be filled with aircraft of different hues and sizes, even as the roaring sound of the planes exhilarates Dubai Airshow visitors.
Dubai Airshow 2019 is expected to be bigger than ever as it returns to DWC, Dubai Airshow site with about 1,300 exhibitors and attracting up to 87,000 aerospace professionals across its five-day run from November 17 to 21.
The Middle East has been the rising star of the aerospace industry over the last two decades bolstered by a natural strategic location and concerted efforts from operators and governments to foster the market. Growth in the region is fuelled by passenger numbers and a clear eastward movement of the global centre of activity.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has forecast the Middle East will see an extra 290 million air passengers on routes to, from and within the region by 2037.
IATA estimates by 2037, the Middle East market will reach 501 million passengers achieved by a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 4.4 per cent. Airbus predicted in its recent forecast that by 2023 that both UAE-based hubs – Dubai and Abu Dhabi - will be in the top 15 Mega Aviation Cities, with Dubai taking the top position.
The Dubai Airshow is the ideal location for the industry to take advantage of the associated growth opportunities, say organisers.
Dubai Airshow 2019 will have an increased focus on sector-specific conferences and pavilions, reflecting the growing industry areas such as Smart Manufacturing, Space, Cargo Connect, Airport Solutions Dubai and Global Air Traffic Management (GATM). Each will include a conference and a dedicated pavilion on the show floor.
“It is clear that the aerospace industry in the Middle East is on the cusp of incredible growth,” says Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of show organisers Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East in an exclusive interview with Arabian Knight. “The show really is the platform for the industry in the region and beyond, and anyone with any interest in aerospace should be there in November.
“Dubai is geographically at the centre of the global aviation world, and Dubai Airshow is where the sector comes to do business. We have seen incredible, unmatched deals, innovations and ideas,” she says.
Trade visitors to the previous Dubai Airshow in 2017 were up around 20 per cent on the 2015 event, with some 79,380 people entering the purpose-built hall at DWC, Dubai during its five-day run. At the end of the show’s final day, the order book stood at almost $113.8 billion.
“When you compare these to the first Dubai Airshow in 1989, you get a real sense of the show’s growth – it’s 92 times the footprint – exhibitors have increased 550 per cent and aircraft on the static display 560 per cent. Incredibly, trade visitors have grown by almost 800 per cent – a demonstration of the draw of the aerospace industry in the region,” continues Van Akelijen.
Focus on Business Aviation
Business aviation will be a significant part of the Dubai Airshow 2019 with major players in the sector showcasing their new wares and services targeting the discerning regional customers.
Business aircraft movements in the region are predicted to reach 175,000 by 2020. The prediction, made at the MEBAA Conference Dubai last December, underlines the industry’s growth in the region, and is reinforced by key players in business aviation demonstrating their commitment to the Middle East’s leading aerospace event.
In addition, the UAE is expecting an increase in private jet landings next year as a result of Expo 2020, leading to increased opportunities for the industry.
Key business aviation OEMs will be represented at the show, including Boeing Business Jets, Gulfstream, Dassault Aviation, Airbus Corporate Jets, Textron and Pilatus. They will be joined at the show for the first time by Citadel Completions.
Exhibitors at the event represent the whole business aviation supply chain, from OEMs to interiors, completions specialists to FBOs including Jet Aviation and DC Aviation, private airports such as Al Bateen Executive Airport; and gourmet catering firms, providing an ideal platform for those in the industry to network and forge relationships to take advantage of the opportunities offered.
The Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) will host the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) and International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) workshops within the show itself.
– By Sree Bhat
Source: www.arabianknightonline.com
