Dubai Airshow: Show gears itself for VIP visits

Organisers of the Dubai Airshow, which begins its five-day run at the Airport Expo Dubai tomorrow say they will this week welcome 73 delegations from 40 countries, with the Middle East and North Africa accounting for more than a third.

Due at the show - the 11th in the biennial series - are 18 Ministers of Defence, 19 Air Force Commanders, 11 Chiefs of Staff, and four heads of military procurement and over 100 civil aviation leaders from 33 countries - more than a third of which are airline presidents and CEOs.

"The show has retained its potent delegations programme delivering to exhibitors an audience of significant influence and purchasing decision-making," said Alison Weller, Director, F&E Aerospace, which organises the show.

"The geographic spread of the delegations is particularly interesting with over three quarters coming from outside the GCC and with the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and the Russian Federation accounting for more than half."

Dubai Airshow is being seen as a bellwether to signs of economic recovery within the aviation industry and with 890 exhibitors from 47 countries, an increase of over 7,000sqm in exhibition space and 13 dedicated national or regional pavilions - a 10% increase on 2007 - organisers are hoping the event will deliver a confidence boost to the sector.

"There is talk of a number of orders coming out of the Middle East and North Africa region," explained Weller. "The announcements may not be of the scale of previous years but will be indicative, perhaps, of where the emerging markets lie."

The 11th Dubai Airshow has followed the event's year-on-year growth pattern with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority investing in a new exhibition hall - the Emirates Hall - increasing floor space by over 7,000 square metres.

"The show layout - which has repeatedly been acknowledged as world class - has now raised the bar again," said Weller.

With 130 aircraft in its static park and 14 aircraft types due to take part in the daily flying display, the Dubai Airshow is a visible demonstration that the aviation industry is ready to climb out of its recent doldrums.

"We are still managing to deliver new, and historic, dimensions to the show, particularly in the aircraft line-up which this year will see the US Air Force F22 Raptor, the Eurofighter Typhoon of Britain's RAF and the L-15 Falcon jet trainer from China's Aviation Industries of China, which will be the international airshow debut of a trainer from the Peoples' Republic and is likely to be keenly followed by all in the industry," added Weller.