Bigger, better air show ahead

Dubai: Having wrapped up the 2009 air show with $14 billion (Dh51 billion) worth of deals, Dubai is expecting this year's show, to be held from November 14 to 17, will be on a much larger scale.

Without divulging numbers, Alison Weller, Managing Director of organisers F&E Aerospace, said that with some Gulf airlines expected to place orders, the show looks to be much bigger than the last one.

"With Emirates and Qatar Airways expected to make aircraft order announcements — as it has been heard — we sure expect some big deals to be signed," she told Gulf News, adding: "The air show is not all about orders. It is more about the aviation players from the world over coming together."

Emirates and Qatar Airways have already dropped hints about possible order announcements during the air show.

More positive

"It is more positive that we might sign something," Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, recently said when asked about the possibility of orders at the air show.

The biggest Airbus A380 customer with 90 on order, Emirates recently expressed intentions to raise its superjumbo order to 120.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker told Gulf News last week that the Doha-based carrier has signed an order for additional A380 aircraft, with the deal's details due to be "officially" announced during the air show.

The carrier currently has five A380s on order.

"We ordered the A380s for a specific reason and we found the number we initially ordered to be insufficient. So we ordered a few more," Al Baker said.

While F&E Aerospace's Weller did not reveal the estimated order value to be announced at the air show, she said there will definitely be an increase in the number of participants this year compared to the 2009 event.

"The air show this year will be 12 per cent bigger in terms of the number of exhibitors, and an average 10 per cent bigger overall," she said.

This year's air show will be the last to be held at Dubai Airport Expo.

Weller said the next show in 2013 would "definitely" be held at the Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International airport.

Around 55,000 trade visitors are due to attend this year's show which will have 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries, according to Weller. Abu Dhabi-based Mub-adala will be the air show's biggest exhibitor, said Weller.

This year's air show will also be largest with over 100 commercial and military aircraft on static display in the 325,000 square metre exhibition area.

Bell/Boeing will be showcasing the V-22 Tilt Rotor while China's Xian MA600, a 60-seat passenger aircraft, will be seen for the first time outside China.