Hyderabad set for India Aviation 2012
Boeing's Dreamliner is to land in the country for the first time as part of the bienniel event
Hyderabad The old Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad will be the venue for the third India Aviation, 2012, show from Wednesday.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner and a display of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 Aircraft will be among the highlights of the three-day conference and exhibition, which will be inaugurated by the Civil Aviation Minister, Ajit Singh.
It will be for the first time the Dreamliner will land in India, ahead of its induction into Air India's fleet. Lieutenant-Colonel Vivek Kodikal, regional director, (Trade Fairs) FICCI, said it would be the biggest civil aviation show ever witnessed in the country.
The current crisis through which the civil aviation sector is passing, does not seem to be having an impact on the event as the number of participants has increased by 10 per cent.
The biennial India Aviation event will not feature aerobatics by the Indian Navy and Air Force this year after the 2010 tragedy when an aeroplane lost control and crashed into a house in the city killing the pilot.
Kodikal, however, said the decision not to have aerobatics had nothing to do with the accident.
"We have decided not to have aerobatics as they are normally associated with the events of the Indian Navy and Air Force," he said.
Another thing missing this time is the flamboyant personality of Vijay Mallya whose King Fisher Airline (KFA) was in the grip of a serious crisis and was apparently fighting for survival. KFA, which has been one of most prominent sponsors of the event, will not participate this year.
The event has been organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the government of India, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
