Dubai Airshow flies high with 10pct overall growth

Dubai’s 11th Airshow has appeared to be immune to the prevailing global economic downturn as organisers report an overall growth of 10 per cent compared with the last aerospace event hosted in the emirate in 2007.

Alison Weller, director of F&E Aerospace, which organises the biennial exhibition in Dubai, said around 890 companies from 47 countries are expected to take part this year, up from the 850 corporate participation posted two years ago.

“It is not to say that Dubai Airshow has not been affected by the crisis. There are companies that opted to have smaller participation this year while some have cancelled, but we still saw a total of 150 new-to-market exhibitors from 20 countries that will make their debut in the Dubai Airshow,” Weller said.

The five-day event, which will be held at the Dubai Airport Expo from Sunday to Thursday (November 15-19), saw its exhibition floor area expanding by over 7,000 square metres (sqm) with the addition of a temporary structure, Emirates Hall, thus bring the total area size to 325,513sqm.

Weller added that the Dubai Airshow is expecting around 50,000 visitors on site, up from the 45,000 who attended the 2007 edition.

Dubai aviation sector remains strong

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Dubai Airports, has dispelled any doubts about the emirate’s aviation industry despite growing competition from regional brands such as Etihad and Qatar Airways.

“A lot of people were expecting that the Dubai Airshow will not be well attended because of the crisis, but the latest figures prove [otherwise],” he said.

Sheikh Ahmed added that they always see regional competition as a healthy activity that benefits the aviation industry in general.

“I think if we’re talking about neighbouring airlines, we complement each other,” he stated.

He added passenger traffic in the Dubai International Airport alone has been posting double-digit annual growth at 19.5 per cent as of end September as compared with the same period in 2008. By the end of 2009, Dubai expects passenger traffic to register at least a 10 per cent hike.

“I must say as an industry, [aviation] is still good. We are confident about the market. In the next two years, we will see fantastic results,” Sheikh Ahmed said.

The Dubai International Airport has been the busiest air terminal in the country, accounting for 70 per cent of air traffic activities in the UAE. This will further be boosted with the opening of the Dubai World Central (DWC) in Jebel Ali tentatively by the summer of 2010. The DWC Al Maktoum International Airport is expected to accommodate as much as 5 million to 7 mln passengers annually.

Gulf aims for unified airspace control

Mohammed Ahli, Director General of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, revealed that the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are in talks to address concerns related to a possible unified airspace control.

“We had a meeting with the General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE and a committee has been formed to solve first the airspace concerns within the UAE. We are also negotiating with neighbouring GCC states to have a unified airspace controls,” he said.

Ahli mentioned that there are studies, which suggest that many airways could be opened to help ease air traffic within the region and the rest of the Arab world if governments will discuss and address concerns. However, he said, they are keen to solve issues within the UAE backyard first before reaching out to other Gulf states.

Defence spending on the rise in the Middle East

According to statistics released by F&E Aerospace, defence spending in the Middle East is predicted to exceed $100 billion (Dh368 bn) by 2014, accounting for 11 per cent of global arms spending.

Saudi Arabia is seen beefing up its defence budget to $36 bn annually.

The Dubai Airshow this year will exhibit fighter jets such as the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon, United States Air Force’s F22 Raptor and F15E aircraft, Dassault’s Rafale fighter aircraft, and the Aviation Industry Corp (Avic) of China’s L-15 Falcon advanced trainer jet.