Category: Press Release

Rostec made the first civilian Mi-8AMT Arctic helicopter

Leave a comment

Russian Helicopters holding company (part of Rostec State Corporation) started serial production of Mi-8AMT Arctic helicopters for civilian customers. Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant made the first rotorcraft which is ready to start operation. 

Mi-8AMT helicopter in its Arctic version completed the flight-test program and the procedure of acceptance by an independent commission of the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya). The rotorcraft’s main features include a unique system for heating transmission parts, designed by JSC «National helicopter center Мil&Kamov». The system provides for quick start of engines in extremely low temperatures, even if the helicopter is deployed without a hangar for a long time.
The system for heating transmission parts is complemented by an improved system for thermal protection of the cargo cabin and special thermal insulation shutters in sliding doors and cockpit doors. Special cover protects the helicopter from low temperatures, high humidity and strong wind, if it is deployed without a hangar for a long time. The helicopter systems have teflon hose, which is resistant to freezing temperatures, instead of rubber hose.

“New Mi-8AMT helicopter will be sought after by many Russian companies and government agencies implementing projects and tasks in the Arctic. The first rotorcraft is ready to start operation, and negotiations with several potential Russian customers are underway,” stated Director General of Russian Helicopters Andrey Boginsky. “The holding company is making every effort to provide operators with reliable and modern helicopters, which is irreplaceable when many important tasks related to work in the region are carried out.”

The helicopter is equipped with two additional fuel tanks, which allow it to fly long distances. This in very important for northern districts with low population density. The Arctic version of Mi-8AMT can fly up to 1,400 km. An emergency floatation system can also be installed on the helicopter to fly over a vast area of waters in the Arctic.

“This helicopter is necessary for air medical services, maintenance of facilities of the fuel and energy complex, and for meeting the needs of polar expeditions. It may also help organize transportation in northern regions,” emphasized Managing Director of Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant Leonid Belykh.

When the helicopter was designed, great attention was given to ensuring that it is capable of flying over the Arctic terrain with few features, in the conditions of polar night, harsh weather, and when satellite and radio signals are lost. For that purpose the rotorcraft is equipped with a special navigation complex.
The complex includes several navigation systems for locating the helicopter, a radar with horizontal and vertical sweep of information on the weather, a digital autopilot, and radio stations with a wide range of frequencies. The helicopter is capable of automated hovering, flying a planned hovering route, and landing. The navigation system considerably reduces the load on the crew, and ensures greater safety of the flight.

SC “Russian Helicopters”, a part of Rostec State Corporation, is a leading player in the global helicopter industry, the sole Russian designer and manufacturer of helicopters. The Holding Company was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Moscow. We operate five helicopter assembly plants, two design bureaus, component production and maintenance enterprises, aircraft repair plants and one helicopter service company providing after-sales support in Russia and abroad. The customers of the Holding Company are the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, EMERCOM of Russia, and other state customers, Gazpromavia, UTair Aviation company, large Russian and foreign companies.


State Corporation Rostec is one of the largest industrial companies in Russia. It unites more than 800 scientific and industrial organizations in 60 regions of the country. Its key areas of activity are transport engineering, electronics, medical technology, chemistry and innovative materials. Rostec holdings form three clusters: electronics, weapons and aviation. The corporation’s portfolio includes such well-known brands as AvtoVAZ, KAMAZ, Kalashnikov, Russian Helicopters, Uralvagonzavod and others. Rostec is active in the implementation of all 12 national projects. The company is a key provider of Smart City technology, it is engaged in the digitalization of public administration, industry and social sectors, and it is developing plans for the development of 5G wireless technologies, an Industrial Internet of Things, big data and blockchain systems. Rostec partners with leading world manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Daimler, Pirelli and Renault. The corporation’s products are delivered to more than 100 countries worldwide. Almost a third of the company’s revenue comes from the export of high-tech products.

SMART TECHNOLOGY WILL BE FUNDAMENTAL FOR AIRLINES TO SAFELY RETURN TO THE SKIES IN THE COMING WEEKS

Leave a comment

SITA, the technology provider for the air transport industry, today sheds new light on how technology is helping airports and airlines safely resume operations and help implement new hygiene measures to restore passenger confidence after a lengthy shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking after the Aviation Week webinar event Sebastien Fabre, Vice-President Airline & Airport, SITA said: “The past few weeks have seen airlines across the globe tentatively take to the skies. This is reflected in a resumption in activity across our network and improved baggage volumes, up 55% month-on-month in May where volumes were at a record low.”

However, Fabre noted that recovery would be slow. “Our industry must transform the passenger experience to increase traveler safety while balancing economic pressures from slow customer demand. To successfully walk this tightrope and navigate a return to the skies for viable volumes of passengers, airports and airlines need to assimilate new information from governments and health officials, adapt operations immediately and automate processes permanently.”

SITA has introduced solutions that allow passengers to use their mobile device as a remote control for touchpoints such as self-bag drop and check-in kiosks, removing the need to touch any airport equipment. “For example, at San Francisco Airport, we have SITA Flex which enables a full mobile and touchless passenger journey. This means travelers can print bag tags from their mobile phone on self-service bag points.” Added Fabre.

He noted that technology would be fundamental helping airlines and airports to be compliant with new and fast-changing regulations to restore passenger’s confidence in flying. New preventive measures aimed at limiting risk in the airport and onboard will require a new approach to passenger management.

Fabre stated that SITA was rapidly rolling out new solutions that addressed the above challenges, complementing short term hygiene measures such as the use of masks and gloves. These solutions centered on three key areas:

Distancing: Using real-time monitoring technologies along with predictive analytics, SITA can ensure appropriate distancing between passengers at key points across the airport. Predictive analytics will also support more proactive planning. There is also an opportunity to extend the boundaries of the airport where key steps such as check-in and bag drop are managed before arriving at the terminal through a passenger’s mobile.

Hygiene and Sanitation: SITA is helping reduce the risk of infection by avoiding contact at key touchpoints. Using a combination of biometric and mobile solutions, passengers no longer have to touch a kiosk or surface, managing their journey from their phone.

Health checks: In addition to integrating health or thermal checks into key touchpoints such as check-in kiosks, governments will – by leveraging SITA’s risk management solutions – be able to use pre-boarding check (Advance Passenger Processing) and perform analytics on passenger journey data to identify and mitigate potential health risks.

He noted for the airports that are not equipped with the native mobile platform, SITA uses technology to remotely control self-service devices such as kiosks with a mobile phone, removing the need to touch any airport equipment.

Speaking at the webinar, Jeremy Springall, Vice-President Border Management, SITA said: “We are seeing specific regions wishing to allow limited movement within zones first, for example, the trans-Tasman bubble. For governments, this requires an information-driven approach based on real-time data and responsiveness to handle rapidly changing situations.

“A critical element will be for governments to harmonize the approach to checking the validity of health status and sharing this information effectively. Many governments are taking a layered approach to border management, starting well in advance of travel, to identify high-risk passengers before arrival in the destination country, in turn easing the restrictions for low-risk travelers. It’s crucial that health checks in terms of a health ETA or declaration are performed, perhaps up to 72 hours before departure. We’re already starting to see this happen around the world in countries like Thailand and Singapore.”

Springall noted that SITA has been supporting governments around the world to adapt their Advance Passenger Processing pre-clearance checks in support of COVID-19, for example with a South American airport during the early part of the pandemic SITA was able to support them stop passengers from high-risk countries check-in to their flights.

SITA believes a harmonized approach to data management between governments is crucial for mitigating the risk of resurgence.  

Springall highlighted how SITA has helped airports identify passengers arriving from high-risk areas who would then be asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Later SITA adapted operations to identify travelers who were sitting in the rows around these passengers during a flight so adequate protocols could be applied to those passengers as well.

Also taking part in the webinar was Erick Barboza, Chief Commercial Officer at Aeris Holding, Costa Rica and Ivan Bassato, Executive Vice President Airport Management, Aeroporti di Roma. To listen to the full webinar, head to the Aviation Week event page.

New maintenance projects on Bombardier, Boeing and Airbus

Leave a comment
Performing checks also at lofty heights – a Global Express at the AMAC Aerospace hangars in Basel, Switzerland

AMAC Aerospace is pleased to announce to have awarded several new maintenance projects. A Head of State Bombardier Challenger 605 has recently arrived in Basel, Switzerland, to undergo a 12-month inspection.

AMAC Aerospace are proud to announce that a Bombardier Challenger 605 arrived mid-May in Basel. The Head of State aircraft will undergo a 12-month inspection.

A Bombardier Global Express entered AMAC’s hangar mid-May as well. The privately-owned aircraft will undergo a 30-month check. AMAC has also been selected by a new private owner of a Bombardier Challenger 605 to carry out a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) on short notice.

New maintenance projects on Boeing and Airbus aircraft

AMAC was awarded further maintenance projects on two Boeing aircraft. A privately-owned Boeing BBJ737 arrived by the end of May in Basel to undertake a 6a-check and a due maintenance. In conjunction with the maintenance checks, AMAC will also carry out Service Bulletins tasks (SBs) on the aircraft. On a second Boeing, a BBJ737, AMAC’s maintenance team will carry out a 1-, 6- and 48-month check on the privately-owned aircraft.

An Airbus ACJ320 recently arrived in Basel. AMAC will complete a base maintenance check and carry out a full galley heating system modification. Due to the extension of the project, the privately-owned aircraft has to stay in Basel six weeks longer than planned but equipped with a state-of-the-art heating system.

On a second Airbus ACJ318 AMAC will perform a maintenance check and an avionics upgrade on the privately-owned aircraft.

IATA Outlines Layered Approach for Industry Re-Start

Leave a comment

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed details of its proposed temporary layered approach to biosecurity for re-starting passenger flights amid the COVID-19 crisis.

IATA has published Biosecurity for Air Transport: A Roadmap for Restarting Aviation which outlines IATA’s proposal for a layering of temporary biosecurity measures. The Roadmap aims to provide the confidence that governments will need to enable the re-opening of borders to passenger travel; and the confidence that travelers will need to return to flying.

“There is no single measure that will reduce risk and enable a safe re-start of flying. But a layering measures that are globally implemented and mutually recognized by governments can achieve the needed outcome. This is the greatest crisis that aviation has ever faced. A layered approach has worked with safety and with security. It’s the way forward for biosecurity as well,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Highlights of the Roadmap include:

 

Pre-flight, IATA foresees the need for governments to collect passenger data in advance of travel, including health information, which should be accomplished using well-tested channels such as those used for eVisa or electronic travel authorization programs.

At the departure airport, IATA foresees several layers of protective measures:

• Access to the terminal building should be restricted to airport / airline workers and travelers (with exceptions being made for those accompanying passengers with disabilities or unaccompanied minors)

• Temperature screening by trained government staff at entry points to the terminal building

• Physical distancing through all passenger processes, including queue management

• Use of face coverings for passengers and masks for staff in line with local regulations.

• Self-service options for check-in used by passengers as much as possible to reduce contact points and queues. This includes remote check-in (electronic / home printed boarding passes), automated bag drops (with home printed bag tags) and self-boarding.

• Boarding should be made as efficient as possible with re-designed gate areas, congestion-reducing boarding priorities, and hand luggage limitations.

• Cleaning and sanitization of high touch areas in line with local regulations. This includes wide availability of hand sanitizers.

 

In-flight, IATA foresees several layers of protective measures:

• Face coverings required for all passengers and non-surgical masks for crew

• Simplified cabin service and pre-packaged catering to reduce interaction between passengers and crew

• Reduced congregation of passengers in the cabin, for example by prohibiting queues for washrooms.

• Enhanced and more frequent deep cleaning of the cabin

 

At the arrival airport, IATA foresees several layers of protective measures:

• Temperature screening by trained government staff if required by authorities

• Automated procedures for customs and border control including use of mobile applications and biometric technologies (which have already proven tack record by some governments)

• Accelerated processing and baggage reclaim to enable social distancing by reducing congestion and queuing

• Health declarations and robust contact tracing are expected to be undertaken by governments to reduce the risk of imported chains of transmission

 

IATA stressed that these measures should be temporary, regularly reviewed, replaced when more efficient options are identified or removed should they become unnecessary. Specifically, IATA expressed hope in two areas which could be ‘game-changers’ in facilitating efficient travel until a vaccine is found:

 

COVID-19 testing: IATA supports testing when scalable, accurate and fast results are available. Testing at the start of the travel process would create a ‘sterile’ travel environment that would reassure travelers and governments.

Immunity passports: IATA would support the development of immunity passports to segregate no-risk travelers, at a time when these are backed by medical science and recognized by governments.

IATA reiterated its opposition to social distancing on board aircraft and quarantine measures on arrival:

 

• Quarantine measures are obviated by the combination of temperature checks and contract tracing. Temperature screening reduces the risk of symptomatic passengers from traveling, while health declarations and contact tracing after arrival reduce the risk of imported cases developing into local chains of transmission.

• Social distancing on board (leaving the middle seat open) is obviated by the wearing of face coverings by all on board on top of transmission reducing characteristics of the cabin (everybody is front facing, air flow is from ceiling to floor, seats provide a barrier to forward/aft transmission, and air filtration systems that operate to hospital operating theatre standards).

 

The mutual recognition of globally agreed measures is critical for the resumption of international travel. IATA is reaching out to governments with the Roadmap. This engagement is in support of the COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which is tasked with developing the global standards needed for the safe re-start of aviation.

 

“The Roadmap is the industry’s high-level thinking on safely re-starting aviation. Timing is critical. Governments understand the importance of aviation to the social and economic recovery of their countries and many are planning a phased re-opening of borders in the coming months. We have a short time to reach agreement on the initial standards to support safely reconnecting the world and to firmly establish that global standards are essential to success. This will change as technology and medical science advances. The vital element is coordination. If we don’t take these first steps in a harmonized way, we will spend many painful years recovering ground that should not have been lost,” said de Juniac.

Turkish Airlines draws the world’s biggest national flag in the sky to honor the founding of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey

Leave a comment

A commercial film following flight TK1920 has been broadcasted across Turkish Airlines’ social media accounts

Turkey’s national flag carrier performed one of the most significant flights on April 23, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Grand National Assembly, and National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.

The TC-JJF registered Boeing 777-300 (ER) type aircraft, which arrived in Ankara in the morning for this special flight, took off from Esenboğa Airport on April 23 at 09:40, local time. Representing the date 23 April 1920, flight TK1920 lasted approximately two hours and followed a route in which the crescent and star symbols in the Turkish flag were drawn. After the flight, which was followed by many through the live air traffic site Flightradar24 that provides flight tracking data, a crescent-star route emerged and passed into Turkish aviation history.

Cpt. Öner Samyel and Cpt. Murat Gülkanat, who made this meaningful flight that left its mark in the heavens, made a special announcement in the sky above the Assembly building itself, which was opened 100 years ago. In the announcement referring to the statement of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, “Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation”, it was emphasized that Turkish Airlines ensured that his legacy lived on in the skies.

Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, M. İlker Aycı said “The inauguration day of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, founded a hundred years ago to represent the will of a nation which went great lengths to ensure its freedom and independence, was gifted to our children by its founder Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as “April 23, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day”, reflecting the confidence in the next generation in the safekeeping of these sacred values. As our country’s national flag carrier, we dedicate today’s exclusive flight to our children, the guardians of our future.”

The commercial about Turkish Airlines’ flight TK1920 has been released on official social media accounts on 23 April at 19:20 (GMT+2).

Airport Show 2020 rescheduled to October

Leave a comment

Dubai to play its important role in supporting global aviation recovery

October event will be a catalyst for faster industry resurgence

The world’s largest annual airport industry B2B platform has been rescheduled to take place from 26-28 October 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) where it was scheduled earlier for June.

The new dates reflect the aviation industry’s confidence of normalcy returning to global markets by then and the lifting of extensive travel restrictions around the world following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the event is supported by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and dnata, amongst a host of global and regional aviation bodies, suppliers’ associations and working groups.

His Excellency Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO of Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans) said: “Every industry has come to a standstill due to the unforeseen circumstances we are faced with. Our past experiences of handling crises will help us to bounce back into the aviation business, once the crisis is contained. We shall all play our part in the recovery.”

Airport Show is expected to attract 375 exhibiting companies and over 8,500 visitors coming from almost 100 countries. Now in its 20th edition, the event showcases the most advanced global aviation technologies and allows attendees to participate in a series of conferences, matchmaking programmes and workshops. The collocated Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF) and Women in Aviation General Assembly will host over 1,500 delegates and 100 speakers, covering the latest industry developments across 4 key themes of Air Traffic Control, Airport Security, Airport Passenger Experience and Ground Handling. Last year’s Show hosted 351 exhibitors on 15,599 square metres exhibition space and attracted 7,100 attendees from 89 countries.

Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibitions Director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: “Global air transport supports almost US$3 trillion in global economic activity, with the world’s airlines carrying more than 4 billion passengers and 60 million tonnes of freight every year. Aviation’s contribution during periods of global emergencies such as we are facing today is critical, delivering thousands of tonnes of food, medicines and essential supplies to the worst affected and enabling world leaders and experts to efficiently collaborate and support rehabilitation efforts. There is no doubt that COVID-19 has and will severely affect our industry. However, we are confident that once we are through these challenging times, aviation will once again play its important role in supporting economic recovery efforts around the world.”

Scandinavian aircraft manufacturer enters race to claim Air Race E title

Leave a comment

 

Norway’s acclaimed pioneers in electric aviation, Equator Aircraft, have joined the world’s first electric air race, Air Race E, with a team including the group’s founder and CEO Tomas Brødreskift.

 

The group, best known for developing the world’s first electric seaplane in 2018, is a founding partner of the all-Norwegian team established as a new company called Electric Aircraft Propulsion AS (EAP). The racing team is comprised of pilot Rein Inge Hoff, chief designer Brødreskift and team leader Øystein Solheim-Aune.

 

EAP enters Air Race E as the only Scandinavian team in what is now a field of 10 teams from around the globe preparing to compete in the inaugural race next year. The trio joins the contest with an impressive track record of developing innovative aircraft designs and carbon composite construction techniques, having already conducted the first sea trials of their electric sea plane just last year.

 

Air Race E founder and CEO Jeff Zaltman, said, “We welcome Equator Aircraft into the series with wide open arms. This is an exciting validation of our racing series as a platform to develop technology for ultimate use in the commercial world. Equator is an accomplished industry player and we expect them to be an accomplished race team as well.”

 

Tomas Brodreskift: “The Air Race E initiative is a great opportunity to continue our work in electric aviation. The race environment allows us to explore the extreme performance characteristics of our electric powertrain, as we push the components to their utmost limits in a safe environment. Lessons from the championship will be transferred to the factory to improve the performance and design of our electric consumer based sea planes.”

 

Jarlsberg Airport, 100km south-west of Oslo, will serve as the team’s base where EAP plans to modify an existing Cassutt IIIM, and retrofit it with a novel electric powertrain.

 

Air Race E will host its inaugural race next year as the first in a series of formula one style international air races. Air Race E events will see eight planes fly simultaneously around a tight 5km circuit at just 10m above the ground and at speeds of up to 450kph – faster than any land-based motorsport.

 

The series is widely considered a test-bed to trial electric aircraft technology to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation. Skilled pilots, airplane builders and engineers from around the world are taking part, with the opportunity still open for those wishing to register their interest in competing.

 

For more information go to https://airracee.com/

DC Aviation Group and Comlux Sign Cooperation Agreement

Leave a comment

DC Aviation Group and Comlux have signed a cooperation agreement for line maintenance and warranty work. The Stuttgart maintenance center of DC Aviation will perform the line maintenance and warranty work for Comlux customers based in Europe and CIS.

DC Aviation Group and Comlux are pleased to announce that they have signed a cooperation agreement. DC Aviation has been selected to perform the line maintenance and warranty work for Comlux customers based in Europe and CIS. 

The line and base maintenance services for aircraft of the Airbus ACJ Family, Global Express 5000/6000 and Challenger 604/605 will be carried out at DC Aviation’s dedicated 5,700 square meter Stuttgart Airport (EDDS) hangar, which also contains a large and well-equipped parts inventory, a certified battery and tire shop and a maintenance logistics center.

Juergen Sehne, Vice President Maintenance & CAMO of DC Aviation said: “Last year we have successfully carried out two A-checks for Comlux’ customers. We are very happy that, with this agreement, we can continue and consolidate our excellent cooperation with Comlux.”

Arnaud Martin, Chief Operating Officer of Comlux said: “We are extremely pleased with this agreement with DC Aviation, which allows us to serve our worldwide customer base even better. While Comlux has strong expertise on VIP interior upgrades and heavy maintenance in our facilities in Indianapolis, DC Aviation offers our European and CIS customers a closer-to-home solution for their line maintenance and warranty needs.”

DC Aviation has been offering line and base maintenance services for various types of aircraft since 1999 and can carry out exceptionally complex work with the highest level of reliability and competence. Due to 24/365 availability, combined with intelligent planning and smooth workflows, DC Aviation is able to meet challenging ground-times.

Carbon Emissions Per Passenger Decrease

Leave a comment

TheInternational Air Transport Association (IATA)published information confirming that carbon emissions per passenger have declined by more than 50% since 1990. Much of the improvement has occurred because the industry has achieved an annual fuel efficiency improvement of 2.3% over the period since 2009, some 0.8 percentage points ahead of target. 

This progress is a combination of investments in more efficient aircraft and operational efficiencies.

“Cutting per passenger emissions in half is an amazing achievement of the technical expertise and innovation in the aviation industry. But we have even bigger ambitions. From 2020 we will cap net emissions. And by 2050 we will cut emissions to half 2005 levels. Accomplishing these targets means continued investment in new technology, sustainable fuels, and operational improvements,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Airlines have invested some $1 trillion in new aircraft since 2009, and in addition have signed forward purchase agreements for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) amounting to approximately $6 billion. In addition, the introduction of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will ensure carbon-neutral growth on international flights from 2020 and raise around $40 billion in climate finance.  

Alternative measures are inefficient and fail to cut carbon

Analysis from IATA shows that efforts to deliberately suppress air travel through punitive passenger taxes are inefficient and largely ineffective at reducing carbon.

The CORSIA scheme’s effectiveness lies in its global scope. It is estimated it will reduce emissions by around 2.5 billion tonnes over the lifetime of the scheme. But global goodwill towards implementing CORSIA is being compromised by governments introducing a patchwork of carbon taxes. A series of decisions or proposals have been made in recent months to levy air passenger taxes, including in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

“Taxation aimed at stopping people from exercising their freedom to fly will make travel more expensive but do very little to reduce emissions. It is a politician’s feel-good solution, without taking responsibility for the negative impact it has on the economy or the mobility restrictions it imposes on people with lower incomes,” said de Juniac.

Long-term, aviation is aiming to reduce emissions with cleaner technology. This will require a financially sound airline sector capable of funding the significant investments that will be needed to make flying sustainable.

“Governments must focus their efforts correctly. Flying drives prosperity. It is not the enemy. Cutting carbon must at the forefront. And government leadership is needed to incentivize the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels, drive efficiencies in air traffic management and support research into next generation low-carbon energy sources,” said de Juniac. 

2020: THE YEAR FOR BUSINESS AVIATION

Leave a comment

MEBAA Show 2020 to Lead Regional Industry Promotion

2020 will be a good year for business aviation in the MENA region, according to Ali Alnaqbi, Founding & Executive Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA). With the MEBAA Show 2020 taking place in December, the event is perfectly timed to lead the industry in this year of opportunity.

Alnaqbi stated that the business aviation sector in the MENA region is achieving a positive growth rate of around eight to nine percent, higher than the global growth estimate of four to six percent, pointing out that the UAE has become the sector leader in the region.

“2020 will be a milestone in the history of business aviation and private aviation in the Middle East region in general, and in the UAE in particular, as a result of Expo 2020,” Alnaqbi said. He added, “The air traffic in Dubai is currently around 15,000 movements, and this is expected to double to at least 30,000 due to the event.”

There are two main driving factors for this growth, according to Alnaqbi: the official delegations travelling to the country for the expo, and the companies and business leaders attending the event.

The number of aircraft registered in the UAE market is almost 25% of the 600 aircraft registered in the Middle East. Investments in the sector are difficult to quantify as they are distributed among airlines, operators and buildings as well as airports. However Alnaqbi says the volume in the UAE is estimated at between $800 million and $900 million annually, with a contribution to GDP of around two to three percent.

In addition, the industry will benefit from government support for growth.The aviation sector is one of the main strategic sectors, targeted by government plans. It seeks to build a strong and sustainable economy, based on the diversification of sources of national income, and build a post-oil economy.

The MEBAA Show will take place 8-10 December 2020 at DWC, Dubai Airshow Site, and is expecting 500 exhibitors and 10000 trade attendees throughout the three days.

Among the companies already exhibiting at the MEBAA Show 2020 are Airbus Corporate Jets, Dassault Aviation, Gulfstream and Embraer, in addition to many other industry leaders. The event attracts key decision makers and VVIPs along with the whole supply chain of the business aviation industry.

“It’s very important to be close to our customers and to be part of the MEBAA Show,” Benoit Defforge, President of Airbus Corporate Jets, said at the last MEBAA Show. He added, “The Middle East is the number one market for ACJ and MEBAA Show is a very interesting venue because we have the proximity of the booths, the chalets and the aircaft.”

“2020 will be the year of business aviation in the Middle East and North Africa,” says Alnaqbi. He continues, “The MEBAA Show 2020 is the ideal platform for the entire industry to be part of it. I look forward to welcoming the key players in business aviation to Dubai in December 2020.”