The Dubai Airshow has played a crucial role in pulling the aviation industry away from the Western-leaning axis of power and into the global marketplace of the 21st century. Forging a reputation of opulence beyond compare, the event staged at Dubai World Central (DWC) is now considered the world’s de facto aerospace trading nexus. While Farnborough and Paris are still considered bigger, the deals done in Dubai place the event head-and-shoulders above the competition on the field of capital.
Growth by Numbers
The incredible growth of the Dubai Airshow does not look like slowing down any time soon, with this year’s edition promising even more fireworks in the desert.
The 2015 event, which begins today and runs until Thursday, will be the biggest in its history. The expected number of trade visitors and exhibitors is set to top 2013 record-breaking numbers. Over 1,100 exhibitors confirmed their attendance, while more than 65,000 trade visitors are expected from today to Sunday, according to organisers F&E Aerospace. In 2013, 1,046 exhibitors and 60,692 visitors came to the event over its four days.
Quiet on orders
All indicators point to this year’s show being a quite one in terms of orders placed. The event’s organiser, F&E Aerospace, is staying understandably reticent about the prospect of new aircraft orders at this year’s show.
Any comparison with 2013, which broke all records for orders placed within the first three hours of the show’s opening — $162.6 billion (Dh597 billion) of aircraft were ordered by Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Qatar Airways — would be futile. “The 2015 Dubai Airshow will aim to build on the success of 2013,” Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of F&E Aerospace, tells GN Focus.
“With regards to the order book, it’s not something we are aware of until the show is up and running. show is not just about the order book, but represents every sector in the aerospace industry, providing the right platform to not only do business but also help promote product launches, innovations and more,” she adds.
Emirates airline President Tim Clark has reportedly said the Dubai-based carrier won’t be making any orders at this year’s show, as it looks at variants of Boeing’s 787s and Airbus Group’s A350s. In fact, no decisions are expected from Clarke until next year. Etihad and Qatar Airways have been similarly quiet in the run-up to this year’s show.
Regional instability is also likely to deter orders from government-owned airlines in Yemen, Iraq and Libya.
Airport safety
The Airport Safety and Security Conference, organised by Fleming Gulf, will take place today and tomorrow. on tNovember 8 and 9. The conference brings together experts to discuss pressing security concerns facing global airports, while looking at how big data and integration markets are driving upgrades and new investments in the airport security market.
With an exponential increase in passenger traffic expected at airports in the Middle East and North Africa, aviation operators are now keen on developing a strategy that covers not only their aviation activities but also systems, commercial information, intellectual property and people.
Topics including airport and aircraft communication security, airport screening technologies and airport security will be presented and discussed by leading industry specialists. Speakers at the event include Laila Bin Hareb Al Muhairi, Executive Director Strategy and International Affairs at the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and Mohammad Al Dossari, Director — Air Navigation & Aerodromes Department, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, alongside Dubai Police and IATA representatives.
Skyview
Aside from its business framework, the Dubai Airshow provides, the flying displays are always a big draw for aviation anoraks, families and tech enthusiasts.
“The public has always been keen to watch the Dubai Airshow flying display, so we launched Skyview for that reason in 2013,” says Akelijen. The purpose-built grandstand area gives the public a chance to see some of the world’s best pilots flying cutting-edge aircraft and some leading commercial airliners — from the Al Fursan displays to regionally manufactured helicopters. It will be open from 12-6pm daily, with aerial displays beginning at 2pm.
Space
The UAE Space Agency is at the Dubai Airshow for the first time this year. With projects like the mission to Mars and the UAE’s various satellite activities gaining worldwide recognition, the Space Agency’s inclusion in the event shows what a diverse platform the air show has become.
“Our mission as an agency is to shape and guide the space sector in the UAE, with a vision be among the top countries in the field of space and aerospace by 2021,” said Khalifa Mohammad Al Romaithi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, in a statement. “The Dubai Airshow is the centre of the aerospace industry and an ideal place for us to work toward this mission in the presence of the leading players in the industry.”
The UAE space sector is an important economic driver, contributing significantly to a sustainable economy and the development of technical sciences. The UAE Space Agency, created in 2014 with the aim to regulate and support the UAE space sector will exhibit at Dubai Airshow 2015. Worth $300 billion, the global space industry is growing at 8 per cent annually. UAE investments in space technology has already exceeded Dh20 billion, with UAE-based companies now among major international players, van Akelijen says. These include the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) and Thuraya Telecommunications Company, all exhibitors at the show. Other participants include Orbital ATK from the US, UTC Aerospace Systems from the UK and Thales from France.
3D Printing
This year, 3D printing will have a big presence at the event. 3D Printshow Dubai is a dedicated pavilion featuring companies such as 3DVinci Creations, Ion Core Technology and Stratasys demonstrating their latest technologies.
PwC has called 3D printing a “game changer” for aerospace and defence, and Airbus, Rolls Royce and Boeing all cite the importance of 3D printingto the industry. Geekwire has reported that there are already 20,000 3D-printed parts in use on Boeing aircraft, and GE had begun testing engines with 3D-printed parts. The aerospace industry is adopting 3D printing technology “at a very fast rate”, according to Hugh Evans, vice president of corporate development and ventures for the manufacturer 3D Systems, “because you can 3D print aircraft engine parts and take weight out.
UAVs
Though industry insiders expect this year’s air show to be a relatively quiet one in terms of deals brokered, the event will be of critical interest to the industry’s regulators with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones, likely to take a central role in proceedings. “The Dubai Airshow is not just about the order book, but provides the right platform to not only do business but also help promote product launches, new innovations and technologies,” Akelijen says.
For the first time at any air show, drones will be part of the air displays in Dubai. UAVs are a hot topic, with the increasing ubiquity of the small remote-piloted aircraft causing problems for civil regulators in recent months. Major participants at this year’s show include Adcom, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Saab and Tawazun.
