Abu Dhabi: Almost a 100 aircraft will be on display this week at the Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2013, which runs from March 5-7 at Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi. Taking place for the second consecutive year, the Expo is held under the patronage of Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Vice-Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
Dedicated to general aviation in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Air Expo is designed for owners and pilots, both professionals and enthusiasts to find out about the industry’s latest developments and innovations. Some aircraft, such as the Gulfstream G650, will be showcased for the first time in the Middle East.
Ali Majid Al Mansouri, the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), told reporters that this year the Expo is going to be much bigger than in 2012, taking up 70,000 square metres, double the space the exhibition got last year, and bringing in more companies than in 2012.
Last year, the Expo brought together 100 local, regional and international companies, while this year a total of 160 companies will be taking part. The event also attracted around 10,000 visitors. “This year, we’re expecting a 20 per cent increase in visitors over last year, welcoming around 12,000 people,” Al Mansouri said.
Al Bateen Executive Airport is a fully dedicated private jet airport, the fist of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. It was in 2008 that ADAC took over the management of the airport’s operations and turned it into an executive airport.
According to ADAC, last year, the airport saw an 11 per cent increase in air traffic movement, where the movement of new visiting aircraft have grown by 40 per cent.
