60,000 visitors, 1,000 exhibitors expected at Dubai Airshow in Nov

Purpose-built site at Dubai World Central set to host mega aviation show.

The From left: Suzanne Al Anani, CEO of Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects; Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation; Mohammed Ahli, director-general, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; and Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports; at the Press conference of Dubai Airshow 2013 at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photo by Rahul Gajjar

13^th edition of Dubai Airshow is expected to welcome 60,000 trade visitors and 1,000 exhibitors, its organiser F&E Aerospace told reporters at a news conference at the new exhibition venue.

The organiser opened up the doors to the new venue in a special preview for the media at Dubai World Central on Wednesday.

The show, held every two years, will run at a purpose-built site at Dubai World Central from 17–21 November. The show is ranked No.3 in the world in terms of its size.

Estimated cost of the show’s venues is Dh480 million, Dubai Aviation City Corporation executive chairman Khalifa Al Zaffin told Khaleej Times after the news conference. Total spending on Dubai Aviation City has so far reached Dh1 billion and the airshow venue is part of it, Zaffin explained.

The organiser and top government officials at the news conference hoped that the next month show would again attract billions of dollars deals.

The 2011 airshow, which was dominated by Emirates airline’s $18 billion deal, had recorded more than $63 billion orders.

The 2013 airshow is again expected to be dominated by UAE airlines and total orders might touch $90 billion, according to media reports.

There will be 150 aircraft on display including 50 business jets at the Dubai Airshow. Emirates airline will bring its A380 while flydubai will display its plane to showcase the newly launched business class cabin, while Qatar Airways will showcase its Dreamliner.

Talking about the facilities of the new site of the Dubai Airshow its organiser mentioned that it provides greater than ever accessibility for all involved in the show.

“The busy flying schedules of Dubai International Airport also limited our daily flying display capabilities which have now been significantly freed up. The show’s flying display will run daily between 2pm and 5pm,” F&E Aerospace chief executive officer Sharief Fahmy told reporters.

“The Dubai government’s investment in the site is a clear demonstration of its belief in the future of this show and its commitment to delivering world-class events which consistently raise the bar,” Fahmy said.

The aviation growth of Dubai prompted the move and as a result the expanded exhibition space and footprint will now total site spanning 645,000 square metres — more than double that of the old site.

“Exhibitors and visitors will immediately ‘feel’ the difference with the exhibition halls having more spacious aisles, an improved media centre with all press facilities being clustered in one area, a larger static park for more aircraft and more spaces for outdoor pavilions which can now remain on site permanently — a growing trend at airshows,” he said. Regarding transportation, the organiser announced that there will shuttle service from two Metro stations — Ibn Battuta and Jebel Ali Metro Stations — in addition to shuttle service from 17 official hotels. - abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com