Held from 12-17 November, the Dubai Airshow will once again take place at DWC, Dubai Airshow Site. In a Q&A session, Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East’s managing director, Michele van Akelijen looks ahead to the event.

As the foremost platform to promote trends and discuss issues that will help develop the Middle East aviation industry, the Dubai Airshow is set to unveil new features, including new sector specific pavilions, Space Pavilion, UAV Summit, Cargo Zone and the return of Airport Solutions to bring focus to new market sectors.

Q) In terms of the value for aerospace manufacturing companies exhibiting/attending, can you comment on this year’s show in terms of its predicted growth, stand space sold, value, new features and how it will perform in the current economic climate?

The Dubai Airshow 2017 is expecting 1,200 exhibitors and 72,500 trade visitors across the five days - around 10% growth in exhibitors and visitors over the 2015 edition.

For 2017 we have added several new features including four new sector specific pavilions: Space Pavilion, UAV Summit, Cargo Zone and the return of Airport Solutions, which has been relaunched by Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East for 2017.

The Space Pavilion and Conference is produced in partnership with the UAE Space Agency. The global space industry is worth $300 billion and is growing at around 8% per year, and the UAE’s investments in space technologies already total over AED 20 billion. The Space Pavilion will be a dedicated area within the Dubai Airshow and will feature exhibitors including Aistech from Spain, Bertin Technologies from France and EPAC/RESHETNEV from Russia.

The Space Conference will run during the Dubai Airshow on the 13-14 November and topics will include: The Emirates Mars Mission, the Mars 2117 project and the National Space Programme and Satellites.

The UAV Summit will feature a conference taking place on the 14-15 of November, during the Dubai Airshow and will discuss future development and innovation, opportunities and challenges of civil drone usage, regulations and registrations and the future of UAVs in the Middle East. There will also be a dedicated exhibition space featuring exhibitors such as Sparkle Tech from Hong Kong and PBS Aerospace from the USA.

Cargo Zone will also be a dedicated pavilion within the Dubai Airshow and feature a one-day conference taking place on the 13 November. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has forecast an average growth rate of 4.1% per annum over the next five years, led by the Middle East and Africa, the conference will focus on topics such as air cargo safety and security, the vision of e-commerce and facilitation and regulation.

Airport Solutions Dubai, part of the Airport Solutions Global Series, will hold its conference on the 14-15 November and address topics such as safety and security, passenger experience, airport development in the Middle East and innovative services and technology.

With all of these new features and the return of existing popular features, such as Gulf Aviation Training Event (GATE) and Futures Day aimed at the next generation of aerospace professionals, the Dubai Airshow is truly living up to its reputation of representing the whole of the aerospace industry.

Q) Has there been any scaling back by the show or exhibitors as a result of more difficult economic times? Are new and emerging nations like China, Brazil, Mexico and Morocco filling any gaps left in either infrastructure or the commitment to it?

The Dubai Airshow 2017 is expecting new exhibitors from around the globe including Aerospace Maintenance Solutions from the USA, Nordic Aviation Capital from Ireland, D.Marchiori from Italy and many from the UAE such as Golden Falcon Aviation and Rockford Xellerix.

There are also returning exhibitors from China and Brazil, and many of our returning global exhibitors are in fact taking increased exhibition space, such as the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation from Japan, CAE from Canada, Satair from Denmark and Aerotest from the UK. The commitment demonstrated by our exhibitors is testament to the value they receive from exhibiting at the Dubai Airshow.

Q) What is on the agenda for the Dubai Airshow this year and what kinds of aerospace manufacturing related innovations can visitors expect to see?

While we do know that the Dubai Airshow will be the place to see industry innovations, we are unable to speak on behalf of individual exhibitors as to what they will be displaying. Traditionally we do see a number of innovations and with the addition of the new feature areas such as space and UAV we expect to see lots of exciting exhibits throughout the hall.

Q) What are the organisers doing to help various delegations, VIPs and exhibitors to meet and see each other this year?

The Delegations Programme will be returning to the Dubai Airshow, and we are expecting to again host over 250 military and government delegations from over 60 countries. During the show, we encourage exhibitors to arrange their own networking events, either on their own stands or chalets, or they can purchase tables for use in the Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East chalet for this purpose should they require. The Dubai Airshow has always been the premier platform for the aerospace industry to do business in the region, and 2017 will be the same again.

Q) Finally, how well is the Dubai event adapting to the ever-changing industry manufacturing technology needs?

The Dubai Airshow has grown exponentially since its launch in 1989 and continues to do so year on year, and that can be, at least in part, attributed to its ability to adapt to new technologies. From the launch of GATE to address pilot training needs in 2011, which has now expanded to include maintenance training, the addition of 3D Printshow Dubai in 2015 – which was so successful it is now a separate show in its own right – to the launch of space and UAV features for this year’s edition, the Dubai Airshow has always remained at the forefront of the industry.

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