posted on November 30, 2010 14:10
MEBAA Event Story
MEBAA will be the focus of the business aviation world this month when we are hosts for the International Business Aviation Council meeting, bringing the event to our region for the first time.
The event takes place on the day after the fourth MEBA show, which runs from December 7-9 at Dubai’s Airport Expo at which, we are hoping to see most of our members attending and making use of this marketing opportunity.
The IBAC meeting is a real coup for MEBAA and something of a triumph, too, for the MEBA show, which has become the third largest private aviation trade show in the world and reflects the growing importance of business aviation to the region.
While MEBAA is fostering an environment in which business aviation can flourish, the MEBA show is also making a major contribution in terms of opening doors for MEBAA members with operators and introducing potential customers from high worth individuals around the region.
Once again the show will take place at Dubai Airport Expo. There is likely to be some 40 per cent growth on the 2008 event, with 338 exhibitors (up from 250) and 7,000 expected visitors rather than 5,500 who attended two years ago.
MEBAA works on the show with member F&E Aerospace who also organise the Dubai Air Show.
The MEBA 2008 event firmly demonstrated the importance of business aviation to the Gulf region where we saw more than $1.5bn worth of deals announced. In 2008 there were 78 aircraft worth $1.6bn on the dedicated static park. Numbers are likely to be similar this year, with the whole gamut of private jets represented ranging from VLJs to large airliner conversions.
All the major original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) will take part again and major first-time faces are Honeywell, RUAG and Emerald Jet from the Lebanon, which has taken a chalet. Other bookings include companies such as CAE, Amjet Executive, Avicom, OnAir and Jeppesen.
UK and Qatar-based Rizon will also exhibit for the first time, as will the interestingly named MoonJet, a flight support services company from Sharjah.
There are several other new entrants from the Middle East region. Alison Weller, managing director of F&E Aerospace said: “We’re seeing a growing trend of flight support services companies exhibiting as the industry grows. We’re anticipating a massive surge in bookings as lots of smaller companies sign up after Ramadan and Eid.”
She added that a good barometer of the significance of the show is the fact that Asian companies are signing up and expressing interest for the first time. “Usually Asian companies are region-centric, or only attend the major world shows, such as Paris or Farnborough. We are very encouraged at the enquires we have received.”
There will be an extra hall this time in addition to the East and Central halls, so the show will feel bigger. Weller said there had also been more interest in dedicated country pavilions with the UK, US and Malta all signed up so far.”
Both Ali Al Naqbi and Weller stress that they would ideally like to see MEBA move around the region. Weller pointed out that many countries are, as yet, unable to host such a large event. She said: “We will consider taking it around the region if facilities allow it – this forms part of our long-term plan. Dubai at the moment is willing to host it.”