Despite the world's current financial turmoil, Asian Aerospace organiser Reed Exhibitions is confident that this year's show will surpass the success of the inaugural Hong Kong event.
There are big name debutants, most notably new Chinese industrial combine Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), which is developing the country's first indigenous airliners, the ARJ21 regional jet and C919 narrowbody, with the four major civil airframers and engine makers CFM International and MTU also present.
Securing China's aerospace heavyweight as an exhibitor has been the biggest breakthrough for the show in 2009, says Richard Thiele, who is head of global sales for aerospace and aviation at Reed Exhibitions - a sister company of Flight Daily News' parent Reed Business Information. "It makes Asian Aerospace highly relevant not just to those hoping to sell to China's airlines, but it opens up the long-awaited Chinese manufacturing supply chain to Western partners," he says.
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Thiele predicts there will be 10,000 visitors to this year's show. "We have 1,200 people coming as part of official delegations from China and Asia Pacific - a considerable step-up from the 2007 show," he adds.
Again, Asian Aerospace will be an umbrella event for smaller trade symposiums, and boasts an impressive tally of six associated conferences. "Having six associated conferences makes this unique in terms of aerospace shows - I don't think there are any others with such a comprehensive range of symposiums," Thiele says.
As well as the Aircraft Interiors Expo, Asia Pacific Aviation Training and Air Freight Asia and the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress headline event, this year's show includes Asian Business Aviation and Commercial Aviation Online's Inside Air Finance symposiums.
The six conferences have drawn over 100 speakers and over 1,000 registered delegates, says Thiele.
The Airbus A380 might not be here this time, but the show can boast double the number of aircraft in attendance. "The uptake has been incredible. This year we more have 16 aircraft, and many of those manufacturers have taken chalets," says Thiele.
Source: Flight Daily News
