The Berlin Airlift's 50th anniversary will be the major theme of ILA '98 from 18-24 May 1998.
But this could well turn out to be the swan-song for the series of shows held at Berlin-Brandenburg. Farnborough organiser SBAC has announced that its show will move permanently to a July date in 2000, rendering the German show's calendar slot non-viable.
Speaking at Le Bourget, Dr Hans Eberhard Birke, managing director of the German show's organisers BDLI, says: "With the excellent concept we have delivered, which is recognised world-wide, we are sure that we will be able to overcome the problem."
Commenting on the theme of ILA '98, German Federal Transport Minister Dr Norbert Lammert said that the Berlin Airlift was the biggest humanitarian achievement in the history of aviation.
"One highlight of the show will be air transport, and in view of the humanitarian and peace-keeping missions of the international community and the resulting demand for civil and military aircraft, the 50th anniversary gains a significance which far exceeds its purely historical perspective.
"It helped to create the atmosphere for political and economic co-operation in the new Europe which is only now becoming a reality.
The show will feature a special static display commemorating the events of 1948, as well as a fly-in by transport aircraft of air forces around the globe.
The show's organisers confidently expect that the number of trade visitors attracted in 1986 - 75,000 - will be exceeded next year.
Source: Flight Daily News