ILA debuts at the new Berlin ExpoCenter Airport, developed to meet demand in the city for more exhibition capacity while taking advantage of its proximity to the new Brandenburg airport.
Transformed from a greenfield site in about 18 months, the venue's design combines permanent halls with temporary buildings, providing flexibility to host a range of events.
The location includes a broad east-west area for static aircraft display, while Brandenburg's taxiway B connects the ILA site to the airport's new southern runway 07R/25L. The new runway has become operational for the show despite Brandenburg airport's opening being delayed until October 2013.
Stefan Grave, ILA director for event organiser Messe Berlin, says: "The unique location of the exhibition site with its direct links to a major international airport is ideal for aviation events requiring large open space.
"The grounds feature a compact layout, so that visitors need only cover short distances."
Among some 270 aircraft on display at ILA will be the Airbus A380 and A400M, Boeing 747-8, Eurocopter X-3, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Unmanned aerial vehicles and spaceflight will also feature strongly at the event, which has attracted more than 1,200 exhibitors.
ILA's partner country this year is Poland, whose presence includes its Iskry aerobatic team.
German Aerospace Industries Association chief Dietmar Schrick says ILA is a "unique event", adding: "Nowhere else is it possible to gain such a close-up experience of how fascinating the technology, products and the international aerospace industry are, in all their diversity."
Source: Flight Daily News
