Now in its third year, the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition is set to benefit from growing business confidence in the region
After successfully expanding its annual conference and exhibition franchise to Europe, the US National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) looked to other parts of the world for similar ventures. There are signs now that, in its third year, the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE) is starting to show promise, while events in other regions are being considered.
LABACE 2005, jointly organised with the Brazilian general aviation association ABAG, runs from 31 March to 2 April in São Paulo's Transamérica Expo Center. Organisers predict an attendance 25% up on last year to 5,000 – modest compared with NBAA's 57th annual convention last October in Las Vegas, which had over 31,000 visitors, but not much below last year's European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, (EBACE) which registered 6,500 attendees.
Runaway success
Indeed, the Brazilian show looks like a runaway success when compared with the first Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, which saw around 100 attendees last year. But the relatively poor performance of that event hasn't dampened NBAA's hopes for Asia, with a second show planned for Shanghai this August. However, other regions that were under consideration for shows, such as Australasia and southern Africa, have been put on the back-burner.
Despite the figures, LABACE is different from EBACE or the US show. The focus is more on operators and issues around used aircraft, rather than aircraft programme news or hectares of aviation service companies.
LABACE is also establishing itself as a prime show for rotary-wing business aviation, with São Paulo boasting more corporate helicopters than any other city. One of the key technical sessions will cover instrument flight rules operations for rotorcraft in urban areas – a Brazilian speciality.
Big orders are not expected at the show, which has the slogan: "Building new partnerships. One aircraft at a time." All the major manufacturers will hold technical sessions to establish and grow contacts.
Other key sessions look at the future of communications, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) across the continent, and the impact of recently introduced reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM). NBAA says: "Many different applications of communications, navigation and surveillance are being implemented in various regions of the world. Many of these will find their way into Latin American operations in the coming years." The session will highlight work being done by the NBAA, and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) will illustrate to ABAG how to keep business aviation's needs at the forefront of legislators' minds.
The international standard for business aircraft operations (IS-BAO) will also be discussed, a sign that Latin American operators are keen to reach global standards. LABACE prides itself on being a meeting point for the continent, and the director-general of civil aviation for each country will attend the sessions.
The show will also look at the growing array of very light jets, likely to appeal to the more constrained purses of Latin American businesses.
Optimistic mood
NBAA senses an optimistic mood among the South American business-aviation community, saying: "The economies of Latin America are poised for growth, and business aviation is the passport to bring Latin American business to the world."
Exhibitor numbers are looking positive, with about 100 forecast. Bombardier, Dassault, Gulfstream, Raytheon Aircraft and EADS-Socata, alongside local hero Embraer, will represent manufacturing. Bombardier, Gulfstream and Raytheon will each display four aircraft and show organisers expect to beat last year's static display of 20 aircraft at Congonhas airport.
Highlights include Gulfstream's new G450 and G550 and Cessna's range of aircraft exhibited by its Brazilian dealer TAM Taxi Aereo. Bombardier will also show its Global Express long-range aircraft.
NBAA can consider LABACE part of its stable of well-performing regional shows. The event may be smaller even than EBACE, but it has gained an air of assurance in its third year.
JUSTIN WASTNAGE/SÃN PAULO
Source: Flight International
