Farnborough 2008 Show News - July 16, 2008 - (Page 54)

BUSINESS AVIATION FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 Business Aviation Booms in Middle East The Middle Eastern Business Aviation Air Show (Hall 1, Stand C2), to be held in Dubai from November 16 to 18, 2008, is expected to double in size compared with the 2007 event, according to Alison Welter, a director of F & E Aerospace, the firm that is organizing the event. F & E Aerospace, a division of Fairs & Exhibitions, has offices in London and Dubai. Record oil prices and a drastically devalued US dollar are driving a 40% annual growth rate in the Middle Eastern aviation industry, according to Welter. She estimates the trend will continue during the next five years, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates fueling most of the demand. More than 150 firms from 22 countries have signed up to exhibit at MEBA 2008 and Welter predicts the number will rise to 200 exhibitors by the show’s opening in November. “All eyes are on the Middle East market at the moment—and for good reason. The global business aviation sector is undergoing some interesting transformations as it becomes more diverse in terms of geographic distribution,” she said. You can expect an even bigger MEBA show in Dubai this coming November 16-18. Potential exhibitors showed strong interest in MEBA 2008, for example, at the European Business Aircraft Convention and Expo in Geneva in May 2008. Indeed, Cessna, Dassault and Gulfstream, among other business jet makers, now are selling a majority of new turbofan aircraft outside of North America, with a large portion being purchased by Middle Eastern clients. Russia also accounts for a significant portion of new turbofan aircraft sales. China and India hold promise, but these two countries have yet to mature as meccas for business aircraft operations. Welter said that 70 aircraft will appear in MEBA’s static display, including models from Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Cessna, plus Dassault, Embraer and Hawker-Beechcraft. The Eclipse 500 VLJ will make its MEBA debut under the aegis of ETIRC, Eclipse Aviation’s distributor for Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Cessna will display an interior mock-up of its 4,000+ nmi-range, super-midsize Citation 850 Columbus, while Gulfstream is mulling over the opportunity to exhibit a mock-up of its 7,000 nmi-range Gulfstream 650, the first clean-sheet business jet from the manufacturer since the 1968 G II. Embraer plans to show off a full-scale interior mock-up of its Lineage 1000, a 4,000 nmirange derivative of the firm’s ERJ 190 jetliner. About 16,000 large-cabin business jets will be delivered in the next two decades, some industry authorities predict. The large-cabin sector will account for 75% of business aircraft revenues during this time period. MEBA 2008 will be held under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saaed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of the Emirates Airline Group.—Fred George Business Jets Flock The Show notwithstanding, Farnborough continues to go about its daily routine of serving the business aviation community. Here’s a sampling of the jets that are here to do (show or not) business. Cessna Citation CJ1 to Farnborough Gulfstream GV Boeing Business Jet Falcon 900 Learjet 45 54 July 16, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

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Bombardier, Shenyang $5 Billion for Composites 787 and Seven V-22s for Export Sale? Saving Fuel at SFO Raytheon Roars Into UAVs Bell Eyes ARH-70A Costs All According to Plan We Fly the PC-12NG Russia’s T-50 PAK-FA Optimistic in Israel ICAO Sim Classifications Pratt to Power New Drone Russian Conglomerate

Farnborough 2008 Show News - July 16, 2008

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