Dubai Airshow 2019 was hailed a success by exhibitors, delegates and sponsors alike, as a lively week of trading came to a close, with incoming hitting a huge US$54.5 billion.
With more than 1,288 exhibitors in attendance, 161 aircraft on the event’s static display, and a packed schedule of conferences and keynotes, the programme was the show’s busiest to date – as evidenced by the footfall of 84,043 trade attendees.
Among those taking stands were 100 new exhibitors, including Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company, which was also a key event sponsor.
Dubai Airshow CEO Yahya Homoud Alghoraibi said the firm’s first show had been “very successful”.
Yahya Homoud Alghoraibi added: “We have done more than we expected, we have met and had discussions with a lot of companies and we have seen a lot of customers and shown our aircraft to many people as well, so we are very happy with what has taken place.
“We are a new company, so relationships matter a lot. Communication matters as well, and Dubai Airshow is one of the best communicators.”
Also making its debut this year was EDGE, a group comprising 25 local entities working in five aerospace capability clusters, which launched shortly before the show.
Elsewhere, a host of speciality conferences, offering industry-specific keynotes, Q&A sessions and networking opportunities, attracted huge crowds of professionals.
Set across two days, the Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) conference took a close look into the future of traffic control, with virtual towers proving to be a particularly hot topic.
Commenting on the show’s culmination, Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of show organisers Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East, said: “We always want to outperform our last show, and 2019 has gone above and beyond expectation, with so much great business being done alongside an engaging and innovative programme of conferences, exhibits and flying displays.
“We have already seen exhibitors rebooking for the next edition, and we look forward greatly to seeing what the next two years of aerospace development will bring to out 2021 edition.”