MIDDLE EAST - The second biannual Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) has closed with its organiser claiming 10,000 more people attended than the show’s 2010 debut.
The airshow, which took place on 19-21 January 2012, hosted 37 companies including Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, GE, Gulf Air, Lockheed Martin, SELEX Sistemi Integrati TAG Aviation, Red Wings and United Aircraft Corporation.
Eighteen civil delegations attended the event with 20 military delegations attending from 15 countries. Thirty-five countries were represented in total with 20,000 trade visitors and 22,000 public attending, which took place in an arena close to the airbase.
Flying displays including an appearance by an Emirates A380 which flew in for the first day of the show, the first time an A380 has ever landed at Sakhir, displays by the Sukhoi Superjet and a rare appearance by SU-27 formation team, the Russian Knights.
The event is organised by UK company Farnborough International (FIL), which worked with Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) to produce this show for a second time.
“A high percentage of the participating companies have already expressed a commitment to return to Bahrain for the next Airshow in 2014, said exhibitions and events director at FIL Amanda Stainer.
“Bombardier’s announcement of its order of five CSeries aircraft by PrivatAir and the option on a further five aircraft in a deal worth potentially up to US$650 million is welcome news and we have positive indications that many further deals will be announced in forthcoming days and weeks as a result of contacts made duringBIAS 2012,” she said.
The Berlin Air Show will take place at new exhibition grounds, directly adjacent to BER, the capital’s new airport, on 11-16 September.
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