BAHRAIN 21-23 Jan 2010 Gulf state stages first international air show in inauspicious year

The inaugural Bahrain International Airshow at the Sakhir Airbase will offer a totally new concept to the global aerospace community, according to its hosts. They describe the planned business-to-business setup at the show as unique. The brand new facilities do not include exhibition halls. The question is whether the new concept will offset two potential handicaps for the show -- its proximity to November's Dubai Airshow and the downturn in the global economy.

According to the promotion, "companies taking part will be afforded tailor-made opportunities to network with highly important delegations and procurement executives from the industry and associated industries."

The joint hosts are the Kingdom of Bahrain, Civil Aviation Affairs and Farnborough International Ltd.

Airbus, BAE Systems, Blenheim Capital Partners, Boeing, Cessna, DHL, Gulf Air, Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce are among the companies that have committed to attending.

If the Dubai air show is an indication, the inaugural Bahrain show can't look forward to much moneymaking. Reporting on the Dubai event on Nov 24, Turkey's Hurryiet newpaper said "buyers and sellers at this year’s Dubai Air Show ... only gazed at each other, conjuring memories of previous shows at which billions of dollars in orders were made."

The worst economic contraction in decades has hurt civilian aviation the world over, prompting bankers to clamp down on loans for new aircraft. Ahead of this year's International Paris Air Show, which alternates every other year with Farnborough, the International Air Traffic Association predicted that the airline industry would lose $9 billion in 2009, the result of a projected 8 per cent drop in passenger traffic and a 17 per cent drop in cargo. Military aircraft sales are reported to be in a better state. Dec/09

RELATED READING:
Buyers, sellers only gazed in Dubai (Hurriyet 24 Nov 2009)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=buyers-and-sellers-only-gazed-in-dubai-2009-11-24

Bahrain International Air Show
http://www.farnborough.com/Site/Content/bahrain/