By Irfan Pardesi
DUBAI: When the MEBAA Show 2018 opens on 10 December, the static display area will showcase some of the industry’s newest and most eye catching private jets for attendees to view and visit across the three days of the event.
Among those on display will be the Hondajet, making its second appearance at the MEBAA Show after a successful inaugural appearance in the Middle East at the 2016 show. “The Middle East is a very important market because there are still potential opportunities in the light jet market in the region,” said Michimasa Fujino, President and CEO of Hondajet. He said of MEBAA 2016 that “We have had many positive responses here at the show and interest in our technology.”
Boeing Business Jets’ B787-8 Dreamliner will be making its first appearance at the MEBAA Show, while Dassault will showcase both its Falcon 900LX and Falcon 8X models and Bombardier will bring a Challenger 650 and a Global 5000.
Gulfstream will be displaying five aircraft – more than ever before at the MEBAA Show – including the G500, G550 and its flagship G650ER, which has been described as offering “a speed-and-range combination that makes it a game-changing aircraft.”
Also on display will be an A340-500 from Citadel and a Boeing 757-200 from Avjet Global, alongside a Pilatus PC12NG from AMAC Aerospace, while Comlux will be showcasing both an A319 and an SSJ 100. Other exhibitors confirmed to be displaying aircraft include Diamond Aircraft Industries and Jetcraft.
The static display will also feature helicopters, with Falcon Aviation’s A109SP joining Bell 429 and 505 on the tarmac at the MEBAA Show.
“The business aviation market in the Middle East has historically favoured larger aircraft,” says Ali Alnaqbi, Founding & Executive Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA). He continues, “One potential growth area is for companies to build their business aviation fleets to include a range of jets and aircraft that are suitable for the varied missions that business in the region presents.”
Boeing predicts demand for 2,990 new aircraft in the Middle East by 2037, with a value of $754 billion, while Robb Report predicts that new aircraft models will have a positive effect on the business jet segment. In addition, Barclays’ Business Jet Index has said its recent survey of industry players indicates “sharply improving market conditions”.
“The MEBAA Show static display allows interested parties to get close to the aircraft, to study the interiors, to better understand the technology, the engines, and most of all, talk with company representatives face-to-face,” Alnaqbi continues. “I am always impressed by the jets on the static display each year, and know that 2018 will be the same.”
The MEBAA Show takes place 10-12 December at DWC, Airshow Site and visitors can register online now at mebaa.aero. The aircraft list is also live online now and being regularly updated.
