The Dubai Airshow 2015 is set to get underway on November 8, but demand for exhibition space has meant organisers are already planning to expand the 2017 event by more than a fifth.
“Regarding the 2017 airshow expansion it is something that was included since we did the initial design of the venue,” Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects CEO Suzanne Al Anani told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
“Specifically, it is for an additional 10,000 square metres, if there enough demand for it,” she added. The 2015 airshow exhibition site at Dubai World Central currently measures 46,650 square metres, meaning the event in two years could be more than 21 percent bigger.
Michele van Akelijen, managing director of show organisers F&E Aerospace, organisers of the event, said the 2015 show “is expected to be our biggest event yet. We have seen growth across a number of areas, including an increase in new exhibitors and increased investment from many returning ones.”
Over 1,100 exhibitors from 60 countries are expected to attend, ranging from first-timers such as to the industry stalwarts. Last year, the trade-only event attracted 60,692 visitors from 123 countries and 254 delegations.
The static area will consist of 163 aircraft, including a Boeing P-8 military jet, a Qatar Executive G650ER, and an Emirates Airline Airbus A380, plus aircraft from Bell Helicopter and Airbus. The airshow will also display drones – or unnamed aerials vehicles (UAVs) – for the first time.
Some of the other new additions to the event include a 3D Print pavilion and participation from the newly-formed UAE Space Agency.
The 2013 event had a record-breaking order of $206.1 billion and while Dubai’s Emirates Airline indicated on Sunday that it won’t be announcing any big orders at the event as it’s “still running the programme” it signed up for two years ago, van Akelijen said it was too early to know the extent of deals likely to materialise.
“The 2015 Dubai Airshow will aim to build on the success of 2013. With regards to the order book, it’s not something we are aware of until the show is up and running. The Dubai Airshow is not just about the order book, but represents every sector in the aviation industry, providing the right platform to not only do business but also help promote product launches, new innovations, technologies and exhibitor news,” she said.
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