UAE Aviation sector flying high New plane orders provides aviation industry momentum UAE Aviation sector flying high New plane orders provides aviation industry momentum

UAE Aviation sector flying high New plane orders provides aviation industry momentum UAE Aviation sector flying high New plane orders provides aviation industry momentum

ENHANCING THE BUSINESS OF LOGISTICS

The recently concluded Dubai Airshow 2019 was hailed a success by exhibitors, delegates, sponsors and organisers alike.

UAE, Middle East air carriers maintain momentum Aircraft orders worth a whopping US$ 54.5 billion recorded at the mega event

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. Sales were also booming, with the order book on site reaching US$ 54.5bn by close of business.

Among those taking stands were 100 new exhibitors, including Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company. CEO Yahya Homoud Alghoraibi characterised the firm’s first show as being ‘very successful’’

“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. Among the firms sitting under the EDGE umbrella is Al-Tariq, and its CEO Theunis Botha said the Dubai Airshow had been a great way to establish the brand’s presence in the region.

“EDGE has been very well received. We have been very busy and have been inundated with requests and interest from several friendly nations around us,” he remarked.

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.

Cargo Connect, a show within the show focused on the air freight industry, with data sharing across both geographical and business boundaries being a key focus.

Delivery Bot is a cynosure attraction at Cargo Connect

The effect of automation, artificial intelligence and digitalisation were the key topics at the Cargo Connect conference held on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow 2019.

Speakers including Dennis Lister, Vice President, Cargo Commercial Development, Emirates SkyCargo, discussed the impact of the three key topics on the future of cargo and freight.

An autonomous delivery device known as Roxo, exhibited by headline sponsors FedEx Express, delighted delegates, gliding up on to the stage to bring notes to conference MC Kim Winter of Logistics Executive, and obeying voice commands from Jack Muhs, Regional President, FedEx Express MIESA. Muhs said Roxo, created in collaboration with DEKA Research and Development Corp, will be an important part of the FedEx ecosystem and serves as a demonstration of FedEx’s goal to connect people and possibilities around the world.

“Roxo is an autonomous delivery device designed to help retailers make same day and last mile deliveries to our customers while potentially reducing the number of vehicles on the road and easing traffic congestion,” he affirmed. Speaking in a keynote address at the conference, Muhs also announced a partnership with Dubai Airports, and the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to define ways in which the autonomous bot can meet delivery needs in the United Arab Emirates.

Delegates also heard from Alexander Ostrovoy, Managing Partner, Aura, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer, which is currently working on expansion projects globally. Ostrovoy said regulation of the autonomous aircraft sector was relatively mild, and was still under development, but

governments globally were ‘loyal’ to the field.

Other announcements included a partnership between Etihad and online cargo booking platform Cargo One, made by Abdulla Mohammed Shadid, Managing Director, Cargo and Logistics, Etihad.

In the freight forwarding sector, Bradley Francis, Director, Airfreight UAE and Oman, Kuehne + Nagel, said his company had identified a decrease in tonnage being flown, but there had not been the same reduction in shipments counts. “We are seeing more shipments that are smaller moving around,” he said. Francis raised the need for information to be automated, and shared automatically through the supply chain, from airline to truck to ship, to remove the need for staff to continually replicate and send on data at different stages. “We don’t need an expert to watch a shipment that’s going perfectly, ideally what we want our experts to be doing is looking at what needs to be done to improve our delivery time or notify customers of delays,” he stated.

The need to share data and collaborate across the industry was also highlighted by Alan White, Vice President, Ground Operations, National Air Cargo. “If we want a seamless end to end logistics supply chain, it is only going to work in the future if we are allowed to collaborate more,” he noted.

“Everyone is accumulating data of some sort, it is a case of how best to utilise that data with all the relevant parties that is critical for the future,” he added.

The Cargo Connect conference provided real opportunities for industry networking, with thought leaders offering fascinating insights into how technologies including automation and artificial intelligence will shape it in the future.”

Airshow 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 ” Michele van Akelijen, MD, Tarsus F&E Middle East

For the first time in 2019, a growing focus on space exploration regionally was recognised with its own conference programme, opening with Women in Space, hosted by the UAE Space Agency and featuring speakers from the UN and Boeing, among others.

Aimed at examining the key role female scientists, researchers, engineers and astronauts will play in the future of the global space industry, the conference proved a huge draw and former astronaut, the European Space Agency’s Claudie Haigneré, said she found the level of engagement very encouraging.

“I felt that really something is going on here, and I’ve been really impressed because this shows a real possibility for change. The new generation coming up here is so refreshing,” she stated.

Meanwhile, the Space Tech Talks schedule looked in-depth at the technological advancements needed for the next generation of space exploration, and the impact they are expected to have on the wider world.

Indeed, the impact of both technology and space research on all aspects of industry was evidenced across the show floor, where exhibits ranging from Dubai Police’s new flying bike for hard to reach emergencies to new products in the medivac field, through to the first commercial space flight suits from Virgin Galactic, were all on show. “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,” observed Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director, Tarsus F&E Middle East, the show organisers.

Meanwhile, one hundred new firms have made their Dubai Airshow debut in 2019, with new arrivals on the defence, ATC,

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Guillaume Faury at the Airbus deal sigining ceremony.

Air Arabia follows with $14billion deal for 120 new Airbus aircraft as order book fills up Emirates signs US$ 16bn Airbus Purchase Order

Emirates signed an order for 50 Airbus A350 XWB worth $16billion today, leading the crowd on a busy day of sales and proving, once again, that Dubai Airshow is the industry’s preferred place to do business.

The deal, announced by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive, and signed with Guillaume Faury, Airbus’ Chief Executive Officer, will see the first aircraft delivered in May 2023. The order replaces a previous agreement of intent to purchase 30 A350s and 40 A330 Neos, and reflects Emirates’ desire to move towards a new configuration featuring Premium Economy cabins.

“I’m always looking for something that will work for Emirates as a fleet, in terms of our operation now and in the future. So, I think that, today, when we look at the A350 and the role it can serve within Emirates, for short trips, medium or long haul, I think that flexibility is good for the airline,” commented Sheikh Ahmed on this occasion.

“Our business model is to provide efficient and comfortable air transport to and from our Dubai hub, and today, this $16billion deal reflects our confidence in the future of the UAE aviation sector,” Sheikh Ahmed continued.

In addition, Air Arabia signed a deal worth $14billion with Airbus to purchase a total of 120 new aircraft, comprising a mix of A320 Neos, A321 Neos and A321 XLRs. The airline, which currently operates primarily from Sharjah with a fleet of 53

Airbus aircraft, was recently announced as the partner in a joint venture with Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to launch Air Arabia Abu Dhabi.

It followed day one sales from De Havilland Canada, of three Dash 8-400 turboprops to Elin Group of Nigeria in a deal worth US$99million, and Boeing, which sold a pair of 787-9s worth US$585million at list price to Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Air Peace topped up its fleet with the purchase of three Embraer 195- E2s, while Egyptian lessor CIAF purchased three E190s and Omani low-cost carrier SalamAir agreed the lease of two Airbus A321 Neos from GECAS. The show’s opening days have also seen an increased focus on green initiatives aimed at answering environmental concerns in the aerospace industry, with Etihad Airways and Boeing unveiling plans for a world-first ‘Greenliner’.

The eco partnership will use a specially-themed Boeing 787 Dreamliner, set to be introduced early next year, to research products, procedures and initiatives designed to reduce aircraft carbon emissions. Etihad also announced the operation of a special Boeing 787 ‘eco flight’ to Brussels will take place during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2020.

Meanwhile, the world’s first eco-friendly airracer monoplane was also unveiled at the show by Air Race E, the firm pioneering an electric racing series which is expected to launch in late 2020 with support from Airbus.

The future of space exploration and the impact of tech under the spotlight Dubai Airshow hosts Space Tech Talks Event Space Tech Talks at Dubai Airshow 2019.

Efforts to create a collaborative Arab Space Agency were discussed as the Dubai Airshow 2019 hosted its first Space Tech Talks conference.

Focusing on the future of space exploration and its impact on the technology sector, the programme featured a host of keynote sessions from speakers including Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer at Yahsat, and Pierre Delsaux, Deputy Director General of the European Commission.

Recognising that collaboration will be key to the success of any future moves into the field of space exploration, from the UAE’s National Space Strategy 2030 to the Mission to Mars project, Dr. Al Ahbabi said any initiative of the UAE’s was an initiative for the whole of the Arab world.

With 14 countries already collaborating on plans for a regional space strategy and satellite project, he highlighted examples of the European Space Agency and African Space Agency.

Among related key events, Colonel Al Worden, who served as the Command Module Pilot of Apollo 15, hosted a keynote session examining the lessons learned from the Apollo 12 moon landing. He also spoke about his new Endeavour Scholarship, launched in collaboration with Kallman Worldwide, which will see four Emirati students and two teachers sent to space camp in the USA.

The Space Tech Talks conference was taking place for the first time amid a Dubai Airshow programme that has this year given increased spotlight to the region’s momentum in the space sector.

Everyone is accumulating data of some sort, how best to utilise that data with all the relevant parties that is critical for the future ” Alan White, VP, National Air Cargo

maintenance and supply fields all exhibiting for the first time at the show. The dedicated feature pavilions for Space, Cargo and Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) also attracted new companies to the region keen to be part of the growing aerospace market.

The number of exhibitors in attendance is up by almost ten percent this year, with 1288 companies setting out their stands, and business has been brisk throughout the first four days of proceedings.

For Canadian first-time exhibitor Searidge Technologies, a technology innovator providing Remote Tower and Digital Airport solutions, the show’s opening days were particularly fruitful, with Airservices Australia selecting the firm’s digital tower solution for an initial prototype at Sydney Airport.

“The fact that the GATM conference was being arranged meant we knew a lot of key influencers in the ATM development field would be here. It’s exceeded all of our expectations,” commented Neil Bowles, Searidge’s Head of Air Traffic Management. In the Space Pavilion, Ukraine-based lunar and space technology firm Yuzhnoye Design Office said it was delighted to be making its debut in a year in which space exploration was taking such a spotlight. “I hope that maybe our company can do something together with the Emirates and the authorities, in space, and the lunar programme,” said Alexander Degtyarv, General Manager.

Searidge and Yuzhnoye were joined on the roster of new exhibitors by Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), the UAE’s Kingsbury and Airports World Company, Taiwan’s Smart Frequency and Korea Defense Industry Association, as well as dozens of others who travelled from across the globe to host stands on site for the first time. n