Celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates, the bi-annual Dubai Air Show was held under cloudless skies and in temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s (degrees Celsius)  between 13^th and 17^th November 2011.  Mirroring the better-known trade shows held at Farnborough and Paris, the Dubai Air Show brings together an eclectic mix of locals dressed accordingly, aerospace executives, airline and military leaders, and aviation enthusiasts and is a traditional closer to the aerospace year and a final opportunity for manufacturers to announce their order bonanzas before the holiday season. Unique to the Dubai show, it is held at the Airport Expo at Dubai international airport, and therefore offers not only a traditional trade show – with exhibitions, static and flying displays – but it also allows visitors to witness at close-hand the regular airline traffic coming and goings at one of the world’s busiest airports.

Being primarily a trade show, Dubai is of course adorned with all the trappings of such events – exhibition halls crammed with stands and booths branded with the logos of almost every major aerospace and defence company imaginable, corporate hospitality chalets to entertain those with influence or money to spend, pretty girls, a healthy selection of give-aways, and lots of shiny aeronautical metal outside in the static aircraft park.

Aircraft Orders

Of course, with Dubai being primarily a trade show during the period of the show announcements of some carefully planned and stage-managed aeroplane orders are inevitable. Noteworthy this year were:

·         Boeing Commercial Aeroplane’s largest ever order – for some 50 777-300ERs plus 20 options from Emirates Airline – which was announced on Monday 14^th November

·         To be upstaged some two days later by Boeing Commercial Aeroplane’s largest ever order – for up to 380 737s (a combination of 737-900s and 737MAXs) from Lion Air of Indonesia

·         The first orders for the 737MAXs and several additional orders for A320NEOs (taking firm commitments for the type over 1000) from several leasing companies

·         Orders for up to 5+3 A380s and 50 Airbus narrow bodies plus 30 options from Qatar Airways, to be powered by GE geared fans – which will result in Qatar Airways becoming the first operator of the A319NEO, A320NEO and A321NEO

The flying display at Dubai is necessarily abbreviated compared to some of the other major trade shows, consisting of two and a half hours of flying interrupted by a half hour period when normal airport arrivals and departures are allowed. This interruption to normal operations at the world’s fifth busiest international airport is perhaps more than anything else why the show will almost certainly move to the new Al Maktoum / Dubai World Central airport in 2013, along with the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show that takes place in intervening years. Despite the relatively brief nature of the flying display, the organisers managed to put up an interesting mix of aeroplanes including:

·         two aerobatic teams - the new UAE Air Force Al Fursan team operatingMB339 and the Alpha Jets of the Patriolle de France

·         several front-line combat aircraft – including a USAF F-15E Eagle, a UAEAF F-16 and Mirage 2000, a Euroflighter Typhoon (now back in contention as a future fighter for the UAE AF) and a Chinese derived Pakistani JF-17 Thunder

·         several jet and turbine training aircraft

·         the Chinese MA-600 Modern Ark, a western powered revision of the Antonov AN-26 and a C-27J Spartan that impressed by being looped and rolled during its display.

Dubai might not yet have quite have the gravitas or size of Farnborough and Paris, but it has the guarantee of good weather  in a city well geared up to provide top-notch hospitality, and it is increasingly seen as a significant event where connections and influence apply and major deals are done. With the Gulf region being one of the fastest growing in the world, the bi-annual event is likely to go from strength-to-strength, albeit maybe at a different venue which will provide more space for it to be run and to grow.

Full selection of images from Dubai Airshow 2011

Report by Andy Martin