Business Aviation Exhibitors at the Airshow

Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of Dubai Airshow organisers Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East had remarked, “The Middle East is seeing a boom in the business aviation sector. It has always been a significant part of the Dubai Airshow and we expect this recent growth in business aviation exhibitors and attendees to continue at the 2019 edition.” And with the commitment from many key industry names including Embraer, Boeing, and DC Aviation at the Dubai Airshow, this indeed was demonstrated at the show.

• Embraer turned heads as they displayed the largest number of aircraft on this year’s static display and also put on show the company’s new Praetor mid-size business jet during the airshow, the first of its kind to be equipped with full fly by wire and turbulence reduction technologies. Embraer also announced that Falcon Aviation’s latest facility located at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), Dubai’s new airport, has been approved as an Embraer Authorized Service Center (EASC) to expand their support for Legacy 600/650 and Lineage customers in the region. The UAE’s leading business aviation services, charter, MRO and aircraft management company, Falcon Aviation may perform scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance, component and part exchange, types of inspections at different levels of complexity for those aircraft platforms.
• Boeing Business Jets landed at the airshow on the heels of October’s announcement of two BBJ 787-9 Dreamliners orders from a single, undisclosed customer. The purchase contract, placed in August, is worth $564 million at list price, bringing orders for the executive variant of the composite wide-body to 16.
• Honda Aircraft arrived at Dubai Airshow amidst growing global acceptance of its HondaJet Elite. “My goal is to expand business aviation in international markets by introducing light jets with the HondaJet,” said Fujino, CEO of the Honda Aircraft Company. On static display at Al Maktoum International Airport, the HondaJet Elite exhibits innovations including the over-the-wing engine mount configuration, natural laminar flow nose and wing, and composite fuselage. While the flight deck features Garmin’s G3000 avionics suite and the cabin boasts a full-service galley, private lavatory, and an exclusive Bongiovi speaker less sound system. Certified for single-pilot operation, Honda Aircraft claims the Elite is also more fuel-efficient and emits fewer greenhouse gases than any similarly sized twin-jet.
• Gulfstream exhibited three business jets at the airshow’s static display: the Gulfstream G650ER, the newly-in-service Gulfstream G600 and the high-tech Gulfstream G500. “Gulfstream continues to expand its support of the growing Middle-Eastern market — now more than ever with the reveal of our new ultra long-range flagship, the Gulfstream G700,” said Mark Burns, President, Gulfstream. “Our high-speed, largecabin offerings have proven ideal for customers traveling to and from the Middle East and surrounding regions. Our latest aircraft to enter service, the G500 and G600, have been hard at work showcasing their favor and capabilities with more than 30 deliveries and 45 city-pair speed records.” The ability to fly at high altitudes and ultra long ranges allows Gulfstream’s aircraft to support a diverse scope of critical missions, such as medical evacuation and head-of-state transport.

Gulfstream G500 on static display
• Dassault Falcon also had a very strong presence at the event. Their display included the Falcon 8X, Falcon 900LX and the full-scale mockup of the Falcon 6X cabin –the tallest and widest in business aviation.

Falcon 8X on static display
• Switzerland’s Pilatus Aircraft showcased its PC-24 “Super Versatile” twin jet, which can operate on short, unprepared runways. PC-24 is a faster, longer-range version of PC-12, the single-engine turboprop that established Pilatus in the business aviation arena.
• Making its Dubai Airshow debut, Signature Plating exhibited its custom metal-plating capabilities, spanning over 150 finish options and custom color matching.
• Vision Systems is displaying at the Dubai Airshow it’s electronically dimmable window (EDW) technology, which allows passengers to change the opacity of their windows from clear to opaque and helps keep cabins cool and quiet. Suitable for first-class commercial and private VIP aircraft applications, the French company’s shading systems also incorporate an integrated infrared barrier to enhance heat blockage and multiple layers of noise-attenuating films to reduce cabin noise.