That Dubai is a major international aviation hub is a given fact. Developing it further, the aviation industry is highly active and one of the activities that props the emirate further is the Dubai Airshow, said to be the world’s fastest growing aerospace exhibition. This edition too was a runaway hit as more and more new exhibitors descended on Dubai World Central (DWC), the venue, to be part of the event which was inaugurated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony before taking a tour of the site with Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of Dubai Airshow organisers F&E Aerospace. His tour began with a visit to the liveried search and rescue helicopter fleet of the UAE Joint Aviation Command. He interacted with the pilots of the UAE Air Force aerobatics team, Al Fursan, which flies seven Aermacchi MB-339A jet trainer aircraft.

Michele van Akelijen said: “It is an honour to welcome Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to officially open this year’s event. With exhibitors coming from 61 countries, we are expecting to see some exciting and innovative additions to the show this year.”

A total 1,103 exhibitors at the show received over 65,000 trade visitors over the five days at DWC, Dubai Airshow site, which for the first time featured a 3D print pavilion, 3D Printshow Dubai, and an exhibition by the newly formed UAE Space Agency.

World’s fastest 3d-printed unmanned aerial vehicle unveiled

The world’s fastest, largest and most complex 3D-printed drone was unveiled here, forming the centrepiece of the region’s debut 3D Printshow. The jet-engine powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was demonstrated by show sponsor Stratasys, as part of its exhibition on the future of 3D printing technology in the aviation and space industries. The lightweight aircraft, which took just two months to create and can break speeds of 350 km per hour, is being used to highlight the flexibility of the technology to aircraft and technology manufacturers.

“This is the final piece in the puzzle for aerospace and we’re really excited to present it today,” said Jay Shelby, Vertical Solutions Applications Engineer for Stratasys, which recently printed more than 1,000 in-flight parts for the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. “We’re here to show manufacturers what can be done when you take this technology and build your design around it. So at the Dubai Airshow, we’ve seen Boeing today, we’ve seen Airbus, Rolls-Royce – all these companies are already using 3D printing technology and they’re doing it very well, making huge savings and producing aircraft that are faster than ever before for customers like the Middle East carriers. 3D printing is helping them to meet deadlines, bring schedules forward and the technology has now gone from a piece of kit you’d have on the manufacturing floor to a technology you can actually build your manufacturing around.”

The 3D Printshow highlighted developments in 3D technology and its uses in both military and commercial aircraft, as well as in rocket development and the space industry. Over 20 exhibitors took part, including D2M, 3DPS, 3D Vinci Creations and Ultimaker, with exhibitions featuring printed components as varied as aircraft models to engine parts, highlighting the technology’s broad possibilities.

“3D printing is a major game changer in the aerospace industry, with major technological advances being made throughout the past few years,” said Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of organisers F&E Aerospace. “With such a big role to play in the future of the industry, it seemed natural to bring the 3D Printshow to Dubai Airshow, and we are already witnessing a very positive response to the technology on display.”

Mega Orders, Jet Airways Tops

Orders at the Dubai Airshow flowed in thick and fast as deals worth almost $30 billion were agreed on Day 2. Among those agreeing new purchases were Boeing and Jet Airways, who signed a deal worth approximately $8 billion which will see the manufacturer build 75 new 737 MAX aircraft for the Indian carrier, a partner airline of Abu Dhabi’s Etihad. Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal highlighted the need for new aircraft to service a growing customer base, with more than 30 million Indians now overseas and a domestic market predicted to grow to around 140 million passengers in the next 10 years. “We work extremely well and very closely with Boeing and we would like to expand that relationship further. We believe now is the time to take that partnership to new heights.”

Ray Conner, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, added: “This has been a tremendous partnership for well over 20 years now, and it’s a partnership built on trust, friendship and a deep understanding of what’s necessary to be successful in a market that is extremely tough and competitive. These aircraft are the tool with which Jet Airways will compete in a very dynamic market and the 737 MAX, we believe, is the right aircraft to enable them to do that.”

Saab Signs Deal with UAE Air Force

Elsewhere at the Dubai Airshow, the UAE Air Force unveiled a deal with Swedish aerospace firm Saab worth $1.27 billion. The deal will see the UAE purchase two new Global 6000 long-range surveillance aircraft, while a further two Saab 340 jets already in UAE ownership will undergo systems upgrades. Major General Abdullah Al Hashimi said: “I am really happy to announce the first deal that has been signed between the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Saab Industrial this year, to buy two new aircrafts for an amount of $1.27 billion. By buying two new aircraft, and upgrading two existing aircraft, we are very happy to continue our relationship with Saab.”

Saab Group President and CEO, Håkan Buskhe, said: “We are an extremely proud supplier to the UAE Air Force, and we think, in cooperation with the UAE Air Force, that this deal is the start of something new. The new platform offers increased endurance and a newly developed suite of sensors that the UAE will be the launch customer for. This will be a game changer for surveillance capability going forward.”

Etihad Ties Up with Mubadala

Meanwhile, UAE national carrier Etihad signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi investment and development firm Mubadala worth a potential $1 billion. The 10-year agreement covers a range of new contracts and would see Etihad appoint Mubadala’s SR Technics as its preferred service provider.

Emirates $16-billion MRO Agreement

In addition, national carrier Emirates announced the signing of a $16 billion OnPointSM solution agreement with GE Aviation for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the GE9X engines that will power the airline’s fleet of 150 Boeing 777X aircraft over a period of 12 years. This is Emirates’ largest single engine MRO contract to date.

New Exhibitor Interest

The Dubai Airshow continues to attract new exhibitor interest with many first-time participants from a wide range of industry sectors taking part in the 2015 edition. “Since its inception, the Dubai Airshow has continued to attract ever-increasing numbers of new exhibiting partners. This is due not only to the phenomenal growth trajectory of the industry but also underscores our commitment to ensuring that the aviation sector is represented across all areas of the business mix,” said Michele van Akelijen.

Frederic Pinlet, President of Paris-headquartered Concorde Future, led a delegation to not only scope out investor potential but also to promote the future of supersonic aircraft to a receptive audience. “We decided to come to Dubai as everything in the world happens in this part of the world and it is a crossroads for all businesses. The dream and spirit of Concorde and its story as the first supersonic airline is very much alive and there are many projects that could be born now, even including the original concept as a piece of history or for show. A lot of people in the industry are talking about the future of large supersonic aircraft, and there is a lot of enthusiasm,” he said.

For Shant Katcherian, Avionics Development and Cofounder of Lebanon’s SkyPro UAV, which produces small surveillance UAV aircraft, the Dubai Airshow was a one-stop shop location for attracting new business. “It is the place to be for big and small companies alike. We are a small start-up and already have military customers, but are looking to expand, and this is the right venue for that. We would absolutely come back in 2017,” he said.

New technologies are clearly a major focus for this year’s show and Peter Coker, Managing Director and CEO of Martin Jetpack, which recently signed a deal with Dubai Civil Defence, has high hopes for business growth in the region. “As an airshow, this clearly rates as one of the best. We didn’t know what to expect, as people didn’t know what the Martin Jetpack was, but since we’ve arrived, the interest has been phenomenal. In this area, we’ve sealed our first deal and that’s thanks to the Dubai Airshow. Without this event, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

Established UAE SMEs also targeted the show as infrastructure developments in the aviation industry, and Expo 2020 plans, drive related demand across various areas of the business. Dubai-based Globe Hi-Fabs Middle East Managing Director, Rahul Chopra, selected the Dubai Airshow as a platform for future commercial growth as well as to push overall brand awareness of the aircraft refueller and dispenser company products. “The Middle East and Africa market is a big market for us and after just a few days we have a few deals that are quite close, and if not signed by the end of the show then we expect to have something close within the next 10 days.”