Organised jointly by MOCA and FICCI, with Farnborough International for promotion abroad and the US as a partner, India Aviation 2008 attracted aviation companies the world over.

Established in the 1930s by the erstwhile Nizam, the Hyderabad International Airport at Begumpet had the privilege of hosting India Aviation 2008 from October 15 to 18. The airport had receded from limelight since the commissioning of a new facility at Shamshabad in March. A little known fact is that over seven decades ago, the first air show was held here under the aegis of the then Nizam with the patronage of European aircraft manufacturers.

Showcasing the attributes and strength of the civil aviation sector, the four-day air show was the first international exhibition of its kind in India. Albeit on a smaller scale, the event was structured on the lines of Aero India which centres around military aviation. In all, there were around 200 exhibitors, large and small, from 18 different countries participating in the show. The list of companies included leading civil aircraft manufacturers of the world. However, the scale of the exercise can only be better appreciated through a comparison with other international air shows. At the Begumpet airfield, there were only 35 aircraft on display. Two decades ago, the Dubai air show also began on a similar scale but has now more than doubled in terms of the number of exhibitors and participating aircraft. Aero Club of India (ACI) displayed three different aero sports—hot air balloons, sky gliding and parasailing. Talking to SP’s Aviation, ACI Director General Wing Commander (Retd) Sanjay Thapar said, A serviceable Pushpak, the oldest training aircraft which is indigenous and still flying, was flown all the way from Patiala to Hyderabad and back to Patiala for the air show. The aircraft was flown by Captain G.S. Mangat, chief flying instructor of Patiala Aviation Academy. This was the longest flight for a Pushpak after its initial induction.

Exhibits were placed in three distinct arenas housed in provisional air-conditioned hangars. The limited flying display included an aerial aerobatic show by the veritable Surya Kiran team of the IAF on the inaugural day. In addition, there was static display of civil aircraft, media briefings and an international conference at Hotel Taj Krishna on October 16. Commercially Important Persons were hosted in half a dozen chalets even as a photo exhibition covering the 75-year history of civil aviation was organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) in the terminal building. At the ministry’s invitation, Jeet Aerospace Institute of Pune displayed India’s first indigenously developed mobile Flight Simulator.