BIAS Committee attends Paris International Air Show

Manama, June 17 (BNA): Under the directives of Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa - Head of the Supreme Organising Committee of the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS) and Personal Representative of His Majesty the King, a delegation of members of the BIAS Supreme Organising Committee headed by the His Excellency the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Deputy Chairman of the Committee Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed attended the 51st edition of the International Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget Parc des Expositions, France. His Excellency was joined by Acting Undersecretary for Civil Aviation Affairs and member of the BIAS committee His Excellency Ahmed AlNemah. Speaking about the participation at the event at the Kingdom of Bahrain’s stand, the Minister said that the BIAS Committee, chaired by Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, is focused on showcasing the Bahrain International Air Show at major international events in order to attract the largest global companies in the aerospace industry, including aircraft producers in the civil and military aviation sectors, to participate in the 4th edition of BIAS held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on January 21-23 2016 at Sakhir Air Base. As a key event in the aerospace industry calendar, the Paris International Air Show serves as an ideal opportunity to showcase Bahrain International Airshow’s offering and proposition to trade visitors from the civil and military aviation industry. BIAS presents unique opportunities for delegations and trade visitors to meet with clients and develop business partnerships. On the sidelines of the show, the Minister met 16 international companies with the aim of increasing cooperation, exploring business opportunities and encouraging participation at the upcoming BIAS. Alongside the meetings, a press conference was held to provide an update to international media on progress for the forthcoming show which now has a confirmed Chalet participation at just over 70% with strong demand for the remaining chalets. The organisers also announced a number of new initiatives for the show that would further drive the event’s status as a key venue for high-level networking and business negotiations. These include a Hosted Buyer Programme and ‘The Air Transport in the 21st Century Conference" will take place on day two and day three of the show. The ‘Manama Air Power Symposium’ will also be held the day before the start of the show to discuss the leading issues of the day. Speaking about the new initiatives, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed said, "As the Supreme Organising Committee for BIAS, we are always looking for more networking and business opportunities for participants at the show. The ‘Air Transport in the 21st Century’ conference will provide a real forum for debate while the Hosted Buyer Programme will provide a great opportunity for direct face-to-face contact with key decision makers in the aviation industry. "We are confident that we can continue to build on our successful track record, and with the addition of these new activities and events, we will enable the participants to have even more networking opportunities." The 2016 edition will include an exhibition feature hall focused on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and airport infrastructure. With the continuing expansion of the UAV market, strong demand is expected from businesses that are looking to explore both the commercial and defence opportunities. Moreover, the feature hall will also showcase the latest equipment, services and technology for airport infrastructure development. Now in its fourth edition, BIAS is a niche aviation event providing its elite list of aerospace business participants the opportunity for high-level networking in exclusive surroundings. With just 40 chalet participants and limited exhibition space, the event is truly intimate allowing participants the opportunity to meet the extensive civil and military delegations invited as guests of HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Confirmed companies participating to date in the BIAS 2016 include BAE Systems, Boeing, Felex (Italy), Rostec (Russia), Qatar Airways, Gulfstream, and Airbus amongst other international aviation civil and defence companies.