Record participation in BIAS 2016

Manama, Jan. 12 (BNA): A record number of international companies in the aviation industry will be meeting in Bahrain next week for the fourth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) 2016, being held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, on January 21-23 2016. More than 120 companies and 75 delegations representing 34 countries are set to participate in BIAS, which is organized under the supervision of the Supreme Organising Committee of BIAS, chaired by His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty the King, announced His Excellency Engineer Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Deputy Chairman of the Committee at a media roundtable held at MTT today. Details of the preparations for the show, which is organised by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications in cooperation with the Royal Bahraini Air Force, and in association with Farnborough International Ltd, were revealed at the event. His Excellency said, "This edition of the show is set to be the biggest since the show was established in 2010. 75 high level delegations from KSA, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, USA, Czech Republic, Georgia, India, Russia, France, Hungary, UK and Brazil, will be attending the show to take part in scheduled meetings, represented by Ministers of Transport and Economy, Civil Aviation chiefs, CEOs of airline companies and senior executives from government and private sectors. A number of agreements are expected to be signed by the officials during their visits. "Multi-national organisations participating include Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, Chevron, CFM, Finmeccanica, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce, Turkish Aerospace Industries, TAG Aeronautics Ltd and Thales Group. On the GCC side, we are welcoming the largest ever representation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with over 10 companies joining under the umbrella of the Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Kuwait Airways as a first time participant. Based on the directives of HH Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty the King and Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee of BIAS, we have created more networking opportunities than in any previous show, including two events during the show. The ‘Air Transport in the 21st Century Conference’ which will be held on the second day of the show, with speakers including Ahmed Al Nemah from Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ Civil Aviation Affairs, Akbar Al Baker from Qatar Airways, and Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah from Bahrain Airport Company. On the third day of the show, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will be holding a special seminar regarding its new Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) programme. Meanwhile, taking place the day before BIAS16 opens, the Manama Air Power Symposium (MAPS) will see air force chiefs and senior government officials discuss the most pressing priorities for regional Air Forces, with the participation of over 20 military chiefs." A Hosted Buyer programme will also be introduced, which will provide participating companies scheduled itineraries in which they can meet prospective clients. In addition to the conference programme, and back for the second consecutive show will be the Feature Pavilion, which will be 47% larger than that of 2014. This hall will feature areas for numerous countries including Kuwait, UK (through the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) whose stand will be dedicated to commemorating the 200th anniversary of Bahraini- British relations, USA, France, India, Russia, Sudan, Taiwan and Turkey, as well as additional companies in the aviation industry allowing trade visitors to see their latest products and learn about their services. Companies include Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), ADPI, SATCOM, RAF Museum, the Women’s Pilot Association, Texel Air. Bahrain-based companies will also be taking advantage of the event, with Batelco, Gulf Air, Bahrain Airport Company, DHL, MENA Aerospace, National Bank of Bahrain, and the Economic Development Board each holding a chalet. In addition to official presence, over 100 aircraft are scheduled to be on display at the trade show, with a strong contingent of both commercial and military aircraft. On the commercial side Qatar Airways will bring their Airbus A380 and A350, Gulf Air will have an A320 on display and Kuwait Airways will also bring an A350 and its recently delivered A320 equipped with Sharklets, while Emirates Airlines will also display its latest A380 and 319 Business Jet. There will also be a host of business aircraft including Embraer and Gulfstream. Military aircraft include a T129 ATAK helicopter from Turkish Aircraft Industries, two Typhoons from the RAF and an impressive number of aircraft from the US Airforce and US Navy, in addition to India, which will be displaying its HAL Dhruv Helicopters and its C17. Aerobatic display teams include the Saudi Hawks, UAE’s Al Fursan, the Russian Knights, India’s Sarang Helicopter Display Team, Mark Jeffries and the Twister Aerobatics team. The Bahrain Defence Force Special Forces parachute team will also participate. In addition to the trade part of the show, a separate public show is held for the public to enjoy the air displays and a variety of attractions and entertainment, including flights simulators, a Heritage Village and other family oriented activities. Applications for trade passes are available on www.bahraininternationalairshow, while tickets for the public show are available at all Batelco outlets. About the Bahrain International Airshow The fourth Bahrain International Airshow, organised by the Bahrain Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications and the Royal Bahraini Airforce in partnership with Farnborough International Ltd (FIL), will be hosted at Sakhir Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain, from 21 – 23 January 2016. BIAS takes place on a biennial basis offering high level business opportunities to 40 participating companies operating from luxury chalet units.