As a barometer for the health of so-called emerging markets, the Dubai Air Show has earned a prominent place on the airshow calendar in the last couple of decades and the biannual extravaganza gets under way Nov. 13. Four years ago, the burgeoning Middle East and Asian airline industry saturated manufacturers’ backlogs with billions of dollars worth of orders but this year’s show will take place in the shadow of unprecedented economic issues in Europe and the U.S. that are rippling all over the globe. Nevertheless, all the major players will be there and there are some first-time appearances.
It will be the first time in Dubai for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was in initial flight testing at the time of the 2009 show but marked its first revenue flight last week in Japan with launch customer ANA. There’s a strong business aviation aspect to the show and most manufacturers will be represented in the more than 100 aircraft at the static display. The show includes a spirited daily airshow, which has become a showcase for front-line fighter displays from all over the world. The show will begin with Dubai’s own Al Fursan demo team and the Patrouille de France will also perform.
