Business, like nature, abhors a vacuum, so when the National Business Aviation Association cancelled this year’s Asia Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, scheduled for Hong Kong last February, it was only a matter of time before something filled the void. Last month, the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) announced that its annual event, Asian Aerospace 2009, will be joined by a concurrent show, Asian Business Aviation. Both will be held Sept. 8-10 in Hong Kong. Some major players in business aviation, including Bombardier, Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, are already committed. While the economic downturn prompted NBAA to cancel their show, the global crisis will be the focus of the new event. “The market in Asia is 180 degrees different now from how it was six months ago and we plan to focus on these challenges in this unique Asian networking opportunity,” said AsBAA Vice Chairman Jason Liao.
Liao said that despite the economic problems, Asian aviation continues to grow with China at the forefront. From obscurity a decade ago, China is now the second-largest aviation market in the world behind the U.S. The combined event is expecting at least 350 exhibitors and more than 10,000 visitors. In addition to the business aviation section, the event will also feature aircraft interiors, training and air freight specialties.
