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2018-12-02
Bahrain International Airshow Closes With Deals Worth US$5 Billion
Held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and under the supervision of His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of the King and Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee, the fifth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) witnessed attendance from 187 companies. The event saw a number of strategic announcements being made that would further Bahrain’s position as a major transportation hub in the Middle East.
Furthermore, the Minister for Transportation and Telecommunications and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee of BIAS, His Excellency Engineer Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, declared the show a success with the final orders total confirmed at over US$5bn.
Aircraft and engine orders came from Saudi Gulf Airlines for 10 Airbus A320neo with an option for a further 10 plus valued at US$2.1bn and 45 CFM Leap-1A engines valued at US$1bn. CFM also announced it has been awarded a maintenance contract for Gulf Air's 65 Leap-1A engines, which power the national carrier's Airbus A320neos for US$1bn. On the military side, the Royal Bahrain Air Force confirmed an order for 12 Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters valued at US$912m.
Gulf Air and Etihad Airways also signed a MoU, which covers a scope to introduce joint codeshare operations between Abu Dhabi and Manama. Additionally, Saudi Aramco announced its agreement at the value of US$700 million for the provision of 26 helicopters. Alongside this, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications also signed Air Service Agreements with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brunei, and Brazil.
Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) confirmed the appointment of French engineering company Egis as a consultant to provide design and supervision services for Bahrain International Airport’s new Cargo Area, a state-of-the-art facility that will help turn logistics and air cargo into one of Bahrain’s primary industries. On the final day of the show, the Ministry announced it would be implementing Phase 2 of the ILS - CAT III upgrade project at the Bahrain International Airport.
In addition, Bahrain-based Texel Air debuted the world's first Boeing 737-700 FlexCombi at the show. This unique first of a kind aircraft will be based in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Delegation visits were also a success with many participating in high-level meetings with exhibitors, chalet holders and senior member of the Bahraini Government and Royal family.
Spotlight on UAE Pavilion
BIAS saw high participation from UAE-based companies across the defence, security and aviation sectors. Showcasing the latest systems, equipment and air products, 15 UAE companies took part in the event, exhibiting at the National Pavilion of the UAE.
Sultan Al-Samahi, Acting Director General of the Emirates Defense Companies Council (EDCC) said: “The Emirates National Pavilion, managed by EDCC, welcomed a remarkable number of companies servicing the aviation and aerospace sectors. These included manufacturing, autonomous systems, maps, and MRO.”
Several key companies were a part of the National Pavilion, including:
EDCC: It was established as an initiative of Tawazun Economic Council and is supported by the key stakeholders: The Ministry of Defense and the GHQ of the UAE Armed Forces. It seeks to open new horizons for the economic development in the UAE by contributing to the developing capabilities of the manufacturing sector.
Royal Jet: A leading provider of luxury aviation services, the company has introduced its services and products related to aviation services for VIPs and Royal aviation.
Calidus: A specialist in aerospace and space technology, it offers a wide range of products, advanced technological solutions, engineering designs and other innovative solutions in this field.
Nation Shield, the official journal of UAE Armed Forces: Publihsed by the directorate of Morale Guidance, the magazine discusses a number of key issues, studies, and books on military activities, as well as political and economic analysis.
At the show, Nation Shield engaged in in-depth conversations with some of the exhibitors at the UAE Pavilion. Excerpts below.
Abu Dhabi Airports: Connecting With Industry Peers
During BIAS, Abu Dhabi Airports showcased its progress in the development of the Midfield Terminal Building, which will accommodate an additional 45 million passengers annually.
Mohammed A. Al Katheeri, SVP Corporate Strategy & Communications, Abu Dhabi Airports, told Nation Shield: “Our participation is an integral part of the UAE pavilion, which has more than 12 local companies participating, mainly from Abu Dhabi. Our participation is to augment the role of the national companies in the UAE and Abu Dhabi specifically. Among the many reasons of our participation, the key one is to connect with our peers in the aviation industry.”
He highlighted that the construction of Abu Dhabi Airports Midfield Terminal Building is currently going through its completion, testing, and commissioning process, and the iconic structure will open sometime in 2020.
He said: “As part of our participation, we want to tell our peers and the aviation industry in general of the upcoming building that we will be opening in 2020. The building’s construction, testing and commissioning and ORAT (Operational Readiness, Activation, and Transition) phase, will be completed in 2019.”
Furthermore, Al Katheeri shed light on its ground handler called, Munawala, situated in Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi. “As part of the portfolio we were promoting, we wanted to highlight Munawala’s role as a ground handler within the general aviation segment. Plus, we wanted to promote our free zone and invite investors to come there, as we have some excellent plans in the pipeline for its development,” he added.
Abu Dhabi Aviation: Focus on HEMS
Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) participated for the first time at BIAS. The company provides aviation offshore oil support and other services worldwide and in particular for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi's oil and gas production companies. It also provides VVIP passenger transportation services, Search & Rescue for the UAE, crop spraying, aerial construction, seismic support, fire fighting in Europe and third party maintenance support.
M Al Qubaisi from Abu Dhabi Aviation said: “The event was great for us, as we our now looking to expand outside the UAE as well. However, we will still participate in IDEX and Dubai Airshow.”
ADA is the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East and currently operates a fleet of 61 aircrafts, 57 helicopters comprising AgustaWestland AW139, AW109, Bell 412, Bell 212 models and 4 Bombardier Dash-8 series turboprop transport aircraft. It employs a staff of over 1,000, including over 150 Pilots and 283 engineers/technicians for operations.For now, Al Qubaisi shared, the company is putting its focus on the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).
ADASI: Showcasing Local Prowess
Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments (ADASI) displayed a range of products such as the Schiebel S-100 Camcopter, Aerostat 200, and RW24, at the show. Ahmad Al Balooshi, Program Manager, ADASI, shared insights about the different systems.
He said that the Schiebel S-100 Camcopter has been developed together by the UAE and the Austrian-based Schiebel. It is being used for Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and ADASI provides the maintenance, operational services and training for it.
He also highlighted that the balloon of the Aerostat 200 is locally manufactured.
“We provide training, maintenance and operation services to the end user for it. The product is tailored to our needs because the balloon size or the envelope size is different,” Al Balooshi said. “The 200 in the name refers to the envelope size. It could be 400, 500 or 600 depending on the altitude and will give you more time in the air and carry more payload, for example. But it has been tailor made for our use and can be easily used in deployment. We also tailor made the trailer (displayed at the show) and that also has been manufactured by us and has been designed in a way so that it is mobile and can be easily carried around.”
Furthermore, ADASI showcased the RW24, an armed strike drone, for the first time in Bahrain. The drone’s endurance is up to two hours and can fly at a range of 100km from the base. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and launch and the maximum take-off weight is up to 40kgs.
Al Balooshi said: “This is a man portable drone. What you need is a launcher, which is very light. It has two systems – the GNSS (global navigation), and the satellite service system. Or you can use a seeker head with a laser and it can be more precise. It is locally manufactured and already in production.”
He concluded: “We provide services within the region as well as outside. We already provide training and maintenance services to other countries in the region, and also provide operational services to some countries in the region. Our plan is to promote these products and offer them at competitive prices, so we can market it outside the region as well.”
ETIC: Training Young Minds
Emirates Technology & Innovation Center (ETIC) is a jointly established research and innovation centre by Emirates Advanced Research and Technology Holding (EARTH) and Khalifa University. The centre is located at the Abu Dhabi Campus of Khalifa University with management and research staff from both founding partners.
Through collaboration between industry and academia, ETIC aims to become a driving force for innovation in the field of computer-aided technologies and other selective-system technologies in the region and beyond.
Maha Ahmed Al Mufti, R&D Engineer, ETIC said: “Our vision is to be the enabler in technology and innovations in the UAE. To achieve our vision we are investing in the next-generation of engineers by engaging in diverse partnerships with the defence industry and by using resources available through academic institutions.”
The company covers areas such as defence technology systems, imaging, optics, laser, autonomous and semi-autonomous systems, and robotics and underwater systems, among others.
Ohood Ali Al Nuaimi, R&D Engineer, ETIC, added: “We are trying to build an environment for effective absorption and integration of engineers through collaborations with academic institutions.”
GAL ANS: Strong National Identity
GAL Air Navigation Services LLC (GAL ANS) specialises in providing air traffic controller services, and engineering as well and training services. Faisal Al Marzouqi, Director, GAL ANS, said that attending BIAS was part of the company’s strategy to promote its services across all the aviation industries in the region.
He said: “We have established a training centre in Al Ain. We thought that stability was an important need so we are looking nationalise this part. We developed Career Development Plan (CDP) for young Emirati’s to join GAL ANS and become licenced Air Traffic Controller Officers (ATCO) and Air Traffic Controller Assistants (ATCA).”
The company has two contracts – government, of which 80 per cent of the workforce are nationals, and civil. “Overall, the company employs 45 per cent locals. The management of the company comprises 50 per cent locals and 50 per cent expats,” Al Marzouqi added.
GAL ANS controls 80 per cent of the UAE’s airports. Plus, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), have approved its training centre. GCAA has certified GAL ANS as the only private Air Navigation Service Provider in the UAE. It provides approach and tower air traffic services from many airports to private and government customers.
“In 2017, we provided services for over 530,000 movements. We are interested in expanding our services outside the UAE and are currently supporting some countries in Africa by providing training to their employees,” he concluded.
GAL: Enhancing Emirati Workforce
Participating for the first time at Bahrain International Air Show, Global Aerospace Logistics (GAL) underlined its portfolio at the show. The company was formed in 2007 and its headquarters and operational sites are in Abu Dhabi. Currently, its manpower exceeds 3,000, and Jassim Mahmood Al Mahmood, Operations Manager – Aviation Maintenance, GAL, stressed that the company is constantly growing.
He said: “The company specialises in offering comprehensive maintenance programmes, mainly for rotary aircraft. Currently, the Joint Aviation Command is our customer, so we basically do the full maintenance programme for their rotary aircraft. Our services include maintenance duties, developing training programmes, managing the supply chain for spare parts, and we are given advisory roles as well.”
Al Mahmood said that GAL currently has the target to achieve 20 to 30 per cent Emiritisation. In the past, the company used to sponsor engineering students in their last two years so that they could come and work with the firm once they graduate.
He said: “The rest 70 per cent of the workforce would need to be qualified technicians. If it’s a new aircraft, we do a transfer of technology but most of these platforms have been in service for more than 20 years. Whoever we get as technicians are already qualified.
“We are carrying out Emiritisation with a wise approach. The plan is to grow more and achieve more than 30 per cent Emiritisation in the coming years.”
Networking and Engagement
Outside of the major deals and contract signings, participants confirmed that the level of networking and engagement opportunities was outstanding with organisers looking to expand on this at the 2020 show which will take place between 19-21 November 2020.
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