Fairs and Exhibitions Dubai Air Show Sales Network to Turkey

Fairs and Exhibitions (F&E), organisers of the Dubai air show, the international aerospace exhibition, has appointed its first agent for the Turkish market - Ankara-headquartered Omni will market Dubai 2003 throughout Turkey.

"To date Turkish participation in the Dubai air show has been extremely limited but Omni has convinced us that the country holds out strong potential," said Clive Richardson, Chief Executive, Aerospace Division, F&E.

Omni is headed by Managing Director Feyzan Erel, who has a long-standing association with the aerospace community.

The Dubai air show is a place where aerospace business can be done and done well. Turkish delegations have tended to go to the Paris and Farnborough air shows, but now realise Dubai is as important, if not more so, because of the regional growth in the industry, particularly in the commercial airline sector" said Erel.

Government-run Turkish Space and Aviation Industries (TUSAS), the  marketing arm of Turkey's aerospace industry, was an early confirmed exhibitor for Dubai 2003. It expects that delegations of key decision-makers from Turkey will be attending the Dubai air show.

"The main aviation buyers in Turkey are Turkish Airlines and the Turkish Air Force, but the industry is set to expand and this further heightens the  importance of the Dubai air show. There's also considerable private sector manufacturing of various aircraft components in Turkey and this is a particularly healthy and growing area."

Erel tips the emergence of several domestic charter airlines in Turkey. Charter airlines operate in and out of Turkey from other countries, but the Government of Turkey is offering incentives, including lower-priced fuel, to attract and encourage local aviation entrepreneurs. "A new charter sector is likely to  emerge before too long," said Erel.

To date, companies from 33 countries have contracted for Dubai 2003, which will run at the purpose-built Airport Expo Dubai from December 7-11.

"We are now convinced that the Turkish participation at the Dubai air show will increase, particularly as the country is looking for new markets," said  Alison Weller, Project Manager, Dubai 2003.

Dubai 2003 is being organised by F&E in conjunction with the Department of  Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and in collaboration with the UAE Armed Forces.