Dubai Helishow 2004 gets off to good start

H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan visited the Dubai Helishow 2004, the Middle East's maiden helicopter exhibition, Monday, at the East Hall, Dubai Airport Expo and toured the stands of various manufacturers participating in the show.

H.H. Sheikh Sultan accompanied by senior government officials and organizers of the show, spent time at the stands of the Franco-German copter consortium, EADS-Eurocopter and the Italian manufacturer Augusta Westland speaking at length to the executives of these manufacturers besides visiting other stands. At the end of the tour, H.H. Sheikh Sultan praised the high standards of the show and expressed the hope that such an event would boost the use of helicopters for both defence and civilian operations in the region.

Abdulla Abulhoul, Managing Director, MEDIAC, organizers of the show, said: "The visit of H.H. Sheikh Sultan enhanced the standing of this debut show. The Dubai Helishow 2004 has brought into focus several new advances and developments in helicopter technology that have made helicopters more versatile to be deployed in different environments, apart from the core area of defence. We are grateful to His Highness for gracing this event and providing encouragement to the 80-odd exhibitors from different parts of the world."

Meanwhile, the show has attracted several government visitors from the GCC, including Saudi Arabia, which is among the countries that are increasing their investment in helicopter acquisition for various sectors.

The show brings into focus rotor wing aircraft technology in civilian and military use. Rotor wings are increasingly used in sectors like emergency medical services, offshore utility support, tourism and aviation training. Rotor technology is projected to register high growth in the region, in view of the trend of using helicopters for a variety of purposes. It is projected that over the next 10 years, over 9,500 commercial rotary wing aircraft will be shipped globally.

"The strong economic buoyancy that is currently prevailing in the Middle East is reflected in the Dubai Helishow 2004, going by the response from visitors from all over the region," said Abulhoul. "Visitors to Dubai Helishow got to see some of the most cutting edge technology and advanced avionics of helicopters at close range and appreciate their features."

The static display at Dubai Helishow 2004 feature seven helicopters, including Super Puma and Panther of UAE Navy, Apache of UAE Army, Bell 412 HP of the UAE Airforce, two Bell 412s of Abu Dhabi Aviation and Abu Dhabi Police, and 109 Power of Augusta Westland.

Dubai Helishow 2004 has active participation from over 80 leading regional and global helicopter manufacturers from countries such as Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, UAE, UK and the USA.