Manama, The sixth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) 2022 kicked off today at the Sakhir Air Base under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
It was opened by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister. The opening ceremony included a tour for dignitaries and delegations participating in the Show.
The Bahrain International Air Show 2022, which takes place over three days at Sakhir Air Base, marks a decade of distinction since its inception in 2010. This saw the attendance of 186 companies, more than 200 civilian and military delegations, and 100 different aircraft on static and flying display.
Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Mohammed bin Thamer Al Kaabi, extended his appreciation and gratitude to His Majesty the King on the occasion of the launch of the sixth edition of Bahrain International Airshow, which has established itself as one of the major international aviation industry events which attracts senior executives and decision-makers from international airlines and prominent global aerospace businesses.
“Today marks the return of the Bahrain International Airshow, following the success of previous years, and the commitment to increasing the continuity and sustainability of the various economic sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain in general, and the aviation industry in particular”,he said.
“We ensured to include worldwide best practices and take advantage of the experiences of the world’s leading aviation shows in planning this year’s exhibition to create a unique environment conducive to the business and growth objectives of the Kingdom and attendees. We have also created an integrated program that allows visiting civilian and military delegations to engage and interact directly with firms and decision-makers”, he added.
He noted added that this edition includes an extended forum program, a larger exhibition hall, and fully refurbished chalets and includes the participation of more than 30 countries from around the world, underscoring the steady growth of the Bahrain International Airshow since its inception, and its success as a platform for engagement and business development for the aviation industry.
The first day activities included a meeting between Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), the announcement of the formation of strategic cargo cooperation between Bahrain-based MENA Aerospace and the Asia Cargo Network of Singapore. Royal Jordanian Airlines has also made a deal with US company Pratt & Whitney that makes engines to power up 30 of its aircraft fleet.
Building on BIAS’s objective as providing a skill and education hub, a workshop was held by Corrin Higgs, an Airbus sustainability expert, who presented to Bahraini university students the latest innovations and sustainability trends in the aviation industry, highlighting Airbus’ journey towards clean aerospace, its sustainability strategy focus on reducing the CO2 emissions of its current aircraft, and its goal to bring the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft to market by 2035.
The UK Royal Air Force’s renowned Aerobatic Team, the “Red Arrows”, also met with audience visitors in the family area. The show also featured its iconic flying air display program which showed aerial displays and exciting shows from various teams including the Red Arrows, Saudi Hawks, Al Fursan of the UAE, and Global Stars.
The Show will run until Friday 11 November 2022. The second and third days’ program includes discussion forums for thought leadership and knowledge sharing, additional aircraft flying displays and continuing activities in the family area dedicated to the public.
Source: Bahrain News Agency