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 HM the King and Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee, the fifth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow has witnessed unprecedented growth with more participation in the event than ever before.
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 to the tune of 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.
The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications also signed bilateral Air Service Agreements and contracts for major projects over the three days that would see more improvements to the Kingdom’s aviation infrastructure as part of the Kingdom’s ambitious Airport Modernization Programme.
Other notable signings included a contract for the provision of manpower for air navigation and the construction of a new Air Traffic Control Center. 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.
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.
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.