Two terminals will be ready within six months
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Aviation Show 2018 concluded yesterday with great success and many deals signed. According to the organizers, over 40,000 people visited the four-day show, in which 144 international and local companies including 57 aircraft participated. "Visitors enjoyed the shows presented by the airplanes of the Kuwait air force, Solo Turk, Saudi Falcon and others. I was surprised when I saw people in Subhan watching the aerial displays," head of the organizing committee Ahmed Behbehani said during a press conference yesterday.
The Kuwait Aviation Show will be held every two years. "The event was also successful due to the cooperation of various authorities including the ministry of defense, ministry of interior, Amiri Diwan, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, ministry of information and the great support of the media," he added.
Huge number
Organizing committee consultant Captain Abdullah Bastaki noted that the huge number of companies that participated in this event signifies their trust and interest in the Kuwaiti market. "The aviation industry in Kuwait has witnessed great development with mega projects worth over KD 25 billion. Within six months, two terminals will be ready - the supporting terminal (T4) and the Jazeera terminal, which will provide for a large increase in capacity, which shows the interest of our government in the aviation field," he said.
The aviation sector is the main engine for development in any country. "GCC airports and national carriers are examples, as their growth rates are the highest in the world except for the Far East, where the population is very high. In Kuwait for instance, Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways registered growth of over 20 percent. Also, the civil aviation sector is growing by 10 percent, although the international rate is around 5 percent," stressed Bastaki.
"The new aircraft coming to Kuwait will boost the economy. It's not only about purchasing the aircraft, but also the aftersales service. This show energized other sectors in Kuwait too, such as hotels, malls and others that witnessed an increase of visitors from abroad," he explained.
Two years
Tareq Bastaki, General Coordinator of the Kuwait Aviation Show, stated that preparations for the show took more than two years. "We travelled and participated in various international aviation fairs in Dubai, France and others. We received positive feedback from participants, and over 50 percent of them assured us that they will be participating in the next Kuwait Aviation Show that will be held in 2020," he noted. "This event is considered a major event. A few mistakes took place, but it's acceptable as this is our first experience. The airshow had an educational aspect - to make people aware of what an aviation fair is. From next week, we will begin working on the 2020 show," he added.
"This is the first aviation show organized by a private company in the world. Participants are usually wary of participating in private events and only trust government ones. We appreciate the trust of our government in this event and their support. Organizing an aviation show is very costly, especially as the insurance and fuel costs have to be paid in advance," said Abdullah Bastaki.
The sponsorship of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was also behind the success of this event. "Attendance was beyond my expectations as all invitees accepted the invitation and we even had to print 300 additional invitations. We had the idea or organizing this show about 25 years ago, but we didn't find a suitable location for it. Also, the organizers are from Kuwait, and proved that their work is of an international standard," stressed Behbehani.
By Nawara Fattahova