Shanghai, China, April 17, 2014 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today closed the third and final day of its 2014 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2014) as one for the record books, on a variety of fronts.
“As ABACE2014 comes to a close, it’s clear that business aviation is growing in China and across Asia – most importantly, that’s good news for our industry, but it’s also good news for ABACE,” NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said.
“When we launched the first ABACE in 2012, we said we wanted the show to become not just an annual event, but an enduring event,” Bolen continued. “It’s clear that in the 25 short months since our first edition of ABACE, we’ve seen significant growth for the show at every level, and ABACE is now firmly established as a must-attend event for the international business aviation community, and for China’s aerospace community.”
To illustrate his point, Bolen cited several examples:
• The number of exhibitors at ABACE2014 was 187, a nearly 20-percent jump from the 156 exhibitors that participated in ABACE2012.
• The number of ABACE2014 exhibitors based in the Asian region has dramatically increased from the number for the 2012 show. This year, 73 exhibitors from Asia participated in ABACE, versus 38 for ABACE2012, representing a 92-percent increase.
• The number of 3-meter-by-3-meter booth spaces at ABACE2014 was 333, up from 236 for the 2012 show – a 41-percent increase.
• The number of aircraft on the static display for ABACE2014 was 38, a jump from 27 for the 2012 edition of the show, representing a 41-percent increase in the aircraft count. Importantly, for the first time, the display included piston airplanes, giving ABACE attendees access to the full spectrum of business aircraft, from pistons through intercontinental jets, as well as helicopters.
• The number of aircraft-side chalets on the ABACE static display has also increased: in 2014, the chalet count was 16, as compared to nine in 2012 – a 78-percent increase.
Bolen noted that ABACE also continues to draw high-ranking government officials from the U.S. and Asia. Included among the speakers at the ABACE2014 Opening General Session were Michael Huerta, administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Wang Zhiqing, deputy administrator, Civil Aviation Administration of China and Masaaki Kai, senior deputy director general, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.
As with previous ABACE events, this year’s edition of the show included a full lineup of well-attended education sessions featuring content to inform the region’s growing business aviation sector. Sessions focused on issues including safety best practices, regional trends driving the industry’s growth, operational considerations, tips and tools for those utilizing helicopters for business aviation in the region and more.
The show also featured content for those considering careers in business aviation: more than 70 students from two prestigious Chinese universities participated in a series of presentations about professional opportunities in the industry, followed by a tour of the ABACE2014 exhibits and static display.
ABACE also continues to attract coverage from news organizations based in Asia, and from around the world. More than 650 reporters registered to attend and cover ABACE2014, providing an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase new products and services, and to advance an understanding of business aviation’s potential benefits for the Asian region.
There was certainly plenty of news to cover at ABACE2014: More than a dozen formal press conferences were held, and throughout the show, exhibitors looked to ABACE as the ideal venue for detailing news about aircraft sales, planned aircraft development, new FBOs, airport-construction plans, aviation business start-ups and partnerships and other announcements.
“As with previous editions of ABACE, the show brought China to the center of the world’s business aviation community this week,” Bolen concluded. “While it has been an outstanding event, our work to promote the industry in this region will continue throughout the year. We look forward to even greater success with the 2015 edition of ABACE.”