AINonline
- June 16, 2015, 12:15 AM
Officials from the Sichuan province in China are announcing plans today for a new international airshow, to be held every two years from September 2017 at Deyang-Guanghan Airport near Chengdu, one of the major hubs of China’s aerospace industry and home to one of China’s fastest-growing economic regions. Working with Sichuan province to make the show a reality are the European Union Project Innovation Centre and Farnborough Airshow organizer Farnborough International Ltd.
Under current plans the show will comprise three trade days, targeting 30,000 visitors, and two public days during which a crowd of 100,000 is targeted. Between 300 and 400 exhibitors are expected, with around 60 static display aircraft and a similar number in the flying display. The former military airfield at Guanghan is now home to the Chinese civil aviation flight university, and more than 90 percent of China’s airline aircrew train there.
The Sichuan show will focus on civil and commercial aerospace, including MRO and support services. Chinese conglomerates AVIC, CATIC and COMAC will be represented in force, and the show is being promoted as a forum where overseas companies can explore means of getting involved in the growing Chinese market.
China’s aviation base is expanding at a pace, with 56 new airports being planned and 91 others slated for significant renovation and expansion. Chinese airlines are expected to need around 4,000 new aircraft over the next 20 years, according to Airbus, while Boeing’s outlook suggests nearly 6,000 might be required.
Establishing an airshow in the Chengdu region represents an important departure for China, where existing events are all located in the eastern part of the country. Chengdu is the nation’s westernmost major city, with excellent transport links, including a newly opened rail freight hub that provides direct access into China from Europe. The city boasts more than 30 aerospace enterprises and research centers, with more than 50,000 employees working in the aerospace sector.
Source: AINoline
