In the face of exceptionally severe weather, Abu Dhabi’s Air Expo was a washout for the first two days of the three-day event (March 8-10). On the first day, the business and general aviation show had to close early at 1:30 p.m., and the next day even earlier at 11:30 a.m., after torrential rain and fierce wind battered Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport.

Organizers were forced to evacuate the show site after small aircraft on the static display were dislodged from their moorings and chalets and exhibits were buffeted. A Boeing Business Jet operated by Abu Dhabi-based Royal Jet suffered slight damage when two light aircraft were blown into it.

“Two light carbon-fiber craft were blown under the BBJ. I think they have been destroyed. All our aircraft received were scratches on the paint,” Royal Jet CEO Patrick Gordon told AIN.

“It was a bad day for us and the whole of the UAE,” said Didier Mary, general manager of show organizer 4MEvents. “Luckily, no one was injured. That was the most important thing.” In fairness to the organizers, the weather was truly exceptional for the United Arab Emirates, although March does sometimes bring evening thunderstorms.

The 2016 event was the fourth edition of a show that has faced problems in the past. The 2015 show was postponed at short notice after local officials ruled that renovation work at Al Bateen could not be completed in time. This prompted organizers to switch to a biennial format.

Region Feels the Squeeze

What was evident from the truncated show was that local business aviation companies are feeling squeezed by challenging trading conditions and, more particularly, the impact of reduced oil prices. “I think we, like just about every other company in the region, have been affected by the drop in oil prices,” said Gordon. “Our charter flying has slowed a bit. We are on track to continue growth. We may retrench in some areas.”

In addition to its six BBJs, Royal Jet also operates a pair of Global 5000s, a Learjet 60XR, a Learjet 60 and a G300. In October and November, the company will take delivery of two more BBJs, but it is still working on a longer-term fleet modernization and possible reduction of the fleet.

“With the change in the marketing environment, we are not really sure yet. We want to wait a while, and see how temporary or long-term the present situation is going to be,” said Gordon.

One company notable by its absence from Aero Expo but which attended the two previous shows was Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), perhaps reflecting the economic dislocation in Saudi Arabia caused by cheap oil, more than the fall in the UAE show’s standing. In February, SPA reportedly launched its “Al-Bayraq” scheduled service, operating 12 flights a day between Jeddah and Riyadh on a business-class configured A319 affiliated with Saudi Arabian Airlines.

SPA’s absence was offset by the arrival of Sky Prime, the new charter wing of Saudi Arabia’s Alpha-Star Aviation. The subsidiary is expected to focus more on carrying wealthy individuals beyond the country’s expansive royal family.

Overall, leading exhibitors were sanguine about the difficulties experienced by Aero Expo. Gulfstream regional sales vice president Trevor Esling told AIN that the show continues to be a worthwhile venue for meeting customers and prospective clients in an area that has seen strong demand for its products. “Abu Dhabi is a center for Gulfstream aircraft,” he commented. “We have a number of high-profile operators here. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the two biggest single markets for us in the region. It’s a market we’d always want to pay attention to.”

These sentiments were echoed by Boeing Business Jet marketing vice president Charles Colburn. “The show is important to us because of our customer base here. We do get important visitors. Even yesterday [day one], with the abbreviated presence here, we met with significant customers before the rain came,” he said. “Any time you can get face-to-face with your potential customers, it’s well worth it. We spend $500,000 [each] on shows like NBAA, EBACE and ABACE; this is a lot more cost-effective. This has been the wrong three days for weather, that’s all.”

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