Airshows and business

Countdown to FIDAE 2012 begins!

Extending a tradition born more than three decades ago, the XVII International Air & Space Fair (XVII Feria Internacional del Aire y el Espacio, or FIDAE 2012) will open-up on Wednesday 27 March 2012 in the Northern area of “Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez” International Airport, in Pudahuel, a North-western suburb of Santiago de Chile. As many of our readers know, the show was first launched in El Bosque Air Base, Southern Santiago, in 1980 to celebrate the Chilean Air Force’s 50th anniversary, albeit with an slightly shorter name, International Air Fair (Feria Internacional del Aire, or FIDA).

But it soon evolved into, and became a respected, bi-annual regional trade fair and air show, gradually incorporating or increasing coverage into other fields of interest such as civil/commercial/executive aviation, defence systems, airport equipment and services, space technology, aircraft maintenance and, ultimately and ominously, homeland security. Its current designation was adopted in 1990 along with a move to Los Cerrillos airport in Western Santiago; while its present venue was first used in 2006, when Los Cerrillos was closed for good.

Chilean Air Force Logistics Commander, lieutenant general Manuel Quiñones Sigala, will be acting chairman for FIDAE 2012, while colonel Jean Pierre Desgroux Ycaza will oversee show preparations and day-to-day activities as chief executive officer. In the last couple years, these officials and a team of associates have been promoting FIDAE 2012 at several other trade shows throughout the World, including ILA Berlin (Germany), Farnborough Air Show (UK), Africa Aerospace and Defence (South Africa), Zhuhai Air Show (China), HOMESEC (Spain), Latin Aerospace and Defence (Brazil), IDEF (Turkey), Le Bourget (France), F-Air (Colombia), MAKS (Russia) and Seoul Air Show (Korea).

Early warnings and expectations…

It should come as no surprise if FIDAE 2012 turns out to be a lower-key-than-usual type of event. The unfolding global economical crisis is putting many nations’ military spending on an emergency “diet”, while large-scale aerospace acquisitions appear to be drying up in the host nation. CEO J. P. Desgroux, speaking to Alas magazine, nonetheless said he expected “more than 85,000 people” and “more than 400 exhibiting companies […] from 40 [different] countries” to attend the show. If all those target indicators are effectively met, FIDAE 2012 would register a level of activity comparable to the 2010 edition. Volume of business deals, in turn, must get close to US $ 250 million to equal the accumulated perceptions recorded in post-FIDAE 2010 exhibitor surveys.

Adapting to foreign exhibitors expectations and interests, 2012 will see the show schedule reduced from seven to five days for the first time ever. Accredited media hopefully will be able to produce their initial dispatches one or two days before the opening ceremony, unless “press day” falls pray to budget cuts or is attended by a media “short-list”. Visitor access will be restricted to paying professionals between Wednesday 27 and Friday 29, while the general public will do so on the 30-31 March weekend. Pricing for tickets will remain in line with previous events; selling for US $ 25 ($ 13,000 in local currency) for professional days and for US $ 10 ($ 10,000) for adults or US $ 6 ($ 13,000) for children and seniors during the weekend. No multi-day passes will be sold.

According to the show’s official site (last checked on 27 November), close to 170 exhibitors have confirmed their participation. Noteworthy firms include División Turbos and Masuma International (Argentina), Embraer and Turbomeca (Brazil), L-3 Communications, General Dynamics Land Systems and Viking Air (Canada), Aerocardal and Enaer (Chile), EADS (European Community), Vaisala (Finland), MBDA and Thales (France), Brahmos (India), Elbit, IAI, IMI, IWI and Rafael (Israel), Finmeccanica (Italy), NAG (Netherlands), Kongsberg (Norway), Seman (Peru), UAC (Russia), Saab (Sweden), General Dynamics European Land Systems (Spain), Pilatus (Switzerland), BAE Systems and Martin Baker (UK), Aviall, Bell, Boeing, FlightSafety, FLIR Systems, Frasca, GE Aircraft Engines, General Atomics, General Dynamics, Goodrich, Harris, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Sikorsky (USA). While all Chilean security and defence services are expected to install stands and equipment, so far only Air Force (host to the show) and Navy, as well as the Army Industry and Engineering Command, are recorded as confirmed exhibitors.

Information is also available on conferences to be held during FIDAE 2012. Wings of Change (WOC), the premier Latin American forum for air transport professionals, will be held 28-30 March and deal with infrastructure, environmental issues, security, technology, finance and bio fuels. According to Travel Update, confirmed lecturers for the seventh edition of WOC include Stefan Schulte (Fraport), Enrique Cueto (LAN), Frederico Curado (Embraer), Germán Efromovich (Avianca/Ocean Air), Giovanni Bisignani and Tony Tyler (IATA), Marco Antonio Bologna (TAM), Matías Campiani (Pluna), Pedro Heilbron (Copa), Rafael Alonso (Airbus) and Roberto Kobeh (ICAO). Delegates to the conference will also enjoy exclusive guided tours to FIDAE, LAN’s maintenance base and Santiago de Chile’s airport. Additional forums comprise the XIV South American Air Forces Logistics Commanders Conference (27-28 March), a remote sensing and natural disasters management conference (29 March) and two space-related conferences dealing with technological opportunities for developing nations (27-28 March).

Innovations for the 2012 edition will include the Commercial Meetings Coordination Centre and the Brazilian pavilion. Fronted by Delegations Coordinator Patricia Trivelli, the centre was developed “to support and to strengthen commercial ties” among fair attendees by facilitating meetings and exchanges between exhibitors, VIP guests, officials, trade guests and professional delegations through a renovated meetings/appointments system. The Brazilian contingent, in turn, for the first time will concentrate in a dedicated 7,500 sq. ft. pavilion aimed at strengthening their international market positioning. Analysts correlate this initiative to Brazil’s increasing global influence and military spending, which forecasts predict will become the World’s tenth largest defence expenditure by 2016. Although not new to the show, Spain and the United States will also mount exclusive pavilions.

A more complete list of participating aircraft is naturally unavailable, but a number of educated guesses can be made for types and operators which could be part of the show. The hosting nation will contribute to the static and flying displays with a hopefully large and representative selection of aircraft from its five military and security services (Air Force, Navy, Army, Carabineers and Police). Teaming with their suppliers, it is expected that several recent Chilean defence and security acquisitions will take up prime tarmac or flight line space in Pudahuel (Dutch F-16s, Brazilian EMB-314s, Spanish C-295s, French AS-532s, Italian A-109s, US SR-22s, Israeli Hermes 900s, etc.). A selection of Los Cerrillos Air & Space Museum exhibits is also expected to enter the static display, while a number of older aircraft types still in active duty are also hoped for by the spotter and photographer community.

Chile’s growing civilian aviation sector is also expected to make a contribution to FIDAE 2012’s list of participating aircraft. Fixed-base operators and a variety of airline, taxi, charter and helicopter companies are expected to participate in the show; while commercial representations for foreign brands are also likely to show their wares in Pudahuel. Interestingly enough, the recently-formed Chilean Helicopter Association, a special interests group representing over 30 local and international firms in that industry segment, has also contracted exhibition space and could come up with interesting presentations. A limited number of flying schools and flying clubs could also participate.

Dreamliner, Dream Tour… Dream-FIDAE?

One of the most awaited exhibits is that of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which finally entered commercial service in 2011 and is expected to do so with LAN Airlines in 2012. FIDAE could be an ideal opportunity to celebrate a high-profile hand-over ceremony in Chilean soil. Illustrated above is LAN 787 advertising in FIDAE 2010.

The final source of participating aircraft will be foreign manufacturers and operators. First in our wish list is Boeing’s innovative yet traumatic flagship product, the 787 Dreamliner, which will initiate a six-month “Dream Tour” in early December 2011 and is thus a safe bet for FIDAE next March. Though the Seattle manufacturer will confirm our speculations “about one month before” the event, it is now reasonable to assume that aircraft ZA003 (N787BX, c/n 40692/3, first flown in 2010) will show up in Pudahuel “retrofitted with special [interiors] designed to highlight the unique cabin features and performance capabilities of the Dreamliner”, as stated in a 23 November press release. But we also dare speculate (or should we say “dream”?) that the first Dreamliner to attend FIDAE could just as well be one of the five 787-8s that LAN Airlines is slated to accept from the manufacturer in 2012…

Further candidates for FIDAE aircraft exhibitions should include a large contingent of Brazilian civil and military products (see Brazilian delegation details above), several others from European manufacturers such as Airbus, EADS, Eurocopter and AgustaWestland, an as yet undetermined US manufacturer and military contingent and, hopefully, a larger number of Argentine aircraft, including the re-engined IA-63 Pampa now in flight testing or a larger mock-up of FAdeA’s recently-proposed IA-73 turboprop trainer. Only time will tell if these projections and aspirations come to fruition by 27 March next year, but we will stay attentive to developing news and stories and will get back to our readers regularly until the show begins.

Santiago de Chile, December 2^nd, 2012

Martín Nostrala contributed to this report. ACHHEL, Airlineberg, Alas magazine (Buenos Aires, November/December 2011), ASD Wire, Boeing (official), Defense News, FIDAE (official), IATA (official), Modo Charlie, Travel Update and Simplemente Volar were checked too.