Top aerospace specialists to open Mid-East hub

The company is fast-tracking its office opening to coincide with Dubai 2007, the 10th showing for the aerospace exhibition which runs at the Airport Expo Dubai from November 11-15, to ensure its introduction to the Middle East's key decision makers and top-end players.

"With the development of Middle Eastern airlines, the formation of major players such as Dubai Aerospace Enterprise and Mubadala and the fact that the regional aerospace industry is expected to record double digit growth over the next decade, there is no better time for us to establish our presence in the region," said Andrew Cave, Operations Director, AIS Middle East.

"The forthcoming Dubai Airshow will offer us a unique opportunity to meet first hand all Middle Eastern 'key players' in the aerospace industry today. This will allow us to fully understand their concerns and issues, and enable us to focus on providing them with value added services to meet their specific needs."

AIS, has been supplying skilled personnel to provide engineering and technical support to aerospace manufacturers and commercial and military operators in a wide range of aviation disciplines for the past 15 years. This includes engineering, maintenance, integrated logistics support and in-service operations.

According to Cave, the decision to open an office is further supported by the fact that AIS is under final consideration to become a main supplier for aircraft operability studies by a leading, international aircraft manufacturer.

"We are expecting to take on some large contracts which will obviously have an impact on the region and we want to make sure that we have the right on-ground support for our customers. We are well recognised within the European and North American aerospace environment and have always planned to expand our operations to include the Middle East region," he said.

Buoyant industry forecasts have prompted record numbers signing up to exhibit at this year's Dubai Airshow with still another three months to go before the start of the biennial aerospace exhibition.

And over 98 percent of space at this year's Dubai Airshow is now sold with organisers, Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), reporting that all on-site chalets are sold out with a waiting list now in place.

According to F&E this was only to be expected given the strong growth in aerospace activities across the region, with a US$ 10 billion order book being placed at the Paris Airshow alone from Middle East operators.

"In Paris we signed up 20 new exhibitors for Dubai 2007, and in the past month we have bookings from over 60 new exhibitors. The attrition rate for this exhibition clearly mirrors the tremendous growth that the regional and international aerospace industry is witnessing," said Alison Weller, Aerospace Director, F&E.

"The Dubai Airshow, now ranked the third largest in the world, is no longer a purely regional event, and the fact that we are expecting international companies from more than 40 countries demonstrates the importance it has on the global aerospace landscape."

Dubai 2007 is set to be the biggest yet, with up to 900 exhibitors expected. Future growth will be accommodated by a move to the new purpose-built site at Dubai Exhibition World in 2009, which is being built at Dubai World Central, the huge urban aviation complex currently underway at Jebel Ali, 30 kilometres outside Dubai city.