Page 12 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2013 Online Magazine

FEATURE pARis AiR show pREviEw
FEATURE pARis AiR show pREviEw

Paris: Beauty and Business

It’s time once again for Europe’s biggest and best air show. This year sees the 50
th
Paris Air Show kick off at Le Bourget. Asian Airlines and Airports reports from the
ground with the key elements and machinery of this highly anticipated event

MARk ThEsE dATEs on yoUR cAlEndAR: considering that the event boasted, among
June 17 to June 23, 2013. This is the week other things, 192,000 square metres of
when one of the world’s leading aerospace exhibition space for aircraft, more than
events, the Paris Air Show, will be staged 150 aircraft showcased in both flying and
at Le Bourget Exhibition Centre. Drawing static displays, and the record-breaking
together exhibitors, members of the Solar Impulse, touted as the world’s first
aviation industry, and people who simply real solar aircraft.
love aircraft, this year’s show promises to What should you expect this year, then?
be even more impressive than the last. More and better facilities, for one thing. In
a message to potential visitors, Chairman
Then and now and CEO of the Paris Air Show Emeric
The biennial event has a long history: D’Arcimoles wrote, “Some €50 million
when it first launched in 1909, it attracted (US$65 million) has been invested in
100,000 people with 380 exhibitors. In infrastructure at the Le Bourget Exhibition
comparison, the last Paris Air Show Centre and €4 million (US$5 million) in
in 2011 featured an astonishing 2,113 renovating the 350 business chalets.”
exhibitors, and registered 151,000 trade He added, “A certain number of
visitors and 204,000 members of the improvements have also been made,
general public. Not surprising, perhaps, including a mobile application with some
12 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS MAY / June 2013 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM