On September 6th, the four-day Asian Aerospace International Expo 2007 closed at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. Dubbed the world’s largest civil aviation exposition, Asian Aerospace has a history of over two decades.
Before this latest session in Hong Kong, Asian Aerospace had been held 13 times previously in Singapore.
     According to the organizers, performance of this first show in Hong Kong, although busy and well attended, left some room for improvement.
     More than 500 exhibitors from more than 20 countries and 11,000 enterprises’ representatives from 69 countries and regions were in attendance.
     But the shortfall, despite the highly publicized addition of Air Freight Asia to the week long transportation gala, as compared with the last session in Singapore in 2006, which attracted 800 exhibitors and 27,000 enterprises’ representatives, left some people wondering.
     Airbus came with its A380, and conducted a low altitude flight of the super jumbo over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor providing a stunning opening for the show on September 3rd.
     Clive Richardson, senior vice president Asia of Reed Exhibitions, organizer of the exhibition, deciding to put aside deflated exhibitor and attendance numbers declared:
     “After the communication among different exhibitors and visitors, people all agree that this show is a very successful business platform.”
     Chinese aircraft maker, AVIC I, brought all its civil aviation products to the exhibition, including a model of its soon to fly regional jet ARJ21, with the hope of exploiting business opportunities.
     Spokesman of AVIC I said that Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress “can be developed into the platform to strengthen international cooperation.”
     Later representatives of the Ireland Exhibitor Group described the trade show experience for FlyingTypers:
“Asia Expo helped us and other exhibitors open the gates into China and other important Asian-Pacific markets.”
     But the big news at Air Freight Asia is that Shahari Sulaiman is new Managing Director of Malaysia Airlines Cargo replacing JJ Ong on September 1.
     Shahari, an aerospace engineer by training, was previously the General Manager of Cargo Operations for MASkargo before taking the helm from Dato' Ong Jyh Jong, who left MASkargo and air cargo altogether to join a China-based real estate company.
     What the JJ Ong departure means to plans for a big industry trade show in Kuala was topic A around AFA.
     Pictured here with International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) Chairman Jack Boisen, Shahari reaffirmed Malaysia Airlines hosting of The International Air Cargo Forum next year.
     “Although the environment for airfreight is changing rapidly and air freighters are facing a lot of challenges, MASkargo hopes to maintain its current profit margin and will be conservative in its expansion plans in the next two to three years,” Shahari told FlyingTypers.
     MASkargo operates four B747-200 and two B747-400 freighters and belly space capacity on Malaysia Airlines passenger fleet serving almost 100 destinations worldwide.
David