MEBAA Show 2022 redefines the future of business aviation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The three-day MEBAA Show 2022 concluded last month with dynamic exhibitions, discussions and exchange of information on aviation, combined with a series of key deals and announcements, all set to drive the business aviation industry forward.

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the event,the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) Show, held from 6-8 December 2022 at DWC Airshow Site, welcomed attendees from 95 countries.

A number of students from Westford University College, College of Engineering at Abu Dhabi University, Higher Colleges of Technology, Amity University Dubai, GEMS Education and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, were also invited at the MEBAA Show aimedat helping inspire the next generation to join the industry.

“This has been a remarkable MEBAA show and it has been incredible to see industry leaders come together to drive real change for the future of business aviation. At MEBAA, we also want to empower the future leaders, and it was fantastic to welcome students who have an interest in our sector and provide them with the platform to network with industry players and learn more about the vast opportunities available to them,” said Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of MEBAA – the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association.

“The business aviation industry has grown significantly in the last couple of years, not only in the Middle East region where mega events such as Dubai Expo 2020 and the Qatar World Cup have led to increased demand, but also in many key international markets. Throughout the three days, we have seen an industry transition with significant levels of innovation, technological advancement and digital transformations right across the show, along with many key deals and new announcements, all showing that this sector growth is set to continue well into the future,” Alnaqbi added.

Innovation and Positive Discussions

Tim Hawes, Managing Director of Tarsus Group, noted, “The ninth edition of the MEBAA Show has seen a lot of innovation and positive discussion, and we look forward to seeing the impact that the show has made in the coming months and years. A key highlight for this year was the launch of the BizAv Talks conference. It was brilliant to hear industry leaders and specialists from across the globe share their insights on some of the key themes shaping the industry, including sustainability, future aviation and emerging markets, and we were proud to see all audiences really engage with these discussions.”

The brand-new BizAv Talks conference featured sessions from over 45 industry leaders throughout the show, with day three focusing on the daily theme of ‘Accelerating private aviation with collaborati

on’. Sessions highlighted the importance of collaboration within the business aviation ecosystem to help open up new opportunities, streamline services and tackle issues facing the sector.

A huge number of exhibitors – including many returning, along with new industry leaders – connected with internationals visitors for insightful discussions while showcasing the latest innovation, technology, aircraft and solutions.

Carlos Brana, Executive Vice President, Civil Aircraft at Dassault Aviation, also commented: “Dassault Aviation presented our popular Falcon 8X very long range trijet at this year’s MEBAA show and exhibition, where it drew a lot of interest from the many prospective buyers and operators who also visited our chalet. Middle East owners appreciate the qualities of the Falcons and we were able to discuss face to face with guests our two brand-new Falcon 6X and 10X programs. Just as importantly, MEBAA Show was an opportunity to look ahead and present our expanding regional product support network, which will include the company’s ExecuJet MRO Services unit at Dubai World Central to serve business jet operators in the Gulf region, opening in early 2023. We are delighted to support such a dynamic regional business aviation industry, with MEBAA Show at its heart.”

Meanwhile, Ammar ‘Jay’ Alhussari, Founder and CEO of Prime Trip Support, said: “The MEBAA show has been a very successful show for Prime, we have been extremely busy meeting clients, partners, and forging alliances. Our team has been full throttle since day one and there are no signs of it slowing down! We are very pleased with the level of interest we have garnered here at the MEBAA show and are impressed with the excellent organization.”

Major deals & announcements

Day two of the Show saw a series of key announcements and signings.
RoyalJet and Honeywell signed a letter of intent to extend the current Ka-band connectivity services, Saudia Private Aviation (SPA) signed an MoU with Redstar, and there was a press conference where VPorts announced a partnership with UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) at Dubai South to establish the world’s first AAM integrator world center in Dubai.
Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) also signed four agreements during the second day, with Airbus Helicopter Arabia, Alpha Star Aviation Services, Ubisense and The Helicopter Company (THC).
These followed on from a series of day one announcements, where Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) signed a partnership agreement with Citadel Completions LLC to enter the ACJ Services Centre Network, the MBRAH signed four agreements with Empire Aviation Group, Athena Security, Khaleej Aerospace Industries and Airline Support Baltic, and there was the official contract signing of the DC Aviation G-OPS joint venture for the opening of a brand new FBO at Nice Airport, among others.
Day two of the BizAv Talks conference included seven presentations and panel discussions under today’s theme ‘Tomorrow’s Customer – Next-Generation’. With future aviation, digitalization, block chain, AI and crypto-based payments key focuses for this year’s MEBAA Show, sessions included a joint presentation, ‘Stay ahead of the curve with cryptocurrencies’, from Robert Plhak, CEO of VOO, and Gernot Winter, CEO of AVINOC. This focused on how readiness and adaptability in this quickly evolving technological landscape is crucial in today’s marketplace, assessing the purchasing methods of tomorrow’s customers and benefits to providing flexible payment methods.
“It’s not just about cryptocurrency, it’s about tokenization as a whole, and the real goal is to connect the real world – the business aviation world – with the crypto world.” He continued by sharing examples of how tokenization and blockchain technology can be used within the future of the aviation industry, not just through payment, but also loyalty programs, aircraft ownership, security for airlines and airports, MRO solutions, ticketing, identity management and much more,” said Gernot Winter, CEO of AVINOC.

Co-founders of Odys Aviation, James Dorris and Axel Radermacher, also presented at BizAv Talks with their session on ‘Assessing early adopters of the eVTOL revolutions’, which focused on how eVTOLs will provide a fast alternative to congested city travel and asses how businesses can win over and retain high-net-worth individuals.
Continuing the theme of technology and future aviation, Alberto Carlos Pereira, CEO & Partner at Tupan Aircraft, said: “The MEBAA show gives us the unique opportunity to combine the vision of our long-range and high-speed drone cargo transportation solution with the UAE’s Strategic Vision for 2071. Together we can develop and test disruptive and innovative solutions for point-to-point cargo services. I am looking forward to further highly interesting discussions that the professional environment of MEBAA Show makes possible.”
Sustainability has also remained a key theme throughout the ninth edition of the show – and a huge focus for the business aviation sector as a whole.
This year, MEBAA Show has worked with Air bp as the carbon offsetting sponsor for the show.
“The MEBAA Show is providing a platform for the global business aviation industry to come together to build on partnerships and form new connections that will drive the sector forward. Across the first two days, we have already seen a series of key announcements and new signings as our community takes advantage of the huge growth that’s predicted for the sector. Organizations are looking at how they can incorporate new aircraft, technology and innovation into their current operations. We are proud of what the show has achieved so far,” said Alnaqbi.