The Eurasia Airshow, the largest regional aviation event in Turkey, kicked off Wednesday in Turkey's southern province Antalya.
The event, being held between April 25 and 29 at Antalya International Airport, is unique as it brings together commercial and defense actors in one exhibition that also features air shows. Spanning 300,000 square meters, the fair will be open to the public over the weekend and a total of 500,000 people are expected to visit the exhibition to see the more than 100 aircraft on display, including the Antonov AN-70, Antonov AN-178, Airbus A350-1000, Boeing 777F, MIG 29, CASA C-295M, Leonardo C-27, Zivko Edge 540 and many others. Famous aerobatic flight teams will also show off their talent during the event.
Using Turkey's booming aviation sector to its advantage, Eurasia Airshow, held under the auspices of the Turkish presidency, aims to from bridges between international aviation giants, regional players and Turkey's fast growing airliners, manufacturers, defense contractors and government agencies. More than 100 countries are represented in Eurasia with 150 civilian and military delegations, and some 400 companies from the aviation sector are displaying their latest products and solutions. The exhibition is expected to become one of the key events in the aviation sector, joining the likes of prestigious events in Dubai, Singapore, Farnborough or Paris. Eurasia expects to reach a $10 billion business volume with deals in commercial and military aviation, potential aircraft purchases and orders and tourism potential with an additional $100 million business volume for the Turkish aviation industry.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, İsmail Demir, the head of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), said the exhibition signals a shift in the misconception that Turkey's aviation sector will remain an insignificant player. "Alongside Turkish Airlines' impressive development, projects outside the civilian arena, such as the modernization of F-16s, Turkey's contribution to the A400M program and partner country status F35 program, our satellite projects such as the Göktürk-1 and the Göktürk-2, ATAK helicopters, our projects like general purpose helicopters, domestically made training aircraft, jet aircraft or fighter jets as well as our several satellite, rocket or missile launch projects all signal that Turkey is a country that intends to make a significant leap forward in aviation and has made great strides toward its goal," Demir said.
Transportation, Maritime and Communication Deputy Minister Yüksel Coşkunyürek said that the fair will largely contribute to the promotion of the Turkish aviation sector on a global scale. "Based on its geographical location, Turkey is on the crossroads between Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Istanbul's Atatürk Airport is now the fourth largest connection hub in Europe as of 2017," he stated. Incentives and liberalization policies brought the number of passengers up from 35 million in 2003 to 200 million in 2017, Coşkunyürek said, noting that the number of aircraft has increased to 508 and the number of airports have risen from 26 to 55. The deputy minister noted that the government has directly invested more than $4.5 billion in the aviation sector since 2003, while $13.5 billion worth of investments by the private sector is ongoing.
Russian Industry and Trade Deputy Minister Oleg Bocharov said in his speech that the upcoming five days are of key importance for working together and cooperation.
Antalya Governor Münir Karaloğlu and Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Mederes Türel also spoke at the ceremony, saying the exhibition will greatly contribute to Antalya.
Although Eurasia Airshow is being held for the first time, it managed to attract a high number of firms and visitors. The event coincides with another prestigious aviation event, ILA Berlin Airshow, which was rescheduled from its usual period in late May or early June to April 25 and 29 in a move that was described as intentional by aviation experts given the ongoing competition between Turkish and German aviation sectors.
Hosting giant organizations such as the G20 in 2015 and Expo in 2016, Antalya, dubbed Turkey's tourism capital, proved to be a wise choice since the province has excelled in event management in the last decade. Antalya allows organizers and more than 100,000 professionals from the sector to get away from the chaos of big cities like Istanbul and have a pleasant time in its beautiful region. Eurasia will contribute some TL 200 million ($49 million) to the economy of the province.
In addition to the staple figures of the sector, such as aircraft maker Boeing and leading engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, regional players also showed great interest in Eurasia Airshow. The Russian aviation sector had a notable presence in the exhibition with defense giants Almaz-Antey, Mikoyan Gurevich (MIG) and Rostec, aircraft makers United Aircraft Corporation, Irkut and Sukhoi, in addition to Russia establishing a country pavilion. French defense giant Thales, software maker Dassault Systemes and Italian defense giant Leonardo were some of the key companies also taking part in Eurasia as well as Ukrainian firms Antonov and Ukroboronprom. The U.K. and Iran also have country pavilions set up at the event.
Turkish airliners had a strong presence in Eurasia. Flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY), currently the airline that flies to the most destinations in the world, THY ventures Turkish Technic and Turkish Ground Services, low-cost carrier Pegasus and Onur Air also joined the event. Qatar Airways is the leading foreign airliner present and an A350-1000, the first Airbus aircraft made primarily of carbon fiber reinforced polymer delivered to the Qatari flag carrier, will be displayed for the first time.
