Al Sakhir: Mahmood Rafique, Editor: The sixth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) 2022 kicked off on Wednesday at the Sakhir Air Base under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister.
The airshow was inaugurated by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister at opening ceremony and HRH also toured the show and took keen interest in the aircrafts, technology and services being displayed at the BIAS.
The day one saw international deals and partnerships signed, including purchase of Pratt & Whitney engines by Royal Jordanian and codeshare partnership between Emirates and Gulf Air.
Celebrating a decade of distinction, the sixth edition of Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) is offering an exciting programme of new features, industry-leading content, and a first-class networking experience with key regional decision-makers.
Organised by the Bahrain Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications and the Royal Bahraini Airforce in association with Farnborough International, the first day of the airshow saw multiple deals and partnerships announced between leaders in the aviation and aerospace community. Pratt & Whitney announced that Royal Jordanian Airlines (Royal Jordanian) has selected up to 30 of the latest-generation, single-aisle aircraft powered by GTF engines, replacing its entire narrow body and regional jet fleet over the coming 3-5 years. Specifically, the airline has selected GTF engines to power up to 20 new Airbus A320neo family aircraft, including A320neo and A321neo models. Additionally, Royal Jordanian will introduce up to 9 GTF-powered Embraer E-Jets E2 aircraft, including E190-E2 and E195-E2 models.
In addition, Gulf Air and Emirates officially signed a unilateral codeshare partnership, starting this December. The new agreement will offer easy connections and expanded choices for Gulf Air customers connecting to Dubai and onwards to a host of Emirates destinations across Europe, Africa, South America and the Far East.
“Today marks the return of the Bahrain International Airshow, following the success of previous years, and the commitment to increasing the continuity and sustainability of the various economic sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain in general, and the aviation industry in particular. We ensured to include worldwide best practices and take advantage of the experiences of the world’s leading aviation shows in planning this year’s exhibition to create a unique environment conductive to the business and growth objectives of the Kingdom and attendees. We have also created an integrated program that allows visiting civilian and military delegations to engage and interact directly with firms and decision-makers,” Mohammed bin Thamer Al Kaabi, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, said.
Building on BIAS’s objective as providing a skill and education hub, a workshop was held by Corrin Higgs, an Airbus sustainability expert, who presented to Bahraini university students the latest innovations and sustainability trends in the aviation industry, highlighting Airbus’ journey towards clean aerospace, its sustainability strategy focus on reducing the CO2 emissions of its current aircraft, and its goal to bring the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft to market by 2035.
The afternoon saw the skies above Sakhir Air Base filled with the world’s most renowned air display teams and aircraft, with showcases of the Gulf Air 787, RBAF, JF-17, Fursan Al Emarat, UAE Mirage 2000, RSAF Typhoon, USAF F-16 demo team, Global Stars, Red Arrows, DHL B767-300 Flypast, UAE F16, Saudi Hawks and P-8 flypast.
