Show flying high on second day By Tom Hanratty, Posted on » Saturday, January 23, 2010
A SELL-OUT crowd yesterday flocked to the Bahrain International Airshow on Day Two of the Sakhir spectacular.
More than 5,000 visitors were treated to another show of aerobatic display as business leaders and aviation enthusiasts met some of the biggest names in aviation industry at the specially- created corporate area.
The air show was opened by His Majesty King Hamad on Thursday at a glittering ceremony. Present were His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, dignitaries and guests.
BIAS 2010 concludes today, with tickets to the public side of the show already sold out.
Organisers teamed up with Adhari Park to keep visitors of all ages happy with amusements such as river rides, mini jets and go-karts, magic shows, hip-hop shows, firework displays and competitions on each day.
A special Heritage Park has also been created to give visitors the opportunity to explore local arts, crafts, music and customs.
Meanwhile, Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) chief executive officer Phil Bowell has stated that the company is ready for any additional openings of the Sakhir Airbase.
Mumtalakat chairman Talal Alzain had hinted earlier that the Sakhir site created for this weekend's inaugural BIAS could be used for the influx of flights to Bahrain for events such as the Bahrain Grand Prix and according to Mr Bowell, BAS would be happy to be involved.
"BAS is happy to play a role in supporting Bahrain in any way we can,"
"The construction of this magnificent site here in Sakhir has given Bahrain the opportunity to further itself as a regional leader in aviation and we will support whatever decision the authorities take on what to do with the facilities.
"A lot of the facilities we've brought in to the Sakhir site on a temporary basis for the airshow have worked so if we can do it for the airshow then there's no reason we can't do it for other events.
Regardless of whether or not the Sakhir Airbase is opened up for other events, with the planned expansion of the BIA expected to begin over the coming months, 2010 promises to be a busy time for BAS.
Sitting contently however, Mr Bowell reveals that despite the current economic climate, 2009 was actually a very successful year for the company.
"Remarkably, BAS saw a ten per cent growth in passengers to the end of 2009," he said.
"I'm truly astonished at how protected we've been in comparison to other parts of the industry around the world," he added.
"I mean, I used to work in a similar company in Japan but the old team I put together there has had a 60-70 per cent drop in business
"I honestly don't know why we've done so well.
"There's no doubt there was a dip on the cargo side of things but that's starting to come back up now and in terms of passengers, it's just run and run and run and what is important for us to do now is to make the most of the facilities we have while the next stage of the airport's expansion plans are put in place."
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