SPECIAL, new immersive experiences have been lined up for visitors to Bahrain’s premier airshow that takes off next month.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of aviation in the country, the three-day Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) 2024 will feature aviation exhibitions, carnival games and world-class flying displays.
Organisers are hoping thousands of students and families will have an unforgettable experience.
The logo of BIAS
The biennial event will be held from November 13 to 15 at the Sakhir Air Base under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad and under the supervision of his personal representative and BIAS Supreme Organising Committee chairman Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The airshow is once again being organised by the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry and the Royal Bahrain Air Force (RBAF) in association with Farnborough International.
This year’s event will feature an Aerospace Festival that will take visitors through a journey of aerospace – from ‘boarding’ the event and exploring the futuristic ‘airport’ and aviation exhibitions to carnival games.
Features of the family area will include an airshow grandstand, flying experience, aviation-themed carnival zone, food festival highlighting global cuisine, roaming acts and aviation museum and exhibition.
“An installation showcasing the first human to ever fly, inventor Abbas bin Firnas, who took flight in the 9th century with a pair of wings built by silk, wood and real feathers, will celebrate the innovation and progress of the Middle East as champions of aviation,” said a statement from the organisers.
“The Kids Zone will provide children and young adults with opportunities to meet pilots flying in the airshow and workshops on becoming engineers, pilots and astronauts, as well as crafting and simulators.”
For aviation enthusiasts, the ‘Instagram-friendly’ Aerospace Festival will provide plenty of photo and selfie opportunities to keep their feeds up-to-date with fun content.
Saudi Hawks will take part in the Airshow next month
The BIAS 2024 will showcase new aircraft in aerial displays, including the B52, F35, Typhoon, F16, Mirage 2000, the Saudi Hawks, Indian Air Force’s Sarang display team and the Boeing commercial airplane 787 Dreamliner. Nearly 100 aircraft, ranging from commercial and business jets to cargo and small planes, will be on static display.
The GDN previously reported that commercial space launches in the Middle East, technological innovation and future workforce challenges are among the key topics that will be discussed by industry heavyweights at the airshow.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is briefed on an RBAF helicopter at the show in 2022
Experts will be taking part in the Manama Air Power Symposium (MAPS) that will feature four forums: Airlines and Airports, Space, Defence and Diversity and Inclusion and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workshops.
Topics will include sustainability and technological innovation, advancements around sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) emerging in the Europe and Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, demand for investment in infrastructure, international collaboration for sustainable space operations such as active debris removal, commercial space launches in the Middle East, accelerating gender equality in the sector and the contribution to future workforce challenges.
Business deals worth $1.85 billion were signed at the BIAS 2022, with more than 50,000 people attending the show over three days featuring more than 200 military and civil delegations and 186 companies from more than 50 countries.
Tickets are free for visitors aged under 16 and BD5 for the rest. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. For more information visit airshow.bh.
sandy@gdnmedia.bh
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