India’s first “air show” was held as a private venture in December 1993 at the “old airport”, south of Bangalore. It was organised by an inexperienced entity and it turned out to be a “flop air show”. There was chaos and confusion in the arena; the organisers were helpless.
Lessons, however, were quickly learnt. The Defence ministry stepped in to shift the venue of the show in 1996 to Yelahanka, the cradle and nursery of the Indian Air Force transport fliers, navigators and engineers. A second re-scheduling further changed the Bangalore air show, re-named Aero India, from the even year of 1996 and 1998 to 2001.
Modern India’s air show had come of age, as successive “Aero India Bangalore” improved its organising ability and increased participation of delegates, companies, aircraft and VIPs. Bangalore followed the set world order in which an international air show is both indivisible (with the simultaneous participation of civil and combat aircraft) and biennial. Thus, the Paris air show, beginning 1909, is held at Le Bourget (odd year); the British hold the show at Farnborough since 1920 (even year); Singapore (even year); Dubai show since 1989 (odd year). The basics of all these shows are economics and convenience. Air show “divided” between combat and civil aircraft can almost inevitably result in financial loss. The bottom-line economics of each and every participating country or company is bound to be damaged.
Thus the aviation industry, by its very structure, nature and composition, is capital intensive, (high skilled) labour intensive and fuel intensive wherein the margin of profit could be razor-thin owing to the high cost of production, transportation, logistics, manpower, and demonstration of technology. Hence all major air shows are held under one roof and in a single venue.
In India’s case, however, the democracy of diversity and divergence played a seminal role in bifurcating the Bangalore air show (Aero India) into two. From 2009 Bangalore became “military show only” (odd year) and the “civil aviation show” was held in Hyderabad’s Begumpet airport in 2008 (even year) thanks to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence which failed to see eye-to-eye with each other. Also, thanks to liberal and democratic India’s “perceived collision” of political convenience and coalition.
In the process, however, the irreparable economic damage was inflicted by the ruling class to the (promising) nascent aviation sector. Coming to India every year (for civil and combat aircraft show) with men, machine, technology took its toll, as is revealed by the just concluded Hyderabad air show that was held from March 8 to 11. Theoretically, more than 100 companies participated. The show was inaugurated; delegates sauntered around the arena pretending to be busy and active. CEOs held meetings. Chalets remained opened for transactions, technology, trade over drinks. Some stalls in halls displayed their company’s aircraft and engine mock-ups. The media sent dispatches of the anti-climax show after having seen as to how the security officials had an unusually relaxed and refreshingly happy time owing to poor footfall and scarcity of flying machines. So much so that one thought of paraphrasing the words “air show” into “all air, and no show”.
Indeed, one has never ever been so disheartened and disappointed before. It was poor and lacklustre. In fact, this writer’s expectation, after having been to Farnborough (UK), Le Bourget (France), Dubai and Singapore air show several times, was somewhat sky high. But then one forgot (for a few seconds) that the demography of India operates within the parameter of the democratic polity of diverse geography, wherein the value of political dissension and disagreement, more often than not, takes precedence over the economics of development.
02/03/18 Abhijit Bhattacharyya/Statesman
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Lessons, however, were quickly learnt. The Defence ministry stepped in to shift the venue of the show in 1996 to Yelahanka, the cradle and nursery of the Indian Air Force transport fliers, navigators and engineers. A second re-scheduling further changed the Bangalore air show, re-named Aero India, from the even year of 1996 and 1998 to 2001.
Modern India’s air show had come of age, as successive “Aero India Bangalore” improved its organising ability and increased participation of delegates, companies, aircraft and VIPs. Bangalore followed the set world order in which an international air show is both indivisible (with the simultaneous participation of civil and combat aircraft) and biennial. Thus, the Paris air show, beginning 1909, is held at Le Bourget (odd year); the British hold the show at Farnborough since 1920 (even year); Singapore (even year); Dubai show since 1989 (odd year). The basics of all these shows are economics and convenience. Air show “divided” between combat and civil aircraft can almost inevitably result in financial loss. The bottom-line economics of each and every participating country or company is bound to be damaged.
Thus the aviation industry, by its very structure, nature and composition, is capital intensive, (high skilled) labour intensive and fuel intensive wherein the margin of profit could be razor-thin owing to the high cost of production, transportation, logistics, manpower, and demonstration of technology. Hence all major air shows are held under one roof and in a single venue.
In India’s case, however, the democracy of diversity and divergence played a seminal role in bifurcating the Bangalore air show (Aero India) into two. From 2009 Bangalore became “military show only” (odd year) and the “civil aviation show” was held in Hyderabad’s Begumpet airport in 2008 (even year) thanks to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence which failed to see eye-to-eye with each other. Also, thanks to liberal and democratic India’s “perceived collision” of political convenience and coalition.
In the process, however, the irreparable economic damage was inflicted by the ruling class to the (promising) nascent aviation sector. Coming to India every year (for civil and combat aircraft show) with men, machine, technology took its toll, as is revealed by the just concluded Hyderabad air show that was held from March 8 to 11. Theoretically, more than 100 companies participated. The show was inaugurated; delegates sauntered around the arena pretending to be busy and active. CEOs held meetings. Chalets remained opened for transactions, technology, trade over drinks. Some stalls in halls displayed their company’s aircraft and engine mock-ups. The media sent dispatches of the anti-climax show after having seen as to how the security officials had an unusually relaxed and refreshingly happy time owing to poor footfall and scarcity of flying machines. So much so that one thought of paraphrasing the words “air show” into “all air, and no show”.
Indeed, one has never ever been so disheartened and disappointed before. It was poor and lacklustre. In fact, this writer’s expectation, after having been to Farnborough (UK), Le Bourget (France), Dubai and Singapore air show several times, was somewhat sky high. But then one forgot (for a few seconds) that the demography of India operates within the parameter of the democratic polity of diverse geography, wherein the value of political dissension and disagreement, more often than not, takes precedence over the economics of development.
02/03/18 Abhijit Bhattacharyya/Statesman
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