The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
ILA 2000 Aerospace Air Show without Boeing
ILA 2000 will be open at Berlin-Schönefeld airport on 6 to 12 next June. It is the third largest in the European air show circuit, together with Le Bourget (odd years) and Farnborough, held like ILA in even years.
The German event, organized by Messe Berlin and the local aerospace industry association BDLI - Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft und Raumfahrtindustrie e.V., is traditionally a business gateway towards East-European countries. ILA 2000 will host about 850 exhibitors from 35 countries, slightly more than the record of the previous edition, notwithstanding the significant absence of giant US manufacturer Boeing.
This year, the world major aerospace industry decided to limit direct participation to the Farnborough International air show only. The UK event schedule moved from September to July, thus creating a critical situation in the European aviation and space exhibition arena.
Moreover, in the e-commerce and global communication era, the big European-style air show formula seems more and more close to obsolescence. This type of event originated early in the century as a show-case for the leading national industries and a periodic meeting-point for manufacturers, customers and related categories like the specialized press. Now the present air show structure in Europe struggles to fulfill the above mentioned functions, particularly after some recent inter-European industrial mergers.
Instead of a dangerous date battle, it is to be hoped that British, French and German air show organizers will find some urgent form of agreement.
From its observation point, Aeromedia take the risk to suggest, for the future, just one leaner European air show, to be organized every two years in different venues. This type of solution may slightly affect some outdated national prides but probably it will boost the business opportunities of the European industry as a whole.
In the pictures, some aircraft which made their public debut at ILA 1992, the first edition back in Berlin: prototype Airbus A 340-300 F-WWBA (first flight 25 October 1991); second production Dornier 328 D-CATI, painted in the livery of US airline Horizon Air (this aircraft made its first flight on 4 June 1992, nine days before this photo was taken); the high altitude research aircraft Grob Strato 1 D-FGRO took the air for the first time on 5 June 1991.
(Aeromedia, June 2000)