The Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition has reported on a successful 2011 event, with airshow CEO Ian Honnery citing significant increases in crowd figures and aircraft participants.
“Total attendances across the full six trade and public days of the event were almost 195,000, compared to a figure of just over 170,000 for the previous event,” Honnery remarked, noting that public attendances over the airshow weekend (March 5 and 6) were up by more than 30 per cent when compared with 2009.
However, during Avalon’s trade and exhibition days, numbers were down somewhat on 2009, with 575 businesses participating from 23 countries, compared with 599 exhibitors in 2009.
“Despite this slight downturn in the number of businesses participating in the exhibition, initiatives such as special precincts for unmanned aerial vehicles, alternative aviation fuels, ageing aircraft sustainment and an enhanced military vehicle mobility track, have proved successful, and will help enhance the event in the future,” Honnery said.
Combined attendances during the industry-only trade and exhibition days (March 1 to 3) totalled 36,238 visitors, while there was an increased number of high level international delegations and military personnel in attendance Avalon, with a total of 75 registered delegations and official missions visiting.
Outside some 651 aircraft on were display or participating in the airshow.
“This event has been evolving at Avalon for the past 20 years, and we believe the site layout, ground displays, external exhibits, special attractions and aircraft static displays were our best ever,” Honnery concluded.
The biennial airshow will be staged again at Avalon Airport in March 2013.
