STRATAGEMS TO BEAT RECESSION
In all, the Farnborough International Air Show was muted, but had enough food for thought for companies to rework their strategies, technologically and marketwise
AFTER THE LONDON OLYMPICS
2012 and the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, the third largest public event was the Farnborough International Air Show, the world’s biggest aviation mela. While it had footfalls of over 2,50,000, both public and trade, the Farnborough skies did not really light up as dark clouds of recession continued to play havoc. There were no screaming headlines of airframers walking away with mega orders, though enough media space was taken by the jousting of the two aerospace giants (Airbus and Boeing) and the battle of the engine makers (CFM International; Pratt & Whitney)
Even the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, who inaugurated the air show, was cautiously optimistic, while endorsing support to the UK defence and aerospace community. He pledged the government’s “unstinting, unrelenting, unflagging commitment to make Britain the best place in the world for aerospace businesses to invest, design, manufacture and export”.
Cameron pointed out, “In a hugely difficult time in the global economy, UK aerospace is quite simply, flying, employing over 1,00,000 people, turning over more than £20 billion a year, holding a 17 per cent share of the global market. But there can be absolutely no complacency. International competition gets more fierce by the year. The UK has got to fight for every contract and every opportunity. That’s why we as a government are doing everything possible to get behind UK aerospace. We’ve established an aerospace growth partnership to make sure that five, ten, twenty years down the line, this industry continues to thrive and grow.”
So seems to be the intent of all governments—supporting an industry which has tremendous potential.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS.
The highlight of the show was the spectacular five-hour flying display on the public days ( July 14 & 15) by the incomparable Red Arrows, the Breitling Jet Team and the Blades Aerobatic Display Team.
Additional airborne entertainment came from the much loved Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the crowd favourite the Avro Vulcan, contrasting with the cutting edge technology of