Switching to first gear

And we’re off. Firstly, I’d like to start by welcoming everyone to 2019. I do hope everyone had a festive New Year’s Eve and that the recovery process from the long-night has passed. We got a big year ahead and a busy one at that. In addition to the annual shows, such as MRO Middle East, Airport Show, IATA’s AGM and MRO Europe, 2019 sees the return of a number of high-profile air shows.

In addition to the famed Paris Airshow that is slated to run at the tail end of June, the Dubai Airshow makes its triumphant return this year. Also, this year will be the Saudi International Airshow, which is coming up in March.

From the publication’s side, we’ve broadened our monthly topics in an effort to tap into aspects of aviation that have flown under our radar for the past few years. In February for example, we’ll be re-examining the role of helicopter aircraft in today’s market, while in March, AVB will delve into the latest developments in private jet aircraft.

Other notable features include an engine technology feature set to be unveiled in June, along with a dedicated article on baggage handling technology in October.

For the first issue of the year, our cover story for January is with Glyn Hughes, global head of IATA Cargo, who I met last month’s at the IATA Global Media and IATA Cargo Day. Both events were held back-to-back at IATA’s executive headquarters in Geneva Switzerland. Also in this issue, we have our annual market outlook, where we look at various segments of the global aviation industry and highlight expectations for the year ahead.

So without adieu, let’s get the ball rolling on 2019. Safe Travels!