The first Selangor Aviation Show 2021 (SAS 2021) is geared to boost the aviation industry in Selangor by tapping into the business as well as the general segment, according to Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
“Out of the proverbial ‘ashes’, some sectors in the industry proved resilient and showed a propensity to recover quicker and more sustainably from the pandemic effect,” he said in his address at the official opening of SAS 2021 yesterday, which was delivered via video presentation.
Amirudin acknowledged that the cargo segment is one of them but not all airlines or operators have the capabilities or resources to tap into this in-demand market.
He pointed out that business aviation is also a metaphorical “phoenix” in the industry as a report by Global Jet Capital found 1.8 million business jet flights took place across the globe in the first seven months of 2021, a 49% increase over the same period in 2020.
“More importantly, the number of flights for the same period in pre-pandemic 2019 was 1.79 million, which meant we are already now seeing current flight activity for business jets surpassing even 2019 levels.”
Similarly, Selangor senior executive councillor Datuk Teng Chang Khim (pix taken with Yong Chong Soon, MyAIRA President), who officiated at the opening, said he sees the air show as a reset button for the industry, a means to get all the players and operators affected by the pandemic to come out and do business like they used to.
He highlighted that the industry needs a spark to fuel its growth, despite the unwavering support given by the federal and the state governments to ensure operators can operate during the pandemic.
“It is important for us to give necessary regulations to avoid supply chain disruption and to boost the morale of the industry,“ Teng said, although, a complete recovery will be contingent upon the reopening of international borders, allowing for cross-border business activities.
“However, we are unable to determine the full extent of recovery due to the global uncertainty,“ he added.
During a tour of SAS 2021, Teng disclosed that three companies have expressed interest to expand their manufacturing footprint into Selangor.
“One of them is Gokbey, a helicopter manufacturer from Turkey, which has started their search for a suitable manufacturing and hoped to commence construction in the next two to three years.”
The exhibition hall at the Selangor Aviation Show #SAS2021 was bustling yesterday!
Have you visited the Malaysian Autonomous Intelligence and Robotics Association booth? We’re at S23.
Our members OFO Tech Sdn Bhd Alphaswift Industries Pen Aviation Poladrone are also present but if you missed us today, come by tomorrow!
We’ll be on the Main stage today at 2pm talking about drones for security and surveillance.
Our member Pen Aviation will also be speaking at the same time about their company at the Networking Stage so there is no escaping us!
Tomorrow, our speaker, Azrizal Arshad from Allied Aeronautics Training Centre will be speaking about Drones for aircraft maintenance and airport security at 11am so see you then!
Register for tickets here: https://selangoraviationshow.com/