Reborn Abace Show in Shanghai Blazes a Trail for Bizav Growth in Asia
Blessed with near-perfect weather and a recovering economy, ABACE provided everything for those who desired these aircraft on the static line at the Shanghai Hawker Pacific FBO. Photo: David McIntosh
Blessed with near-perfect weather and a recovering economy, ABACE provided everything for those who desired these aircraft on the static line at the Shanghai Hawker Pacific FBO. Photo: David McIntosh

The rebirth of the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (Abace) in Shanghai was, by common consent, a resounding success–especially considering the many challenges that organizer NBAA faced in running a modern trade show in China’s main business city. The March 27-29 event drew 156 exhibitors in a 43,000-sq-ft space provided by Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre at Hongqiao Airport. The static display was populated by some 27 aircraft and was overlooked by eight exhibitor pavilions occupied by companies too large to exhibit inside the main hangar. The show was sold out two months ahead of its opening and almost a quarter of the exhibitors were companies from Asia–significant in an industry still dominated by Western manufacturers and service providers.