Aircraft
High Hopes and Conflict Concerns Mark Dubai Show Opening
Orders from Emirates and Turkish airlines could be on the cards at Dubai Airshow
UAE’s Al Fursan (Knights) MB-339As and an Emirates Airbus A380
The UAE’s Al Fursan (Knights) MB-339As accompany an Emirates Airbus A380 during a pre-show rehearsal. (Photo: David McIntosh)

Expectations at Dubai Airshow 2023 run high as the international show circuit resumes normal service after three years of upheaval. Event planners aim to present a desert future-fest to outshine previous proceedings and “put the UAE at the forefront of aviation.”

However, the wider context of the extreme security crisis around Israel's conflict with Hamas looms large over this week's show given the all-too-real potential for the conflict to spark a wider regional conflagration. The circumstances will undoubtedly be part of the chatter between defense exhibitors and their customers and partners. One cannot overlook the prospect of war undermining post-Covid economic recovery of the air transport sector either.