“This is a milestone in the history of business aviation,” said NBAA president Ed Bolen during yesterday’s press luncheon, which heralded the launch of ABACE 2013 in partnership with the Shanghai Airport Authority. “We’re delighted to be back in Shanghai,” He added, referring to the fact the first ABACE was held in Shanghai back in 2005. “With that initial show, we planted a seed,” Bolen said. “Thanks to a visionary number of leaders here in Shanghai and throughout the Chinese government, we’ve been able to see that seedling grow.”
Evidence of that growth is this year’s ABACE show, with 33 airplanes on static display (up from 27 last year), more than 180 exhibitors (up from 150), a 28-percent increase in display space and a double-digit jump in attendance to 6,284 registrations on the first day. “It’s exciting for us to be here at a time when Asia, led by China, has established itself as the fastest-growing market for business aviation in the world,” Bolen said.
