The Hindu Business Line : Aviation show offers variety fare for public

Hyderabad, Oct. 18 Thousands thronged the Begumpet Airport on Saturday, the last day of the four-day India Aviation-2008 show, to have a glimpse of a variety of aircraft on display.

The crowds, a majority of them children and youngsters, made serpentine queues outside the airport in the morning to buy tickets. As hours passed the numbers grew, throwing traffic out of gear in most parts of the city.

The maiden show was jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the US as a partner country. The biennial event to be called hereafter as the ‘Hyderabad Air Show’ would be next held in 2010.

The huge response to the show signals the growing interest in the aviation sector. In the words of Mr Madhavan Nambiar, Union Secretary of Civil Aviation, the penetration level of aviation is so low that it reaches only a fraction of the Indian population.

Though the visitors had a chance to see the aircraft and small helicopters parked on the other side of barricades, they had to go back with a bit of disappointment as they were static, when most expected to see them in action.

Lot of them had watched in television channels and read in newspapers about the spectacular show of Surya Kiran aircraft on the inaugural.

Hopes for a repeat or at least some air activity were belied and as one disappointed visitor commented, “They should have organised on the last day and not just when the VIPs were present on day one”.

But the saving grace for kids was the amazingly synchronised feat of paratroopers, appearing from thin air, who formed the tri-colour flag reaching out to one another. Some of the stalls at the expo too, attracted the visitors.

The exhibition section, arranged in three halls, and the simulator and historical perspective of aviation provided some insights to the visitors who braved through the thronging crowds.

Big players, including Airbus, Bombardier, Bell Helicopters, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Kingfisher, Jet, GVK and GMR Groups displayed a snapshot of their activity.