By Amar Shah Mohsen
SHAH ALAM, Aug 29 — This year’s Selangor Aviation Show (SAS), which will be held from September 7 to 9 at Skypark RAC in Bukit Jelutong here, is set to welcome over 24,000 visitors, exceeding Invest Selangor Bhd’s expectations.
The figure is more than double the 10,824 visitors last year. In its inaugural event in 2021, 4,987 visitors were in attendance.
Invest Selangor chief executive officer Dato’ Hasan Azhari Idris said of the registered guests this year, 20,014 are members of the public while 4,188 are trade visitors.
“Such has been the interest that we were forced to close registration early to ensure better crowd control at the venue,” he said in a press conference ahead of the state’s annual airshow at Invest Selangor headquarters here today.
Hasan said trade visitors will have exclusive access to the first two days of SAS 2023, followed by an open day for the public.
The event will see 117 exhibitors from six countries providing attendees with the opportunity to explore both tarmac and indoor displays, including 41 static crafts.
Hasan said SAS 2023 will debut several new events, such as drone soccer and racing and a career fair involving at least 25 companies.
“The objective and theme of the event remain the same … we will focus on private and business jets as well as general aviation. The main attraction will of course be the static aircraft display and exhibition.”
Hasan said SAS 2023 is expected to record RM700 million in value of potential transactions.
Although the figure is over RM300 million lower than last year, he said this year’s target is realistic, considering the downtrend in overall aviation spending.
“Last year, the potential transactions value was RM1.07 billion, but after we went through all the programmes, participants and potential visitors, we are targeting RM700 million. But of course, we hope for more.”
Hasan said SAS 2023 is expected to see more than 10 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and sales and purchase agreements (S&P) signed.
“There will be some MOUs that do not involve any transaction value, such as ones for promoting awareness. We are also looking at the possibility of S&Ps on private jet acquisitions,” he said.
SAS 2023, themed “The Only Business and General Aviation Show in the Region”, is held to boost aviation industry businesses.
The annual event, hosted by the Selangor government and organised by Invest Selangor, is primed as a dynamic networking platform, targeting the business and general aviation sectors within the aerospace industry.
