ABACE is held each year in partnership with the Shanghai Airport Authority (SAA) and co-hosted by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA).
"Business aviation" is a term given to describe the manufacture, use and support of mostly small "general aviation" airplanes for business reasons. Given its geographical and other considerations, the Asian region holds enormous potential for business aviation in the coming years. ABACE2019 will feature more than 150 exhibitors and more than 30 aircraft on display, including pistons, intercontinental jets and helicopters.
On April 15, a special ABACE media day briefing for reporters was hosted by NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and Lu Xun, Chairman, Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center, to provide an overview of this year's show.
Their presentation, at 11 a.m. on the show grounds, was augmented by remarks from Jeffrey Lowe, a member of the board of governors for the Asian Business Aviation Association, who provided a 2018 fleet report for the industry in the Asian region. All three speakers took reporters' questions at this exclusive media briefing.
Following the briefing, a tour of the ABACE aircraft display was provided, with lunch offered thereafter.
According to the "13th Five-Year Plan for Development of General Aviation", China will establish 500 general aviation airports and own 5,000 general aviation aircraft by 2020.
As for the current industrial scale, the number of domestic general aviation has increased from 111 operators by end of 2010 to 422 operators by end of 2018, while general aviation aircrafts increased significantly from 1,010 in 2010 to 3,229 in 2018. Meanwhile, general aviation airports certified by CAAC has increased from 175 in 2010 to 229 by end of 2017.
The international embrace of business aviation in Asia will be highlighted by the government and industry leaders participating in the show's April 16 opening keynote session.
Specifically, the ABACE2019 opening keynote will feature: Jiang Chunshui, Party Secretary of the East China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China; Cai Jun, Inspector of Shanghai Traffic Commission; Yun Qin, chair, and Xin Feng, president of SAA; NBAA's Bolen; Weldon Epp, consul general for Canada in Shanghai, and; Sean Stein, consul general at the United States Consulate General in Shanghai.
Those speakers' remarks will be followed by a panel discussion of transportation experts including: Guangshan Lu, chief engineer, Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd; Kevin Wu, international vice president, Greater China and Mongolia sales, Textron Aviation Inc., and; Todd Simmons, president, customer experience, Cirrus Aircraft. The panel will be moderated by Jenny Lau, chair, Asian Business Aviation Association.
Later on the show's first day, a panel – hosted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC – will focus on the development of airports and other infrastructure.
The show's second day will start with a session dedicated to the development of Urban Air Mobility in Asia, will include: Cyrus Sigari, co-founder of jetAviva; Shane Tedjarati, president, global high-growth regions, Honeywell, and; Tian Yu, CEO of AutoFlightX.