Dubai Airshow is firmly established as a key event on the international aerospace calendar consistently connecting key buyers and decision-makers in a highly focused environment.
Dubai Airshow is held this year (2019) from 17th till 21st November at Dubai World Central.
The event is forecast to attract 1,300 exhibitors and 87,000 attendees. For those planning to attend this venue or travel to Dubai during this time frame, early trip planning is very recommended in order to secure the best aircraft parking and hotel accommodation options.
As usual here is a list of important information to help you plan your trip:
Airport Options
The primary airport for Dubai Airshow is Al Maktoum International Airport – OMDW, All arriving aircraft including private non-revenue and charter (non-scheduled commercial) require airport slots, as well as landing permits.
Airport slots should be requested along with ground handling 24 hours in advance. There are no aircraft parking restrictions in place for OMDW at this time, but approval is required and generally provided for all aircraft types, and it’s unlikely that parking will be restricted during the airshow, as this is a very large airport. OMDW is an airport of entry, provides 24 hours customs, immigration, and quarantine clearance.
Operators should expect runway closures, on occasion, during the airshow so read the announced (NOTAMs).
Alternative airports:
The most viable alternative is Dubai International Airport – OMDB, it is also possible to operate to Sharjah – OMSJ and Bateen – OMAD for this event.
OMDB is the closest alternative to the show venue.
All airports are 24-hour airport of entry. OMDB requires airport slots and slot requests to be submitted concurrently with ground handling requests 24-hours in advance. Unlike OMDW and OMDB, slots are not required for OMAD and OMSJ.
Overnight parking can be difficult to obtain for medium and wide-body aircraft non-scheduled operators at OMDB, so it is advised to park at OMAD for an overnight stay if OMDB overnight parking was not obtained.
Note, however, that maximum aircraft size at OMAD is a B737 or A321 due to fire category and surface bearing strengths, but most likely you are operating a smaller jet so this shouldn’t be an issue of concern.
OMDB is about a 30-minute drive from OMDW airport, OMSJ is about one hour away, and OMAD is approximately 90-minutes and can take up to two hours, depending on traffic.
Drive time from the airports into downtown Dubai is about 40 minutes from OMDW, 20-30 minutes from OMDB, and one hour from OMSJ and an hour and a half from OMAD.
Full aircraft support services, along with 24-hour fueling and credit, are available at all of these airports, when arrangements are made in advance.
Permits
Landing permits are required for all operations to Dubai and can be obtained in two/three business days. Short notice permit requests are often approved within 24 hours, at the discretion of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Permit requirements involve just standard documentation, with no sponsor letter or statement of business purpose required. Landing permits are valid for the day and permit confirmation numbers should be placed in Remarks section 18 of your flight plan.
UAE is very tech friendly and you should be able to apply for the required permits and pay online through the CAA website after registering as an operator: https://www.gcaa.gov.ae/en/Pages/Default.aspx
Customs and Visas
All passengers – except for those who are nationals of the below-listed countries – arriving at OMDB and OMDW must have visas prior to arrival. Nationals of the countries listed below will be issued on arrival visas valid for stays of up to 30 days:
Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China, Russian Federation, San Marino, Singapore, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican City
Nationals of the countries listed below will be issued with a multiple entry 90-days visit visa that’s valid for 6 months from the date of issue, and for a stay of 90 days in total:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay
Crew members can be cleared and allowed to stay up to seven days in Dubai if they have valid passports and crew IDs with stated expiry dates and are listed on the GD form.
Keep in mind that if you’re arriving on a scheduled commercial flight, and then departing as crew, you’ll need a visa, based on nationality. It’s recommended to speak to your agent to confirm visa requirements for crew and which nationalities don’t require a visa.
CIQ is cleared in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai within the FBO. It’s a quick and straightforward procedure.
In Conclusion
Operating to UAE is like operating in Europe, the infrastructure is available to support your mission, there are plenty of airports and landing options. Dubai is famous for its luxurious FBOs and large facilities, agents, handlers and the Civil Aviation Authority are all digitised and you can request permissions and services and pay for it online or even through mobile apps.