Pretoria - Thousands of aviation fanatics are expected to attend the third instalment of Aero SA 2023, which was officially launched yesterday at Wonderboom National Airport.
The three-day event is billed as the largest general aviation trade show in southern Africa hosted by the City of Tshwane’s Wonderboom National Airport and Messe Frankfurt SA.
The expo would cover a spectrum of services and products for the general aviation industry and showcase the latest developments, products and regulations in the industry.
It was anticipated that the event would create opportunities in aerospace industries.
The city said the show has a secondary impact on job creation in the hospitality and tourism industries and has a high potential to facilitate access for young people and emerging businesses to the aviation sector.
Tshwane MMC for roads and transport, Katlego Mathebe, opened the event on behalf of mayor Cilliers Brink, who was expected to deliver a keynote speech.
“This is a significant part of what we do in Tshwane as part of our coalition manifesto. We are committed to growing the economy of Tshwane and air mobility is one of the significant contributors of the economy. We are aware that there is potential growth in this industry and we are excited to be part of that growth,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to Messe Frankfurt SA for its investment in the show and said that the show would present opportunities for participants to gain valuable resources and connections.
Messe Frankfurt SA marketing and content head, Neil Piper, said the show was open for business and wished participants to have a good time.
Tshwane councillor Peter Meijer reassured the aerospace industry of the support offered by the municipality, adding that Wonderboom airport was one of the country's best pilot training airports.
Organisers said participants can look forward to a networking event and not a public air show.
A panel discussion on the Musket Flight Management System and its benefits would be hosted tomorrow.
Musket is a flight operations management system designed to automate flight operations, optimise fleet and crew utilisation, enhance safety and quality and manage data and documents securely.
The event included exhibitions by different manufacturers of aircraft, helicopters and related-technologies in the aerospace industry.
The city’s parastatal Tshwane Economic Development Agency indicated that it was together with its stakeholders working hard to ensure that the aviation industry was prioritised to be a key economic growth driver for the municipality.
Pretoria News