The last time the world’s leading aerospace and defense companies, their customers and members of the international media gathered in the heart of the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai Airshow, was November 2019.
Given the global challenges stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic since then, those two years feel more like 20. But with a strong recovery for the aviation industry on the horizon and international travel cautiously opening back up, the biennial event is back.
And all eyes are once again on the sparkling City of Gold, as industry stakeholders head to the UAE to attend the 2021 Dubai Airshow from November 14 to 18. Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies business, will be there to mark the show’s return, highlighting the company’s latest innovations in commercial and business aviation, cargo operations and its growing defense portfolio.
A common denominator for Collins in Dubai will be solutions that advance connectivity. For commercial aviation, this includes technologies to enable more seamless passenger processing, as well as more efficient airport and airline operations.
For defense markets, Collins will showcase solutions that connect service members to the data and systems they need to make split-second decisions in the multi-domain battlespace – that is, threats coming from air, ground, sea, space and cyber.
In addition, Collins will demonstrate the latest upgrades to its next-generation ejection seat, an enhanced visual system designed to help pilots see better when flying in low-visibility conditions, its multi-spectral imaging technologies that enable intelligence and surveillance operations, and more.
Sustainability will also be a key message, given Collins’ work with aircraft electrification and hybrid-electric flight, as well as its use of advanced materials to create lighter, more compact structures that can reduce weight and drag on an aircraft.
This year’s airshow will be one of the first large-scale industry events to take place in person since the pandemic, though attendees will be asked to adhere to strict Covid-19 safety protocols. Still, the chance to connect onsite with colleagues and customers is a welcome shift.
Colin Mahoney, who leads the Customer & Account Management organization for Collins Aerospace, explained what it means for his group’s business development teams: “It’s rewarding to see a customer’s reaction to the latest innovation we’ve been working on, to hear their feedback in the moment and to show them how certain products connect across a particular platform.”
Airshow organizers expect to have 1,200 exhibitors onsite, as well as aircraft displays of over 160 commercial, military and private jets. This includes the latest Boeing 777x, Embraer C-390 Millennium, Bombardier Global 7500 and other aircraft for which Collins provides a range of content.
The show marks the first time Collins Aerospace will exhibit in Dubai under the Raytheon Technologies umbrella.
“We’ve had a strong presence in this region for more than two decades,” said Amal Osman, managing director of Collins Customer & Account Management for the Middle East and Africa. “Being part of a larger company that also has enduring ties here expands our capabilities and creates opportunities to collaborate in ways that can directly benefit our customers.”
To date, Collins has 15 entities across the METNA (Middle East, Turkey and Africa) region. It also has more than 400 employees living in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, with most of those jobs in engineering, field support and program management. Because of that footprint, Collins supports approximately 1,000 indirect jobs as well.
And, in 2019, in partnership with regional leaders, Emirates Airlines and other key aviation companies, Collins Aerospace co-founded the Aviation X-Lab – also located in Dubai – to promote industry collaboration on specific travel-related challenges impacting stakeholders across the globe. A new challenge will be announced during the 2021 show.
Collins Aerospace will be in booth 1160 in the Exhibition Hall.
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