This year’s Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE) will take place from August 30 to September 1 at São Paulo’s Congonhas Airport. Organized by Brazilian business aviation association ABAG, the event is currently expected to draw around 150 exhibitors (compared with 200 in 2015) including major manufacturers such as Dassault, Textron (Cessna, Beechcraft and Bell), Embraer, Gulfstream, Rockwell Collins and Pratt & Whitney and many more. Some 10,000 visitors, including pilots and senior executives, are expected to come through the gates for the three-day event, which follows the typical Brazilian pattern of late starts around noon, leading into late night socializing.
While Latin America has long been viewed as a key emerging market for business aviation, the recent political and economic turmoil in Brazil (exacerbated by a collapse in the oil and gas sector) has dampened expectations. Some observers have suggested that the LABACE show would benefit from a stronger emphasis on other parts of the region where countries, such as Mexico, are showing stronger growth. No details of the conference agenda were available as of press time and it remains to be seen whether the subjects matters addressed will be less parochial this year.
Rio Olympics
One of the biggest challenges, and opportunities, faced by Brazil’s business aviation community this year is the Rio Olympic Games (August 5-21), which forced the LABACE show to be staged somewhat later than usual. ABAG has expressed concern that, as with the World Cup soccer tournament hosted by Brazil in 2014, operational restrictions on business aviation traffic may prove to be a serious impediment.
“Security restrictions during the Olympics mean few slots will be available for general aviation in mid-August,” ABAG general director Ricardo Nogueira told AIN in February. “And moving the date also allows participation by our members who will be working during the Games.”
Travelers to South America also are having to contend with the threat of the Zika virus. The U.S. National Business Aviation Association advised that some countries should require insecticide treatment for business aircraft in order to stop the spread of the virus and there is already a pre-flight pesticide treatment.
As ever, you can count on AIN to bring you all the news from the LABACE show in our award-winning show daily editions and at AINonline.com. If you are with an exhibiting company and have news to share for the show contact AIN international shows editor Ian Sheppard at isheppard@ainonline.com.
