The Berlin Air Show got off the ground Tuesday with India as guest of honour owing to the country's soaring demand for planes and related products and services. The biannual show, the third biggest in Europe after those in Britain and France, was expected to draw more than 1,100 exhibitions from 37 countries.
More than 200,000 visitors were also expected before the event closed on Sunday. "The aerospace industry and air transport are perfect examples of international cooperation," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said as she inaugurated the show along with Indian Defence Minister Arakkaparambil Kurian Antony.
"This sector thrives on planetary networks," Merkel added. The head of the biggest private Indian airline, Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways, then took delivery of an Airbus A330 long-range passenger jet from Airbus boss Thomas Enders. Another highlight on the opening day was the participation of 28 former US pilots who had taken part in the Berlin Airlift, a massive operation which kept the German city supplied during a Soviet blockade 60 years ago.
After relations soured between the Soviet Union and Britain, France and the United States, Soviet troops cut off land routes to Berlin between June 1948 and May 1949. Operating almost non-stop, including during a typically harsh German winter, the airlift carried over two million tons of supplies in 270,000 flights, and saw 39 British and 31 US pilots lose their lives.
Comments
Comments are closed.