It must rank as one of the quietest air shows in history. Despite event posters featuring a red-devil bi-wing stunt plane flying upside down, the blue sky above was clear — no helicopters, no planes and no screaming jet fighters performing the aerial acrobatics typically seen at international air shows. There weren’t even grounded aircraft at the exhibition, near though it was to the Damascus International Airport. The attraction that closest resembled aviation technology was an Iranian-made flight simulator tucked away in a corner.
Still, the first Syria Air Show International Aviation Technology Exhibition was a premiere event for the country. It signified that the Syrian aviation industry has made small but significant progress over the past few years, including the launch of two private airlines that broke the state-owned Syrian Arab Airlines’ (SAA) monopoly. United States President Barack Obama even extended an olive branch to Damascus, suggesting America may end sanctions against Syria’s aviation sector.
Nonetheless, the air show raised many a curious eyebrow. “I’m wondering: why have a show?” said Nabil Sukkar, managing director of the Syrian Consulting Bureau for Development and Investment. “Who is going to exhibit, as Syria is not buying planes?”
The post-sanctions horizon
Indeed, with American companies dominating the aviation sector worldwide, Syria is unable to purchase planes due to the sanctions and instead relies on leases and Russian- made aircraft. On the other hand, several company representatives said it was the potential of tapping into an essentially virgin market once sanctions are removed that prompted them to attend the air show.
“Syria’s not very commercial yet. We are here to feel out the market,” a spokeswoman for Moscow-based Sukhoi Civil Aircraft said. “We can’t sell in Syria as we have 10 percent American parts in our planes; it’s politics, and we don’t want to jeopardize sales elsewhere. But when the sanctions are lifted, [aviation companies] will flood in,” she added.
Sukhoi, however, was the only major international aviation player at the exhibit. Dominating half of the stands were Iranian aircraft, helicopter and aviation service companies, while the rest were made up of Syrian aviation companies, the Jordanian Royal Air Force, Jordanian pilot training academies and airport handling services from Bahrain and Egypt. Iran was over-represented, as it is in the same position as Syria when it comes to US aviation sanctions, with Syria one of the few countries Iran can viably market to.
State-owned Iranian Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) manufactures cargo planes, small wing aircraft and civilian planes, developed in partnership with Ukrainian engineers to get around the ban on buying parts from Boeing and Airbus. Asked why the company was at the air show, Amin Salari, a member of IAIO’s board of directors, said: “It’s the first event in Syria so we had to be here.”
Other companies were of a similar mind. “We don’t provide services here yet, but we hope to and are looking to sell to private companies and individuals,” said Mohamad Khosravi, managing director of Tehran-based Navid Helicopter Services.
The presence of so many Iranian companies was perhaps indicative of the sentiment that US aviation sanctions will not end anytime soon. The Obama administration may have eased the embargo, with American companies now able to get a license for export to Syria, but so far none have. According to a well-placed source, Washington rejected an SAA request for Airbus planes.
“The US is basically saying they are easing exports, but the fact that SAA is going to [Russia’s] Tupolev [for two new aircraft] means Syria doesn’t believe this,” said Jihad Yazigi, editor of Syria Report. This was further evidenced when the US pressured Germany in late October to ground the engines of two SAA planes that were under repair, reducing the fleet to just three aircraft.
For Syria’s private airlines, Pearl Air (which has a 25 percent stake held by SAA) and Cham Wings, one of the air show’s sponsors, getting around the sanctions means leasing aircraft until they can “buy American,” said one executive off the record. “It’s a double-edged sword, it affects us and the owner of the sanctions,” he said. “If sanctions were lifted, we’d buy more planes, technical training services, and have deals with maintenance companies. We would buy from America. Millions of dollars in deals could be made.”
The potential is certainly there, with Syria attracting a record 4 million plus tourists this year and more international carriers flying into the country.
“Services are really growing in tourism, investment and business travel, [like] private jets and VIP lounges,” said Marwan Hijazi of Sky Aviation Services. “Business is up for us in Syria.”
