Business Aviation Trip Planning to Dubai Airshow

The Dubai Airshow is firmly established as a key event on the international aerospace calendar consistently connecting key buyers and decision-makers in a highly focused environment.

Dubai Airshow is held this year from 17th till 21st November at Dubai World Central, This event is forecast to attract 1,300 exhibitors and 87,000 attendees. For those planning to attend this venue or travel to Dubai during this time frame, early trip planning is very recommended in order to secure the best aircraft parking and hotel accommodation options.

We prepared a list of important information to help you plan your trip:

Airport Options

The primary airport for Dubai Airshow is (OMDW), All arriving aircraft including private non-revenue and charter (non-scheduled commercial) require airport slots, as well as landing permits. Airport slots should be requested along with ground handling 24 hours in advance. There are no aircraft parking restrictions in place for (OMDW) at this time, but approval is required and generally provided for all aircraft types, and it’s unlikely that parking will be restricted during the airshow, as this is a very large airport. An airport of entry, (OMDW) provides 24 hours customs, immigration, and quarantine clearance. Operators should expect runway closures, on occasion, during the airshow as announced by Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).

Alternative airports:

The most viable alternative is Dubai International Airport (OMDB), it is also possible to operate to Sharjah (OMSJ) and Bateen (OMAD) for this event. (OMDB) is the closest alternative to the show venue.

All airports are 24-hour airport of entry. (OMDB) requires airport slots and slot requests to be submitted concurrently with ground handling requests 24-hours in advance. Unlike (OMDW) and (OMDB), slots are not required for (OMAD) and (OMSJ).

Overnight parking can be difficult to obtain for medium and wide-body aircraft non-scheduled operators at (OMDB), so it is advised to park at (OMAD) for an overnight stay if (OMDB) overnight parking was not obtained. Note, however, that maximum aircraft size at (OMAD) is a B737 or A321 due to fire category and surface bearing strengths.

(OMDB) is about a 30-minute drive from (OMDW) airport, (OMSJ) is about one hour away, and (OMAD) is approximately 90-minutes and can take up to two hours, depending on traffic.
Drive time from the airports into downtown Dubai is about 40 minutes from (OMDW), 20-30 minutes from (OMDB), and one hour from (OMSJ) and an hour and a half from (OMAD).

Full aircraft support services, along with 24-hour fueling and credit, are available at all of these airports, when arrangements are made in advance.

OMDW FBO

MoonJet recommends operating to (OMDW) airport. MoonJet has an exclusive partnership with DC Aviation FBO at this Airport and can provide comprehensive handling services with very favorable rates. You can contact our operations team for further queries.

Permits

Landing permits are required for all operations to Dubai and can be obtained in two/three business days. Short notice permit requests are often approved within 24 hours, at the discretion of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Permit requirements involve just standard documentation, with no sponsor letter or statement of business purpose required. Landing permits are valid for the day and permit confirmation numbers should be placed in Remarks section 18 of your flight plan.

Our Dubai operations team can arrange the permit on your behalf with the CAA.

Customs and Visas

All passengers – except for those who are nationals of the below-listed countries – arriving at (OMDB) and (OMDW) must have visas prior to arrival. Nationals of the countries listed below will be issued on arrival visas valid for stays of up to 30 days:

Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China, San Marino, Singapore, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican City

Nationals of the countries listed below will be issued with a multiple entry 90-days visit visa that’s valid for 6 months from the date of issue, and for a stay of 90 days in total:

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay

Crew members can be cleared and allowed to stay up to seven days in Dubai if they have valid passports and crew IDs with stated expiry dates and are listed on the GD form. Keep in mind that if you’re arriving on a scheduled commercial flight, and then departing as crew, you’ll need a visa, based on nationality. It’s recommended to speak to your 3rd-party provider to confirm visa requirements for crew and which nationalities don’t require a visa. MoonJet is available for help and we can arrange the requirements for your passengers and/or crew.

CIQ is cleared in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai within the FBO. It’s a quick and straightforward procedure.

Accommodation

Hotels tend to be priced higher in Dubai during the show due to high demand, we have several hotel partnerships in the Emirates and we can arrange a good deal for your crew. You can reach our travel team for help in arranging accommodation and benefit from our extensive travel network and special deals.