The 10th Annual Latin America Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE) just wrapped up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug. 16. Last year’s show had a 10% increase in attendance (even with entry fees going up!), making this bizav conference the largest of its kind in South America and the second largest in the world.
It’s the perfect opportunity for manufacturers to display their private jets in a country that’s well known as one of the biggest emerging markets in the world, along with Russia, India, and China.
Here are some highlights from LABACE 2013:
- Embraer increased its show space at this year’s LABACE, reserving enough room to show off its entire line of private jets. Embraer is one of the leading manufacturers of private jets in Latin America, claiming a strong 38% of the market.
- Gulfstream brought out its highly acclaimed G650, which was available for viewing by appointment only. The G280 was on display for the first time at LABACE as well, making the journey into Brazil from Puerto Rico at an average speed of Mach 0.81.
- Dassault’s Falcon 2000S made its LABACE debut. The company touts this aircraft as a solution to the unique situations pilots contend with in South American airspace, including challenging airports and the common long-distance flights.
- Bombardier brought an impressive line-up of its private jets, including a Learjet 45 XR and a Global 6000. Bombardier predicts that more than 2,300 private jets will be delivered to the Latin American market between 2013 and 2032. That indicates huge growth potential for the bizav market in the coming years in South America.
In total, more than 80 private jets were on display at Congonhas Airport, the location of this year’s show. There were an estimated $700 million worth of deals struck at last year’s show and those numbers are only expected to be higher for 2013. LABACE will remain at the Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo for its 11th year in 2014.