Bengaluru retains rights to host Aero India show 2019

GUWAHATI: Following the announcement made by the Ministry of Defence on Saturday ascertaining that Bengaluru will host the five-day show, uncertainties that surrounded the nation’s biggest biennial air show, ‘Aero India Show, 2019’ has finally ended up.

As such, the event will be held in Bengaluru from February 20 to 24 next year.

The Defence Ministry, in a statement released on Saturday, said the Aero India Show will be held in Bengaluru from February 20-24 next year.

Notably, the largest aerospace event was mired in controversy after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote to Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to select Lucknow as the venue of the event. Contrary, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressing that Bengaluru is the best-equipped city to host the mega event.

There were also speculations that the venue for the mega event may be shifted following the Defence Ministry’s indication that it was examining requests from a number of states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

It must be mention here that the ensuing public air show will also host a major trade exhibition for the defence industry.

The Ministry further highlighted that besides global leaders and big investors in aerospace industry, the show will also see participation by think-tanks from across the world. It also disclosed that the event will provide a unique opportunity for exchange of information; ideas and new developments in the aviation industry which is hoped to boost the domestic aviation industry and strengthen the government's Make in India drive.

Notably, ever since its inception in 1996, Bengaluru has been playing host to this Asia's largest military aviation exhibition.