- The Dubai Airshow is a massive aerospace industry event that, unlike its peers, isn’t open to the general public.
- Militaries, airlines, and jet makers gather in the desert to sell aircraft, pitch their vision for the future, and watch impressive aerobatic displays.
- This is what we saw.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The Dubai Airshow sees airlines, plane makers, air forces, and space companies gather in the desert to release new products and sell billions worth of aircraft.
The five-day event sees everything from passenger planes to fighter jets perform while industry representatives and private billionaires tour planes and make deals.
Unlike other industry shows, like the Paris Air Show, the event is not open to the public, so the flying displays and tours of planes, including their first-class suites, are offered only to those in the industry.
This year’s show expects almost 90,000 people and has 165 planes on show, including the world’s largest passenger plane, private planes, and fighter jets.
This is what it's like to attend:
The Dubai Airshow takes place near Al Maktoum International Airport, about 25 miles into the desert from the famous Dubai Marina.
Getting in even involves going through an airport-style luggage scan and metal detector.
Inside the conference hall, companies that make everything from airplane wings to tiny screws to military drones show off what they have to offer.
The major players also have booths, and many countries, like the UK and US and Saudi Arabia, display what they have to offer in terms of their air spaces and air forces.
But the real buzz is outside, where 165 different aircraft are on show.
What's there ranges from the world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380...
The plane can carry more than 800 passengers, and has business and first classes on an entirely different floor to economy.
... to the Japanese Military of Defense's Kawasaki C-2 military transport aircraft.
You can peer inside some private jets...
... like I did in this Bombardier Global 6000.
Some airlines roll out the red carpet. Literally.
You can get a lot closer to parts of the plane than you are typically allowed.
Even on the bigger jets, the flight attendants on almost every plane will offer to take your picture. I relented while looking at Business Class in an Emirates Boeing 777.
It's a chance to see first-class accommodations up close. This is what first class suites are like in the Emirates A380.
This is what the suite looks like when it is set up for sleeping. This suite was in the middle of the plane, so the windows show what's outside by using a video feed.
All these planes take up a lot of space, and Dubai, even in November, is really hot. So most people travel up and down the runway in golf carts.
The big players build massive chalets, where deals are done and staff can work, relax, and watch the air displays.
They are pretty exclusive, and you need an invitation to get in.
The air display, which goes for on hours each day, is a highlight. In this case, fighter jets made the shape of a heart in the sky.
Airlines and aircraft makers use the week as a chance to lay out their vision for their companies and for the industry, and often show concept artwork and models.
This is a mockup of the Mohammad bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, a planned, multi-million dollar hub for the airline industry that will be home to everything from airline repair to pilot schools that can service nearby airports.
The show continues until Thursday 21 November, so there will likely be lots more for guests to see.
