10th edition of MAKS

This year the MAKS opens its grounds near Moscow for the 10th time. The organizers promise to stage the largest event ever, both in the number of exhibitors and the area occupied.

An estimated 800 companies from 40 countries have signed up to participate. The entire exhibition grounds are spread across 50 hectares. The exposition with its pavilions, chalets, and congress halls covers 36,000 m2, and the static display stretches for three kilometers. According to preliminary information, this year’s MAKS will host 70 industry conferences and seminars, and no fewer than 150 business meetings.

Vladimir Borisov, general director of MAKS organizer, Aviasalon JSC, says special efforts will be made to ensure that the anniversary show appeals to business circles. "We aim to present a more comfortable venue — not just for aviation enthusiasts but also for industry professionals, who view our exhibition as a focal point of business activity," he says.

The historic first air show in Zhukovsky, known back then as the Mosaeroshow, was held in 1992 as a measure to support the Russian aviation industry through the hard times of post-Soviet economic reforms. It was more of an air show than a business event. The practice of holding industry conferences at the exhibition was not introduced until 2007, Borisov says. In 2009 the Zhukovsky airfield, which historically hosts MAKS, was turned into a national center of aerospace construction and a business aviation hub.