Gov. Asa Hutchinson officially opened the Arkansas booth at the Paris Air Show today.
Held every other year in odd-numbered years at Le Bourget Airport, the International Paris Air Show dates back to 1909. More than 2,200 exhibitors will be present at this year’s show, the world’s largest aviation and aerospace trade show.
This is the first year for Arkansas to exhibit at the show. Aerospace is the state’s largest export, accounting for $1.6 billion in 2014. Arkansas is home to about 180 companies in the industry.
Last week, Hutchinson outlined plans for his trip to Paris, and Germany later this week. Read AMP‘s story here.
“The Paris Air Show presents a wonderful opportunity for us to share the many reasons the aerospace sector is thriving in Arkansas,” Hutchinson said in a news release. “We will meet with companies ranging from small startups to the largest aerospace companies in the world. We have only been here a short time, and I’m already encouraged by the reception we are receiving from companies who know little about the state.”
Highlights of this year’s show include:
- The Careers Plane – an exhibit with professionals from the aerospace industry on hand to immerse visitors in their workplace.
- Aerospace Meeting Paris – business-to-business meetings, supply chain conferences, and networking services.
- Jobs and Training Forum – an exhibit directing students toward careers in aerospace, transport aviation and national defense professions.
- Air and Space Museum – with more than 400 aircraft, the French Air and Space Museum is the only museum in the world to present the three fields of flight (ballooning, aviation and space).
