Asia's Largest Airshow Takes off in Hong Kong

The world's largest passenger jet will fly past Hong Kong's mass of skyscrapers and the city's famed Victoria Harbour on Monday to raise the curtain for Asia's largest airshow.

The double-decker Airbus A380 may fly as low as 1,000 feet (300 metres) -- just off the territory's tallest landmark, the 1,400-foot International Finance Centre (IFC).

The spectacle will mark the beginning of the four-day show despite an accident in Bangkok that damaged the tip of the jumbo jet's left wing, forcing it to delay its Saturday takeoff on an Asian tour.

The Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress will see 500 exhibiting companies from more than 20 countries and 10,000 trade visitors in the city to scrutinise the latest industry developments.

The conference is being held in Hong Kong for the first time in 25 years, since it moved from its original home in Singapore, a shift that organisers say reflects the booming aviation market.

China boasts the world's fastest-growing airline passenger sector with domestic flights expected to double every five years and China's fleet of aircraft to quadruple in number over the next 20 years.

But the boom in aviation is not confined to China, according to industry experts, with South Asia also at the forefront.

Jim Eckes, managing director of Indoswiss Aviation, a consulting firm, said opportunities in the Indian market could be the biggest of all.

"I do not see the growth in China continuing for the next 20 years in the same way, but with India you have mergers and new airports being built that could see the kind of growth that China has seen in recent years," he told AFP.

Although India had just three private airlines in 2003, at least 14 are now seeking government approval and around 480 aircraft are on order for delivery through to 2012.

The aviation industry will also follow the continuing battle between European aircraft maker Airbus and arch US rival Boeing on any new orders in Asia, which is expected to account for a third of aircraft orders over the next 20 years, making it the number two region behind North America.

China is becoming an increasingly important part of that market both as a competitor and a partner.

Earlier this year, Airbus announced it would open an assembly plant in the northern city of Tianjin, which will eventually make four small to medium range A320 aircraft a month.

China's State Council or cabinet has also approved plans to build large passenger aircraft itself aimed at taking on the industry giants, not just at home but eventually worldwide

Organisers said the show has been scaled down since its move from Singapore, mainly as a result of shedding exhibitions from the military sector but it has added exhibitions focusing on aircraft interiors and the air freight sector.