Percussionist A. Sivamani makes music out of a water bottle at a performance at the ‘Wings India 2024 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Visitors, aviation enthusiasts from across the country were in attendance at the Begumpet Airport here on Day Three of Wings India 2024, which was also the first public day of Asia’s largest civil aviation exhibition. The crowd-puller event saw 15,000-20,000 visitors, while it gears up to see double the crowd — over 30,000 — on the final day (Sunday), taking the overall count to a whopping 50,000. This is significantly higher than the 42,000 footfall recorded over two days in the previous edition of Wings India in 2022. The figures were confirmed by a source to The Hindurequesting anonymity.
People of all age groups, who attended the event with their family and friends, were the most excited about the static display of aircraft by various airlines — the top preference being Boeing’s latest widebody aircraft 777-9 — which made its India debut on January 16, a day before WIngs India 2024 officially took off.
“I am the most excited about the B777-9,” said Dhanalaxmi, an aspiring commercial pilot, who visited the event with her mother Neelima Kulkarni on Saturday. When asked what aircraft would she like to fly in the coming years, she said: “I would like to fly all of these at some point, but B777X to start with.”
There was also a deep interest in watching the wide variety of helicopters, including the air ambulance, in the display area, along with drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), or flying taxis. “While the static display is good, drones and air mobility are also fascinating, they are the future of aviation after all,” said Aprameya from Bengaluru.
People gathered in large numbers in the lobby area with their cameras facing the sky as Sarang helicopter team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) showcased their precision manoeuvres, twice during the day. Spectators were also treated to a special performance by percussionist and Padma Shri awardee A. Sivamani with 45 percussion instruments flown in from different parts of the country, representing the 45 destinations that Air India Express connects to in India and the Middle East.
“This airshow is the platform that gives opportunity to all aviation professionals to interact and is especially a great exposure for freshers who get to see what is happening in aviation not just in India but globally,” Airport Director of Durgapur Airport Kailash Mandal, attended the event with his entire family.
Reminiscing her childhood memories, Shreya, a resident of Hyderabad, said the airshow for her is not just a place to see aircraft but reliving her childhood memories. Wings India 2024, held between January 18 and 21, has seen 1,500 delegates from 106 countries and 5,000 business visitors in the first two days.
