Asian Aerospace and its new sibling, Asia Defence Technology, open their doors for the last time at the Changi Exhibition Centre today after a 25-year run that has seen the event grow into one of the biggest events on the international airshow circuit and easily the number one in Asia.

AA/ADT 2006 features over 940 exhibitors from 43 countries, more than 20 percent up on last year’s 759 exhibitors representing 37 countries, Ng said. There will be 154 official delegations, compared with 148 two years ago, and 27,000 trade visitors are expected from a remarkable 89 countries during the four trade days, followed by twice as many members of the public over the weekend.

Outside the show itself, the week provides plenty of opportunities for networking and deal-making on the part of the 1,200-plus chairmen, presidents, CEOs and defense ministers, with no fewer than seven official conferences covering all the main areas of aerospace and defense. A new on-line business matching service can match trade visitors to specific exhibitors that satisfy their profile needs, and under a tie-up with PalmOne the organizers are offering Treo 650 PDAs/phones to exhibitors and all military delegations so that they can have real-time access to their latest meeting schedules and updates.