In February 8th the oldest defense fair in Latin America has commemorated 44 years of success.
FIDAE,
The Chilean exhibition is the one with the longest trajectory in the region, being recognized by its peers around the world as one of the most important.
On Thursday, February 8, the International Air and Space Fair, FIDAE’s organizers said they were “a referent for other fairs in the region, which has made it become the foremost and oldest Aerospace, Defense and Security Exhibition in Latin America, besides being the first and only one organized by an Air Force.”
The fair’s origins date back to 1980, when the fair was created under the name of International Air Fair (FIDA) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chilean Air Force. It brought together 86 companies from 12 countries, as well as 41 aircraft in static display located in the apron of the historic El Bosque Air Base, which captivated the public. The fair was such a success that it was decided to hold it every two years.
By 1990, the sixth edition of the Chilean exhibition would be the beginning of a new era, because of the incorporation of the space field, being renamed as the International Air and Space Fair, FIDAE. The name remains to this day, and it is fully consolidated as one of the main events of the industry worldwide.
Due to such a sustained growth, the Institution saw the need to carry it out in a bigger location, which is why in the 1992 edition the fair took place in the Los Cerrillos Airport apron, where it was held until 2004.
While celebrating its fourteenth edition in 2006, thanks to the success, and the importance of FIDAE worldwide, as well as its contribution to position the country’s image among the international community, the exhibition took place in a venue specially designed, planned, and implemented for an event of such scale: the Pudahuel Air Base. This first-class event is held until this day in this place and is about to celebrate its twenty-third edition.
Fully established, FIDAE is a cross-sectional event. It covers six fields, such as: Civil-Commercial Aviation, Defense, Airport Equipment and Services, Homeland Security, Aircraft Maintenance, and Space Technology. The fair also organizes a series of conferences becoming a center of knowledge and debate on topics of interest regarding the sectors it covers.
This is also how FIDAE is a bridge between the Chilean Air Force and the public; because it shows the environment in which it is immersed, particularly in topics regarding technology and innovation. The fair also raises awareness about the aerospace, and it gives a sense of belonging to the Chilean society, making it possible to be recognized as an institution at the service of the country and all its citizens.
