New edition of Al Khor Fly-In set for takeoff today

A file photo of last year’s Al Khor Fly-In, showing the light aircraft parked on the airstrip and the visitors.The seventh edition of Al Khor Fly-In opens today at the Al Khor airport. The two-day event is expected to attract a huge crowd of families and general aviation fans.To enable guests and visitors to see all the light aircraft on display up close and personal, as well as to enable them freely interact with pilots, gates at the event will be open to the public from 8am up to 5.30pm today and tomorrow.Under the sponsorship and support of the Civil Aviation Authority and organised by the Al Khor Fly-In committee, Al Khor Fly-In has Qatar Airways as the platinum sponsor, Ooredoo and RasGas as gold sponsors, and Barwa Bank, Qafco, and Gulf Helicopters as silver sponsors. With an objective of motivating further interest as well as promoting aviation as a sport and hobby to the youth and general aviation enthusiasts, the event also serves as a key networking opportunity for pilots from across the world.“The aviation sector is undoubtedly a vital component in today’s fast-paced and modern societies,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad al-Thani, chairman of the Al Khor Fly-In Organising Committee. He recalled that the aviation sector has, over the years, linked people and products to many places all around the world. “Therefore it is imperative that we sustain the interest of the next generation into such a vital sector through fun-filled, entertaining yet highly educational events such as this. I am certainly thrilled and excited that the youth and their families can enjoy an even bigger event together while at the same time learning a lot more about aviation,” he added.Khalid Abdulrahman al-Khater, vice-chairman of the organising committee expressed confidence that with the full support provided by the event’s sponsors, the seventh edition of the annual family aviation event would definitely be better than the previous ones. The Al Khor Airport is located 31km north of Doha, and is to the east of the Al Khor coastal road.