Berlin - The Berlin Air Show opens on Tuesday against a background of increasing speculation that a European manned space flight might be possible as early as 2017.

Up to now, Europe has lacked its own human space transportation system and has been reliant on the Americans and the Russians for getting its people into orbit. But now the European concern EADS and the German Space Agency (DLR) have advanced ideas on how a manned space flight might be possible.

EADS revealed last month that its Astrium division had designed a variant of its space station freighter, capable of transporting astronauts. It had done so by adapting technology contained in Europe's new space station freighter - known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) - to make a "crew ship" carrying three people.

More information and a mock-up is expected at the air shown, known by its German acronym ILA.

Packed with sophisticated navigation, rendezvous and docking facilities, the ATV made headlines in April when it ferried close on five tons of supplies to the International Space Station ISS.

More than 1,000 exhibitors from over 40 countries will take part in this year's ILA, which runs until June 1 and is expected to lure more than a quarter of a million visitors and aviation experts.

Chancellor Angela Merkel plans a 90-minute tour of the exhibition, during which she will be accompanied by Arakkaparambil Kurian Antony, the Indian defence minister.

India, a nation with a highly ambitious aerospace industry of its own, is this year's partner country.

A wide-ranging review of advanced aviation and space technology, both on the ground and in the air, will be presented at the event, with the ILA responding to increased specialization by creating "segments" aimed at reflecting present market conditions.

These include commercial aviation, space flight and defence as well as security, equipment, aero engines and materials. Some 100 accompanying conferences will also be held, augmenting the ILA's leading role as an international trade and conference event.

There will also be a focus on the aerospace equipment industry and aerospace suppliers, with the International Suppliers Centre (ISC) expanding its activities at the Berlin show.

As a trade and communication platform the ISC aims is to stimulate restructuring efforts within the aerospace equipment industry, and offer second and third-tier suppliers a platform for maintaining relations with their business associations.

Companies such as EADS and other leading aerospace companies have already declared their support for the ISC.

Cost-cutting measures, demand for higher quality, fluctuating periods of production, new technologies and product ranges are the big challenges currently confronting international aerospace suppliers.

Aviation experts claim that pressure mounts on the entire production chain within the aerospace suppliers industry and that more and more aircraft, helicopter and other systems manufacturers are "outsourcing areas of development" and in doing so are passing a risk factor on to equipment and material suppliers.

Trade officials say this trend does, however, give small and medium-sized enterprises an opportunity to set up their own market for developing innovative products. How these companies meet the challenges of the global market is expected to be the main issue at the ISC section of the show.

Leading aerospace companies attending the show are expected to be the aerospace equipment industry's main target group.

First established in Frankfurt in 1909, the ILA is today one of the world's oldest aviation trade shows. Since 1992 it has been staged every two years at its present site alongside the capital's Schoenefeld Airport. (dpa)