The Dubai Airshow is set to welcome up to 1,000 exhibitors to the show next month, F&E Aerospace said.

Running from 13 to 17 November 2011 at the city’s Airport Expo, the Dubai Airshow will be the biggest yet, attracting more than 55,000 trade visitors, an almost 4% increase from the previous show in 2009.

Alison Weller, Managing Director of F&E Aerospace, addressed a press briefing on the show: “The main objective of the Dubai Airshow is to provide a platform for exhibitors to network with the aerospace industry and Mideast market. As the show grows and develops, 20% of our visitor attendance comes from outside the region now.

“It has become a global forum for the Middle East aerospace market and once every two years it highlights the achievements, progress and buying power of the region.”

She went on to outline the area of the Dubai Airshow which, at more than 325,000sqm, makes it the largest trade show in Dubai. In addition to covering 3 exhibition halls, it includes 103 chalets, 11 pavilions and a large static aircraft display area for up to 100 aircraft of various types and sizes.

Weller outlined new activities for November’s Dubai Airshow. “As a platform for the industry, we are offering opportunities for participants to address key issues, create debate and highlight the UAE’s achievements. To this end, we have developed 3 new initiatives: first and foremost, we are celebrating the country’s 40th anniversary. Following on from that, we are launching ‘Futures Day’, in co-operation with Rolls-Royce as Gold Sponsor and Boeing and Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS) as Silver Sponsors. We are billing the last day of the show as Futures Day and inviting a number of the nation’s youth in order to help build the next generation of aviators.

“To complement this initiative, we are holding the first-ever Gulf Aviation Training Event. The GATE conference will bring together recruitment policy-makers to find solutions to the looming shortage of flight crew in the Middle East, led by keynote speakers, Captain Randolph Babbitt, Administrator of the US FAA, and William Voss, CEO of US-based Flight Safety Foundation.”

For the first time ever, and reflecting the 40th anniversary of the UAE, the flying display will open with the country’s own aerobatic team - Al Fursan - which will fly Alenia Aermacchi aircraft. The display will also feature the Patrouille de France aerobatic team, flying Alpha jets.

This year’s event will, once again, be the platform for state-of-the-art technical demonstrations, plus aircraft on the static park display.

The static park will display an F18, F15, C17, C-130J and an Apache MH-60 from the US government and an array of business jets from companies such as Gulfstream, Bombardier and Cessna.

Helicopters are also making a big appearance at this year’s show, with companies such as Russian Helicopters, Sikorsky, Bell and MD Helicopters, plus Quest, who will be launching the first-ever helicopter program to be built in the UAE.

The Dubai Airshow is organized under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President & Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in co-operation with Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports and the UAE Armed Forces.