The  Dubai Airshow closed its doors last Thursday on a successful week which saw US$63.3 billion worth of orders for aircraft, maintenance services and flight training programs.

Visitor numbers broke the Dubai Airshow record with 56,548 people attending, making the 12th edition of the Dubai Airshow the biggest as well as the most colorful yet, as the halls, pavilions and chalets displayed the colors of the UAE national flag in celebration of the nation’s 40th Anniversary on 02 December 2011.

The theme of flight training which permeated this year’s Dubai Airshow continued on the final day with the signing by Fujairah Aviation Academy in the UAE with IATA, to develop the facility as an IATA-approved training centre for high school graduates.

The UAE’s 40th Anniversary celebrations at the Dubai Airshow came to a climax as the country’s new aerobatic display team – Al Fursan – opened the aerial display with a fly-past with an Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft, proudly trailing the colors of UAE national flag to the delight of the crowd below.

Alison Weller, Managing Director of airshow organizer F&E Aerospace, said: “We promised a Dubai Airshow that would be bigger and better than ever and we did not disappoint. The past week has been notable for its buoyant crowds, spectacular aerial displays and astonishing order announcements. As the show comes to an end, it will be time to take stock of the successes and the challenges, in preparation for Dubai Airshow 2013 at Dubai World Central!”

The Dubai Airshow is organized under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and 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.