Four Bahrain-based organisations are participating in the first annual Gulf Aviation Training Event (Gate 2011) at Dubai Airport Expo on November 14 and 15.

'They are Arabian Knight, a publication from the Arabian Knight, Bahrain International Airshow, Gulf Aviation Academy and Sprung Instant Structures,' said F&E Aerospace public relations manager Frances Barton.

The training event will form part of the five-day Dubai Airshow, she added.

The inaugural annual Gate 2011, aimed at key policy-makers in flight training, has signed up aircraft manufacturer Airbus Industrie of France and the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS) in Abu Dhabi, UAE, said a release.

The presence of Airbus is expected to emphasise the conference's critical role in seeking solutions to the region's demand for flight crew to meet the requirements of Middle East airlines, said Barton.

Airbus and GCAS are joining other gold sponsors - UK and New Zealand-based CTC Aviation Group, Pan Am International Flight Academy of the US and Horizon Flight Academy, based in Al Ain, UAE.

'Considering the challenges facing the airline industry in the areas of flight crew hiring and training, having Airbus as a sponsor underscores how aircraft manufacturers view solving these challenges as critical to their ability to meet market demand for aircraft and crew,' said conference director Captain Ed Davidson, a vice-president at US-based Aerospace Consultancy, Tetra Tech AMT.

The Dubai Airshow is organised under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in association with Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports and the UAE Armed Forces.

Arabian Knight editor Geoff Milne said that the magazine was used as the media sponsor at the Dubai Airshow.

Bahrain-based Gulf Aviation Academy provides training to aspiring aviation professionals.-TradeArabia News Service