The Dubai Air show, which runs from November 15-19, will feature about 900 exhibitors and is expected to attract 50,000 visitors from almost 50 countries. Twenty five percent of exhibitors at the bi-annual event will be Middle Eastern companies. Two hundred exhibitors from 200 countries will participate in the show for the first time. First-time participants include Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, and the Bin Salem Group.
Firs and Exhibition is optimistic about the shows prospects, even though it is being held during a downturn in the aviation industry, as a result of the global economic slump. Airlines around the world have been cutting jobs and reducing routes. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects passenger traffic to fall 4 per cent in 2009. IATA forecasts airline losses will reach $11 billion this year.
