GATE 2013 to take place at Dubai World Central

The biennial Gulf Aviation Training Event (GATE) takes place alongside the Dubai Airshow, 18 - 19 November 2013 at a brand new venue - Dubai World Central (DWC).

This year’s summit is set to create debate with the challenging theme ‘Breaking the Paradigms: Training the Gulf’s New Generation of Aviators,’ highlighting the shortage of pilots in the region.

Summit director Captain Ed Davidson, vice president of Flight Operations for Porter Airlines, formerly Senior Vice President Flight Training at Emirates, will be leading industry experts to address controversial topics, challenge processes and develop innovative solutions to support the aviation industry’s future plans.

The summit has the backing of a strong panel including Captain Martin Mahoney, senior vice president flight training, Emirates, Captain Ken Gile, Chief Operating Officer, flydubai and Captain Lindsay Fenwick, Director of Safety, Amiri Flight.

CAE has been confirmed as the headline sponsor for the GATE 2013 summit. They are joined by Frasca International and Pan Am International Flight Academy as gold sponsors.

The Gulf’s three largest airlines – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, have all experienced exponential growth, creating large requirements for trained, qualified and experienced pilots; as highlighted in Boeing’s Current Market Outlook (CMO) 2012 – 2031 which predicts that 32,700 new pilots and 59,500 new skilled maintenance personnel are required to staff the region’s airlines between now and 2030.

Michele van Akelijen, managing director, F&E Aerospace, organisers of the event said: “The Gulf’s aviation industry is facing a huge challenge - demand for pilots and technicians is growing due to rapid expansion and fleet investment - but with the return of GATE the only dedicated training event in the region; we are providing a platform for the industry to develop the solutions to these pressing issues.”