Nearly 2,000 new passenger and freighter aircraft will be needed in the Middle East by 2030.

Two rulers – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, UAE prime minister and vice president of Dubai and King Juan Carlos of Spain – led a delegation of senior officials as they opened the Dubai Airshow.

With the tug of a red ribbon, HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces and chairman of Mubadala, released the drapes to reveal the Italian designer style of the P180 Avanti II 'Cacciatore di Stelle' (Star Hunter), from Piaggio Aero.

Wing Commander Dicky Patounas, the commanding officer of No3 (Fighter) Squadron, Royal Air Force, spoke at the Dubai Airshow and described his most memorable combat mission during recent operations over Libya.

Jordan Airline Training and Simulation (JATS) and SKIES Consultancy have signed an agreement to recruit and promote two different type-rating modules on behalf of JATS.

RizonJet's future is sound and the company is not merging or being sold – that was the clear message from the company's new chief executive on the eve of the Dubai Airshow. Alan Peaford reports.

MEBAA is stepping up its attack on illegal charter market operators. Founder chairman Ali Al Naqbi said the industry association wanted to educate pilots and passengers about the potential penalties of using aircraft not licensed for charter operations.

New regulations on employment by the UAE government could threaten the viability of the country's business aviation operators.