This year's Business & General Aviation Day, BGAD12, at Cambridge airport is already promising to attract more business than ever. For the first time, a major business aviation conference is to take place alongside, and the airport itself will promote the opportunities available for businesses to build facilities in a new area earmarked for development.

Booth reservations are running significantly ahead of 2011. "What pleases me most about this increase in bookings," show organiser Mark Ranger says, "is that we continue to attract new names to the event, as well was welcoming back many companies who have taken part in BGAD since 2001."

First time exhibitors so far confirmed include Gulf Aviation, Tim Leacock Aircraft Sales, 2Excel Aviation and clothing and gift specialists Plum & Ivory. As usual, BGAD12 is expected to feature an excellent static aircraft line up, with aircraft already being pencilled in to attend.

The eighth outing of the one-day business show will take place at Cambridge airport on Tuesday, September 18th. On the Monday Cambridge will also host the sixth annual Future of Business Jets conference, organised by Quaynote Communications, and finishing at lunchtime on BGAD day.

The airport has recently announced a major expansion plan, that will see new areas of the airport site opened up for companies to base themselves. Airport director Archie Garden says: "Business aviation continues to go from strength to strength at Cambridge, and we are therefore delighted to hear that this year's BGAD will be bigger than ever – especially with the parallel run of the important Quaynote Event. We have great plans to attract more companies to the airport, and indeed have attracted five new businesses since BGAD11. Cambridge is known for its entrepreneurial and high tech enterprises, and the airport is run in a similar vein.

"This year, we also have our FBO partnership with ExecuJet, now fully operational in good time for the anticipated increase in traffic heading for the Olympic Games in London this summer," adds Garden.

Visitors wishing to stay in the historic centre of Cambridge can take advantage of special rates that have been negotiated with the Crowne Plaza hotel. Full details can be found at www.bgad.aero.

Aerobatic airline joins the line-up

New resident at Cambridge 2Excel has three King Air aircraft and will be exhibiting at BGAD for the first time. The company says it is the world's only aerobatic airline, and operates the Blades aerobatic display team as well as its AOC operation, dubbed BroadSword. 2Excel was formed in 2005 and by the end of 2008 the Blades had flown 170 displays and run over 120 corporate events flying more than 1,000 passengers.

"The economic climate made things more difficult and Barclays withdrew their sponsorship," the company says. "But, rather than collapse, we diversified and in 2009 doubled the size of the company. Having proved flying laboratory and contract air concepts with a Navajo, we varied our AOC to include A to B passenger flying and bought our first King Air in 2010. The King Air fleet grew to three in 2011 as we consolidated our operations and the workforce reached 32 personnel in 2012."

Co-founders are Andy Offer, who previously commanded a Harrier squadron in Afghanistan and flew and commanded the Red Arrows, and Chris Norton.