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The Farnborough International Airshow is the stage to display the aerospace sector’s most advanced manufacturing technologies. Farnborough International’s commercial aerospace director, Joe Muir says this year’s event will be better than ever for business.

Taking place this year from 22-26 July, the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA 2024) is always an eagerly anticipated event for the aerospace community. The show will not only feature the usual exciting range of aircraft, but also a comprehensive gathering of exhibitors, involved in every aspect of the aerospace supply chain.

Q) What’s the aim and intention for this year’s show compared with previous years, and is it still an important event for the global aerospace manufacturing supply chain as a whole?

FIA 2024 has sold out and has cemented itself as the world’s leading and most international aerospace and defence event. Representing the apex of aviation, FIA 2024 will demonstrate the future of the industry to the global aerospace sector and the wider ecosystem. Our aim is to build upon all the work we have put in place across our year-round aerospace events portfolio and convene governments, international industry leaders and pioneering start-ups from across the supply chain to drive positive, actionable change.

Q) Are there any changes to the showground in terms of new chalets and any improvements to Hall One?

We have made several improvements to the logistics and facilities of the show for both our exhibitors and our visitors. To keep up with the increased demand we have experienced across the show and to ensure that our attendees are getting the return on investment of attending the event, we have increased the number of chalets across the show site to host more industry leaders and expanded on our number of meeting room facilities at the show, so more business can be done. In addition, significant investment has been made in new air conditioning across the exhibition halls to support with the warmer weather we have experienced in recent years. We are also now utilising print at home badges for all attendees for a more sustainable and efficient entrance process, and we have invested in expanding our solar panels on top of Hall 1.

Q) Which partners and stakeholders are you working with to inject some real thought leadership into our industry?

We are working with several partners across the airshow to drive conversation and thought leadership across the show, including ADS Group, McKinsey, KPMG, EY, 1.5, Corasystems, ATI, UKRi, Space agencies, Space Commands, CAA, FAA, HMG, RAF, MoD, Future Flight, WEF, RAeS, STEM learning, Engenuity, Space 4 Sight and many more.

Q) Exhibitor and visitor figures: How are bookings progressing for exhibitor space at the show and will visitor attendance figures exceed those of 2022?

The industry’s reporting of high, pre-pandemic level results is reflected in the increased demand for exhibition opportunities and floor space at FIA 2024, and we are very excited to share that the Airshow is now sold out!

To meet the exceptional demand, we have experienced for the 2024 event, we constructed 17 new chalets, which were snapped up quickly. We have also reformatted key areas of the show site to allow ample space for exhibition stands our new show floor features and a busy static display.

In 2022, even with the pandemic still causing difficulty travelling, visitor numbers were over 74,000 and similarly to the increase of exhibitors in attendance, we anticipate seeing this number grow for 2024 too, as we are already ahead of where we were this time within the 2022 campaign.

Q) What kinds of delegations will be visiting the show and how will they be engaging with everyone in general?

We support our exhibitors and delegations in organising mutually beneficial meetings across their attendance at the show to ensure they generate ROI, share insight and build their network during the show. As part of the 2022 delegations programme, our team facilitated more than 1,000 meetings, with 250 civil, military and space delegations in attendance and we are tracking at the same level for 2024 and more invitation have been sent than ever before.

Q) Probably a tad early to ask, but what aircraft will be on display and flying?

We have an incredibly busy display planned for FIA 2024, with aircraft confirmed to be flying including the likes of: Airbus A321 253 XLR, Turkish Aerospace Hürjet, Royal Danish Air Force’s F-16, Skyfarer Hybrid UAS PW.Orca and Boeing F-15.

While we can’t talk about all the aircraft across the static and flying display at present, we are anticipating the most exciting and representative flying display in the recent shows and all new aircraft are uploaded to the website upon confirmation.

Q) What new tradeshow exhibitor broad themes and attractions can visitors expect to see at this year’s show?

FIA 2024 encompasses the entire aerospace, defence and space ecosystems and supply chain, so the show will continue to place six key themes at the heart of the show: space, defence, sustainability, innovation, future flight and future workforce. Each dedicated theme will manifest across the airshow via our thought leadership programme, show floor and static display.

The 2024 event will see the return of the award-winning Aerospace Global Forum (AGF), the global platform that aims to champion change and drive immediate action, accelerating transition to the net-zero economy. AGF will host high-level keynote sessions from leaders across the aerospace ecosystem dedicated to sustainability and defence. In addition, thought leadership, provoking talks, panel discussions and insight sharing will take place across the show floor at the Space and FINN Theatres.

We will also be hosting our successful Global Urban Advanced Air Summit (GUAAS) on Thursday 25 July at the show, to utilise the growing presence of urban and advanced air mobility pioneers and shape the future of air travel in an exclusive forum. We are proud to be supporting both UK-based and international air mobility manufacturers taking a presence at the show, including Vertical Aerospace, Supernal, Joby Aviation and Wisk.

Q) Will there be a ‘Meet the buyer’ feature this year and if so, what levels of success do you anticipate?

Yes, our aim is to play a proactive role in facilitating business with all levels of the industry supply chain. Our Business Connections Exchange provides Buyers, Suppliers and Investors with the ultimate opportunity to network and establish meaningful commercial relationships. Participants of the programme receive access to unlimited meetings with suitable companies across, with a professional and personalised support service available throughout.

At the 2022 event, 530 meetings took place across three days and we except this demand to grow for 2024. Even in these early stages of the Business Connections Exchange, we have seen an increase in registrations for the 2024 programme, which is sponsored by Citicourt, Fujitsu and Crisalion, with buyers from Lockheed, Airbus – Defence & Space, Surrey Satellite and Qinetiq already signed up.

Q) SMEs exhibiting at larger airshows are often overlooked by visitors because they are ‘hidden’ by the larger OEMs. What steps is FIA taking to ensure they receive enough prominence?

We are proud to highlight the full spectrum of the aerospace sectors, from startup level to industry titans, across the showfloor.

This year, we are working with Aerospace Xelerated and its growing ecosystem of partners on our ‘Startup Zone’ feature, with the aim to support collaborative innovation between larger OEMs and the newest trailblazers and highlight the pioneering startups entering the industry with new, sustainable technology. In a bid to support SMEs with their next growth period, Aerospace Xelerated is running a pitching competition during FIA 2024 on 25 July. The winning startup will get a prize of £5,000 plus six months of mentorship from the AX team as well as exclusive exhibition space for the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow to help them grow their business – the second place will also get a prize of £2,500 and three months of mentorship.

Q) Will there be opportunity for visitors to closely examine the latest manufacturing technologies? What kind of take-up are you expecting for these show features?

We always have a challenge to know exactly what our customers will demonstrate at the show at this stage, purely because of the sheer size of the event, and the breadth of technology and products they bring to display last minute. We expect all of the above to be showcased at the show and provide visitors with as much information through the detailed exhibitor listing on the website and show guide to make it easier for people to find what they are looking for.

Farnborough International Airshow is a truly unique event, and we encourage the global manufacturing industry to come and experience it.

www.farnboroughairshow.com