Farnborough International Airshow

The Farnborough International Airshow is a biennial aerospace, aviation, defence and space trade show staged at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre in Hampshire, United Kingdom. It pairs an indoor exhibition, hospitality chalets, a static aircraft park and a flying display with a conference programme, the Aerospace Global Forum. It dates from 1948, when it began as the Society of British Aircraft Constructors Display, and is run by Farnborough International Limited, a company owned by the trade association ADS Group.

FIA2026 ran 20-24 July 2026 and closed with USD 84.7 billion, GBP 62.9 billion, in announced aircraft, engine and helicopter deals across its four trade days, an organiser figure corroborated by ADS Group. The total covered 353 firm commercial aircraft orders plus 12 options, 904 firm engine orders plus 60 options, and 10 firm helicopter orders. The organiser attributed GBP 10.8 billion of UK content to the orders placed. Day one alone produced USD 48.8 billion.

On attendance and floor space yes, on deal value no. Farnborough recorded 141,580 trade and public visitors from 136 countries in 2026, up 41 percent on 2024 and close to double the 2022 figure, alongside a record 1,636 exhibitors, roughly 15 percent more than 2024, of which 63 percent international and 22 percent first-time. The organiser said exhibition space sold out twice over and a sixth exhibition hall was added. But the USD 84.7 billion in deals fell below the USD 105.8 billion announced at the 2024 edition, which remains the show's highest.

Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce, GE Aerospace, Pratt and Whitney, CFM International, MBDA, Leonardo, Bell, Viasat and Vertical Aerospace were among the companies present or announcing orders. Twenty-eight international pavilions were staged, against 21 in 2024, and US companies took around 35 percent of the floor, the US Pavilion alone carrying more than 270 firms. UK ministers on site included Wes Streeting (Defence), Jonathan Reynolds (Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) and Kanishka Narayan (Artificial Intelligence), titles as printed by the organiser in July 2026. No post-show delegation count was published.

Vertical Aerospace flew the first public electric vertical take-off and landing demonstration held at the show, transitioning between helicopter and aeroplane modes. The UAE National Air Display Team made its Farnborough debut. On the order book, Boeing took the larger share of firm aircraft orders, reported at 186 against 157 for Airbus, with engine orders led by the CFM International LEAP, Pratt and Whitney and GE Aerospace.

Farnborough and the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget alternate on a two-year cycle, Farnborough in even years and Paris in odd. Together they set the global aerospace order calendar. Farnborough is commonly ranked the second-largest show of its kind after Paris, so the "world's largest" claim attached to it is contested rather than settled.

At Show Centre, ETPS Road, Farnborough GU14 6FD, Hampshire, a purpose-built permanent site on the Farnborough Airport grounds with halls, chalets, a static park and an apron for the flying display. By rail, Farnborough Main is about 35 minutes from London Waterloo, and the organiser runs free shuttle buses from three stations: Farnborough Main, North Camp and Aldershot. By road, the M3 at junction 4 or 4a; Heathrow is about 30 minutes by car and Gatwick about 50, per the organiser's own guidance. Free parking is provided at Queens Parade, Aldershot.

FIA2026 ran four trade days, Monday 20 to Thursday 23 July, then one public day, Friday 24 July, branded Pioneers of Tomorrow. The weekend public flying days that existed before the 2020 restructuring have not returned. Pioneers of Tomorrow carries flying displays, hands-on STEM activities, a Careers Hub and speakers, and its 2026 tickets sold out ahead of the show. Whether FIA2028 repeats the four-plus-one pattern has not been published.

The Aerospace Global Forum ran four summits at FIA2026: Defence, Finance, Airline Leaders and Technology. Feature areas included the Space Zone, the Defence SME Zone, the Enterprise Gateway, the UK Government Hub and the Business Connections Exchange. No FIA2028 programme, speaker roster, exhibitor list or sponsor list had been published as of 1 September 2026.

Farnborough International Limited, a private limited company wholly owned by ADS Group, the UK aerospace, defence, security and space trade association. Gareth Rogers is chief executive; Kevin Craven, chief executive of ADS Group, chairs the company. Beyond the airshow it operates the exhibition and conference centre year-round, plus Aerospace Global News, Farnborough International Studios and Farnborough International Productions. The company's incorporation year is not published: 1948 is the founding year of the show, not of the company.

FIA2028, 17-21 July 2028, at the same Farnborough venue. The dates come from the official post-show release and are consistent with the site's rollover to the 2028 cycle. One caveat: the Wikipedia article gives 24-28 July 2028. The official site and its countdown support 17-21 July, and those are the dates used here.

Not disclosed. Farnborough does not publish trade pass pricing on the open web: registration comes first and pricing appears inside the flow. Public day tiers are named on the official site, paid adult and family entry, discounted educational-professional and over-65 concessions, free entry for under-21s, students and apprentices, but carry no price outside the booking flow. Exhibition space, chalets and pavilion places are quoted on enquiry. No FIA2028 pricing exists as of 1 September 2026.

Registration is by pre-registration only. The organiser states that on-site registration is not available and that tickets must be downloaded before arrival; under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. FIA2026 used E-Net, a matchmaking and diary portal for booking meetings before and during the show; its use at FIA2028 is not confirmed. The official site publishes no RSS or Atom feed.

Consumer brands with no aerospace or defence supply-chain angle: the exhibition is a trade floor, not a general expo. Aviation enthusiasts wanting a full weekend of flying, since public access is one day. Early-stage founders outside dual-use, space or advanced manufacturing, given the buyers present are primes and government. Civil aviation professionals looking only for airline operations content, which is better served by dedicated airline events. Anyone expecting published prices or a walk-up entry.