The world's premier international aerospace and defence exhibition, held every two years at Parc des Expositions Paris-Le Bourget. The 56th edition runs from 14 to 20 June 2027, gathering 2,400 exhibitors from 48 countries and more than 300,000 visitors, with four days reserved for trade professionals and three days open to the general public. No other airshow combines such volume of business, scale of flying programme and symbolic weight.
The Paris Air Show (Salon International de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace, SIAE) is the world's oldest and largest aerospace and defence trade exhibition, held every two years in odd-numbered years at Parc des Expositions Paris-Le Bourget. It is organised by SIAE, a body that operates under the authority of GIFAS, the French Aerospace Industries Association (Groupement des Industries Francaises Aeronautiques et Spatiales). The 2027 edition, the 56th in the show's history, runs from 14 to 20 June. Professional trade days run from 14 to 17 June; the show opens to the general public from 18 to 20 June. With 2,400 exhibitors from 48 countries and over 305,000 total visitors in its most recent completed edition, it is the largest single gathering in the global aerospace and defence calendar.
The Paris Air Show was first organised in 1909 at the Grand Palais in Paris, making it older than most of the aircraft it now exhibits. Over eleven decades it grew from a static display of pioneering machines to the world's dominant marketplace for civil and military aviation, space systems and related technologies. It settled at Le Bourget in the 1950s and has remained there ever since, benefiting from proximity to Paris-Le Bourget airport, which serves as both a backdrop for flying displays and a logistics hub for ferrying demonstration aircraft. The show is deeply embedded in French industrial identity: GIFAS companies account for a substantial share of France's manufactured exports, and the show has historically served as a stage for flagship announcements by Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Safran, Thales and their ecosystem of suppliers. Military aircraft, missile systems and space launchers share the floor with commercial jets and urban air mobility prototypes.
The 56th Paris Air Show carries special historical weight: 2027 marks the 100th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's first transatlantic solo flight, which concluded with his landing at Le Bourget on 21 May 1927. The organisers have positioned this anniversary as a central narrative thread for the edition, framing it as a symbol of the enduring link between Le Bourget, pioneering boldness and aerospace ambition. Commercially, the 2025 edition delivered strong benchmarks that the 2027 organisers are working to match or exceed: 2,400 exhibitors, 48 countries represented, 305,000 total visitors (including 2,200 journalists), 155 aircraft on static display and 173 flying demonstrations. The 2027 show is expected to reflect the increased defence budgets flowing through European and allied aerospace industries following years of rearmament commitments, and to feature a significant unmanned and space presence alongside traditional manned aviation.
The Paris Air Show anchors the odd-year summer slot in the global aerospace calendar, alternating in years with the Farnborough International Airshow (even years, United Kingdom). Together they constitute the two central commercial events of the civil and military aviation world. For the defence sector specifically, the Paris show complements Eurosatory (land and joint, even years, Paris region) and DSEI (London, odd years). The 2027 edition falls in a period of sustained European rearmament and significant civil aerospace recovery, giving it particular weight for both order announcements and diplomatic engagement between armed forces, procurement agencies and prime contractors.
The Paris Air Show draws an unusually broad spectrum of participants. On the exhibitor side, every major aerospace and defence prime contractor maintains a presence, from Airbus and Boeing to Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Safran, Thales, Leonardo, BAE Systems and their global supply chains. More than 100 startups exhibit, typically gathered in a dedicated innovation zone. National pavilions from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Israel, Japan and many other countries provide coordinated access to their respective industries. On the visitor side, the professional days attract military procurement delegations, airline executives and lessors, defence ministers, civil aviation authorities, investors and media. The general public days draw aviation enthusiasts and families. 2,200 journalists covered the 2025 edition, reflecting its standing as a major global media event.
The show occupies a combination of indoor halls and extensive outdoor areas at Le Bourget. Indoor halls house static exhibits, chalets and conference facilities. The outdoor area provides the apron and runway needed for the flying display programme, which in 2025 featured 155 aircraft on static display and 173 individual flying demonstrations over the course of the week. Each professional day includes a structured programme of conferences, high-level bilateral meetings and official delegation receptions. The exhibitor area covers a mix of large pavilions from primes, smaller stands from tier-2 and tier-3 suppliers, and dedicated zones for drones, space, urban air mobility and startups. Business lounges and meeting facilities in private chalets remain a central feature: much of the significant commercial activity at Le Bourget takes place in chalets rather than on the open show floor.
The show spans the full breadth of aviation, space and related defence technology: commercial aircraft and engines, military fast jets and trainers, helicopters and rotorcraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and counter-UAS, space launch systems and satellites, avionics and mission systems, missiles and guided munitions, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), ground equipment, cybersecurity for aviation, advanced materials, and sustainable aviation fuels and decarbonisation technologies. Defence content spans all domains but is concentrated in air power: combat aircraft, trainers, maritime patrol, ISR platforms and related weapons systems.
| Exhibitors | 2,400 (from 48 countries) |
| Total visitors | 305,000 |
| Journalists accredited | 2,200 |
| Aircraft on static display | 155 |
| Flying demonstrations | 173 |
| Show duration | 7 days (4 trade + 3 public) |
| Editions held | 56th edition in 2027 |
| Periodicity | Biennial (odd years) |
No. While commercial aircraft and engines account for a large share of exhibitor floor space, the show has always included a substantial military and defence component. Major combat aircraft, naval patrol aircraft, helicopters, missile systems, space surveillance and unmanned military platforms are all present. Defence ministries and armed forces from across NATO and partner nations send official procurement delegations.
Yes. The last three days of the seven-day show are open to the general public. Tickets are required. The public days are oriented toward aviation enthusiasm: the flying display programme reaches its most spectacular point over the weekend when the schedule is designed partly for spectators rather than exclusively for trade demonstration.
French and English are the working languages. Official communications, signage and programmes are produced in both languages. Exhibitor stands and chalet meetings typically operate in the relevant commercial languages. Given the global mix of delegations, English predominates in most professional settings.
Parc des Expositions Paris-Le Bourget is located at 93350 Le Bourget, in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, approximately 12 km north-east of central Paris and adjacent to Paris-Le Bourget airport. The site covers approximately 350,000 m2 of outdoor space and 250,000 m2 of indoor exhibition area, making it one of the largest exhibition venues in the Paris region. For the Air Show, the airport runway and apron are integrated into the event layout, providing the infrastructure needed for flying demonstrations. Access by public transport: RER B to Le Bourget station, then bus 152 towards Parc des Expositions; or Metro line 7 to La Courneuve-8 Mai 1945, then bus 152 or 350. By car: A1 motorway, exit 5 (Le Bourget / Dugny). Free shuttle buses operate during the show period. Paris Charles de Gaulle airport is approximately 12 km away; Paris Orly is approximately 40 km.
SIAE (Salon International de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace) is the organisational entity that produces the Paris Air Show. It operates under the authority of GIFAS, the Groupement des Industries Francaises Aeronautiques et Spatiales, the French aerospace industries federation that brings together more than 400 companies ranging from Airbus and Safran to small and medium-sized manufacturers. GIFAS was founded in 1908 and is one of the oldest aerospace industry bodies in the world. The show has been produced in partnership with the French state and its constituent industrial members since its founding in 1909. SIAE operates a dedicated exhibitor platform and manages the accreditation, press, programme and logistical functions for each edition.
The Paris Air Show is not simply the world's largest airshow; it is the single event where the entire aerospace and defence supply chain gathers in one place to transact, and its 2027 centenary edition will draw on the deepest possible well of symbolic capital to do so.
Trade visitor registration is handled through the official SIAE website (www.siae.fr/en/visiteur-professionnel/). Professional accreditation requires proof of professional activity in the aerospace, defence or related sectors. General public tickets are available through the SIAE website for the final three days (18-20 June 2027); pricing for public admission is not yet disclosed for 2027. Exhibitor registration is managed through the SIAE exhibitor portal (stand.siae.fr). Chalet and meeting room bookings are separate and managed through the organiser's hospitality services.
Professional trade days run from 14 to 17 June 2027 (Sunday to Wednesday). The general public days are 18 to 20 June 2027 (Thursday to Saturday). Access during trade days requires valid professional accreditation.
Yes. During the show, free shuttle buses operate from several points in Paris and from Le Bourget RER B station. Additional paid shuttle services from hotels and central Paris hubs are operated by third parties. Specific 2027 shuttle routes will be published on the SIAE website closer to the show date.
The Paris Air Show applies significant security measures given its military content and the presence of heads of state and government ministers. Professional accreditation must be obtained in advance; same-day walk-in professional access is not available. Official military delegations follow a separate accreditation pathway managed through the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.
| Official website | https://www.siae.fr/en/ |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-paris-air-show/ | |
| X | https://x.com/salondubourget |
| Register (trade visitor) | https://www.siae.fr/en/visiteur-professionnel/ |
| Programme | https://www.siae.fr/en/programme/ |