Aerospace Global News Theatre 1 – Monday 20th July 2026

11:15 – 12:00 – AGN Session

Panel: What It Takes To Launch an eVTOL

A practical look at the regulatory approvals, infrastructure decisions, airspace integration, charging models and operating partnerships needed to move eVTOL from demonstration to first commercial service. Expect a grounded discussion on what must happen first, who must align, and where the biggest delivery bottlenecks remain.

12:10 – 13:00 – AGN Session Sponsored by Jobs Ohio

Panel: From Vision to Velocity: US Leadership Powering AAM into the Era of Real Operations

As Advanced Air Mobility transitions from prototype testing and regulatory hurdles to the first commercial revenue flights in 2026 and beyond, this high-impact panel brings together visionary CEOs from Joby, Wisk, Eve, and BETA for an unfiltered conversation on what it truly takes to scale sustainable, safe, and accessible air mobility. Moderated by the Jobs Ohio CEO, the discussion will explore certification breakthroughs, autonomy vs piloted operations, infrastructure and energy challenges, manufacturing scale-up, public acceptance, defence applications, and visible business models that define the industry’s next decade.

13:00 – 13:10 – AGF Finance Summit

Opening Keynote

Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airport

13:15 – 14:00 – AGF Finance Summit

Panel: Aerospace Sustainability: Financing SAF

Allison Melia, VP of Global Enterprise Sustainability, Boeing
Jonathon Counsell, Group Sustainability Officer, IAG
Tim Reid, CEO, UK Export Finance
Giorgio Parolini, Lead – Aviation and Decarbonization, WEF
Jennifer Holmgrem, CEO, LanzaTech
Julien Manhes, Head of SAF and CDR, Airbus 
Robert Boyd, Chief, Finvest Hub, ICAO

Sustainable Aviation Fuel is central to near-term decarbonisation, but scaling it will require more than ambition. This session looks at the capital structures, policy incentives, pricing mechanisms and offtake models needed to make SAF commercially bankable and materially available at the volumes aviation now requires.

14:10 – 15:00 – AGF Technology Summit

Panel: Designing the future aircraft enterprise: Digital twin, digital thread, and scalable production

Barry Chapman, Vice President & General Manager U.S. Industries Siemens Digital Industries Software, Siemens

This session explores how digital twin and digital thread capabilities can support more informed decisions across design, certification preparation, manufacturing, and operations. JetZero and Siemens are sharing perspectives on how to help enable a more connected product lifecycle, with Deloitte guiding the discussion around practical implications for Aerospace and Defence leaders.

15:00 – 15:15 – AGN Session

Keynote: The Human–AI Aerospace Enterprise

Kap Prabhakaran, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Cyient

AI is reshaping aerospace, but competitive advantage will come from how effectively organisations combine machine capability with human judgment. This keynote explores the operating model, leadership mindset and workforce transformation needed to integrate AI across design, production, maintenance and decision-making without losing trust, accountability or mission focus.

15:20 – 16:10 – AGN Session

Panel: Rewiring Defence Supply Chains for Urgency

Moderated by: Joanna Bailey, Editor, Aerospace Global News
James Taylor, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, LSI
Chris Ravenscroft, President, Aeromed International
Scott Parent, Vice President and & Field CTO, Energy | Aerospace | Industrials
Grahita Anggana, Vice President Supply Chain Solution Design, Thyssenkrupp

Defence supply chains are being tested by geopolitical pressure, production demands and slower legacy processes. This session explores how governments and industry can accelerate procurement, improve responsiveness and create more agile industrial networks capable of delivering at the speed today’s security environment increasingly demands.