Farnborough Airport: An essential airshow partner
With the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow just days away from takeoff, Farnborough Airport CEO Simon Geere explains the important role the airport plays supporting Farnborough International, organisers of the globally renowned event.
The biennial event simply wouldn’t be possible without a host venue, and the partnership between airshow organisers Farnborough International and neighbouring Farnborough Airport builds on a long-term understanding between the parties; allowing the show organisers access to arguably the most important element of airshow requirements: a runway.
“As an event, the airshow very much puts Farnborough on the map to a global audience and we are proud to facilitate it,” explains Geere, who describes the “long-standing historic and well-known event” as an important contributor to the local economy – with the airport also helping facilitate more than 3,000 jobs within the local area.
Supporting Farnborough International – whose preparation for the airshow is an “extensive and comprehensive exercise, starting around eight months before the event starts” – the airport collaborates with key stakeholders to create a bespoke safety system. Working with the Civil Aviation Authority, military operators, Rushmoor Borough Council and the police, “the overriding aim is to provide a safe and fit for purpose airfield which is capable of accommodating aircraft types that don’t usually use Farnborough Airport,” he continues.
During ‘validation week’ (where display aircraft must safely demonstrate their ability to fly their intended display), the airport remains a compliant licensed aerodrome; accommodating pre-show validation flights into its normal schedule (primarily consisting of business jet movements).
“We obviously do everything to make sure safety is the primary consideration,” adds Geere, who explains that “having robust contingency procedures and plans in place that have been developed and tested with other key stakeholders and emergency services are essential elements of organising a safe, successful, and also a fantastic event”.
A key element of the show week is also Friday’s ‘Pioneers of Tomorrow Event,’ a dedicated day-long STEM-focused event designed to inspire and engage the next generation. The airport itself has been participating in its own STEM outreach initiatives for some time, from hosting careers days and developing its own learning and development facility, The Nexus. “We are very motivated to attract and grow a highly skilled and diverse workforce, whilst offering a wide range of exciting and rewarding careers in what is a thriving and growing industry,” concludes Geere.
