Farnborough International Airshow gears up for busiest show to date
Following the longest build-up of any event in the UK, the stage is finally set for Farnborough International Airshow 2024 to open its doors. Aerospace Global News got a behind the scenes peak with Farnborough International CEO, Gareth Rogers and ADS CEO, Kevin Craven.
Featuring more than 1500 exhibitors and 334 delegations from around the world, this year’s show is expected to be the busiest yet.
Speaking ahead of the show and against a backdrop of validation flights on Friday, 19 July, Kevin Craven, CEO ADS – the UK trade association for the aerospace, security and space sectors, told Aerospace Global News: “The industry is in a great place. Orders are up and we’ve got a backlog on the civil aviation side of over 15,000 aircraft… I’m excited for this year’s show. Exhibitors are up, international delegations are up, we’re expecting great conversations and for our members and visitors to do some great business here.”
With the war on Ukraine ongoing and geopolitical tensions reshaping the world, he continued: “Defence budgets are also up, which is good news for the UK and Europe as it underlines that the defence sector is becoming more resilient.”
Adding that manufacturers are still recovering from global supply chain challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry-wide skills shortage, he said: “We are working closely together with our partners to improve that and make sure we are in a better place by the end of the year.”
With this year’s show debuting its UK Government Hub as a dedicated platform for multiple government departments and agencies to collaborate and consult with UK businesses, Craven highlighted the expected support from the new government at this year’s show, with a high turnout of ministers and secretaries of state expected to attend.
What ADS would really like to see from government now, he said, is an industrial strategy to support the sector with more support for apprentices and for growing the next generation of engineers. “We are at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing and engineering with some 427,000 employees and an £88 billion turnover. We are a massive part of the UK economy and proud to be an industry that supports the UK and protects our citizens.”
Craven was joined by Gareth Rogers, CEO Farnborough International Limited, who reiterated his anticipation for this year’s show. “Whilst the sun is shining, it’s still 15 degrees cooler than it was two years ago, but the excitement is already building,” he said, referencing the record-breaking temperatures at the 2022 edition.
With the show’s exhibition space already sold out as early as April, Rogers credited his team for doing a “fantastic job” in the run up to the show over the last two years.
As the largest temporary trade exhibition space in the world, the show site is in excess of 500,000sqm (the equivalent of 78 football pitches), with structures reaching over 2km placed end-to-end and 21km of temporary fencing installed as well as 70km of electrical cables used. It is also the longest build-up of any event operated in the UK with 28 weeks of on-site activity, 19 weeks of build. Once complete, there’s an eight-week period to dismantle the show.
Mentioning that Farnborough Airshow is the largest temporary trade exhibition space in the world he said: “The industry is in a good place and this year we’ve got plenty to look forward to, including fast jets back in the air, the Global Urban and Advanced Air Summit (GUAAS), the Pioneers of Tomorrow Day and the new UK Government Hub.”
Climate change and the industry’s net zero ambitions will continue to be a driving force at Farnborough this year with exhibitors showcasing the technologies they’re deploying to reduce CO2 emissions for a more sustainable future of flight. Visitors to the show will also be able to attend thought-leading sessions dedicated to accelerating discussion on sustainability and focusing on the importance of collaboration across global sectors.
With wider collaboration across the sector key to future-proofing industry, Rogers concluded that one of his highlights is seeing the industry come together for five days of networking, sharing the latest innovations and doing business together. “I’m looking forward to seeing the global aerospace industry come together in one place. We’ve got 40 different countries represented at the show and 70% of all exhibitors coming from overseas. It’s great for the UK and it’s great for the aerospace industry,” he concluded.
