Farnborough International Airshow: The preview
It is Day Zero at the Farnborough International Airshow, and the showground is already bustling as exhibitors and organisers put the final touches to what promises to be the biggest edition of the event yet.
More than 1,500 exhibitors are set up and ready to welcome visitors when the doors open on Monday morning. An additional exhibition hall has been added for 2026 to accommodate exceptional demand from companies across the global aerospace, defence and space industries.
Outside the halls, the flight line is also filling rapidly. Aircraft arriving from around the world range from large commercial jets and military fighters to experimental platforms offering a glimpse of aviation’s future.
“We’ve got, for the first time, GE’s test aircraft, the Boeing 747, here at the show,” said Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International. “We’ve got some incredible fast jets, we had the F-35 validating yesterday, we’ve got the Typhoon here from Italy, and, of course, Al Fursan, the Emirati display team, which we’re incredibly excited about.”
An industry transformed since Farnborough 2024
The industry returning to Farnborough in 2026 is markedly different from the one that gathered here two years ago.
Geopolitical instability has increased the focus on defence production and industrial resilience, while aerospace companies continue to navigate supply chain constraints, skills shortages and growing pressure to bring new technology to market more quickly.
At the same time, investment is accelerating across areas including autonomy, advanced air mobility, digital manufacturing and lower-emission flight.
“We’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry over the last two years,” said Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS, the UK’s trade body for aerospace, defence, security and space.
“A lot of things have happened globally. We’ve seen a second regional conflict, we’ve got a much tougher tariff environment, but despite that, the industry is flourishing. It’s growing, it’s being more productive, and it’s being more innovative. And to top it all, they’re coming to Farnborough, which is the biggest Farnborough ever.”
For ADS and its members, the airshow offers an opportunity to take stock of those changes while demonstrating the capabilities of the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors to an international audience.
Convening the global aerospace industry
Although attention will inevitably turn towards the flying display when it begins on Monday, Farnborough International Airshow is about far more than the aircraft in the sky.
Its central purpose is to bring together the companies, governments, investors and policymakers responsible for shaping the industry’s future.
“When we talk about the business side of things, we have the Farnborough Finance Summit, which is really exciting,” Rogers said. “We have 600 investors from around the world and even sovereign wealth funds. It’s a really important topic that is vexing many people across the industry.”
The summit reflects the growing importance of access to capital as companies seek to scale production, develop new technologies and respond to rapidly changing customer requirements.
For Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS, the value of Farnborough lies in its ability to bring the entire industrial ecosystem together in one place.
“You would think that, with the digital aids we’ve got now, people don’t need to be together, but they do,” Craven explained. “The creativity, the connections, the spark, all that happens when people are together, and Farnborough has nearly two-thirds of the world’s top 100 CEOs here for the week, along with their teams and the people who make our technology work.”
Those conversations will extend beyond individual aircraft orders. Supply chain resilience, defence readiness, sustainability, investment and the pace of innovation are all expected to feature prominently throughout the week.
“It’s about making sure we convene the right people,” Rogers said. “As long as the visitors, the exhibitors and all those other people here have a great time and get the right business done, then I’m delighted.”
What to expect from Farnborough Airshow day one
When the doors open on Monday, representatives from around the world will begin arriving at the Hampshire showground for five days of meetings, announcements, demonstrations and flying displays.
“The thing I always look forward to most is that first morning, everyone from around the world, 150 different countries, all coming here to Hampshire,” Rogers said. “That always gives me such a thrill and a real sense of pride.”
The importance of the event to industry and its stakeholders is difficult to overstate. Farnborough generated more than $80 billion in aircraft deals during the 2024 show.
Expectations may be more measured in 2026 amid a challenging geopolitical and economic environment, but there remains considerable anticipation around the announcements and potential surprises that could emerge during the week.
“More people, more exhibitors, more aircraft and an absolutely jam-packed airshow,” Rogers concluded.
By Sunday evening, Farnborough was almost ready. On Monday morning, the business of the global aerospace industry begins.
