Global aviation’s Farnborough Airshow opens Monday amid a sweltering heatwave, with the sector helped by a modest recovery in air travel and Ukraine boosting defense budgets.
Tens of thousands of visitors will flock to the five-day show, taking place south-west of London, as weather forecasts warn of record scorching temperatures in England.
“It’s going to be the hottest Farnborough ever. So if you go there, bring plenty of water, bring a hat — and don’t be surprised if you see either very sweaty people or people in shorts,” said analyst Richard Evans at flight data specialist Ascend by Cirium.
Britain’s Met Office has issued a historic red warning for extreme heat, with temperatures in southern England possibly surpassing 40C for the first time on Monday or Tuesday.
Organizers insist the show must go on “as planned” and will provide water refill points, shaded areas and air conditioning in all exhibition halls.
This year’s event, one of the largest civil and defense trade shows, is the first global aviation gathering since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.
“This is the first major global airshow in three years since Paris 2019,” Farnborough CEO Gareth Rogers told AFP.
The biannual Farnborough show was canceled in 2020 as the Covid health crisis grounded planes and devastated the sector.
Global air travel is gradually recovering, reaching more than two-thirds of its pre-pandemic levels in May, according to estimates by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
That recovery, however, faced headwinds from skyrocketing inflation, fueled by historically high energy prices and higher wages, while staff shortages constrained airports and sparked flight cancellations.
In Farnborough, US titan Boeing and its European arch-rival Airbus will battle for supremacy as they announce their latest multi-billion dollar jet orders.
The show this year will also focus on green themes such as decarbonization and sustainability as many airlines seek to replace aging fleets with modern, fuel-efficient aircraft that emit less carbon.
Farnborough visitors will be amazed by aerial displays of the British Red Arrows and South Korean Black Eagles, as well as the US-made F-35 stealth fighter.
Airbus and Boeing will also showcase their latest twin-aisle passenger aircraft, the A350-900 and the 777X.
Meanwhile, Russia’s war against Ukraine has prompted a surge in defense spending as nations seek to bolster their armed forces.
“Anecdotally, we’re certainly seeing a greater interest in the defensive element of the show,” Rogers said.
However, defense agreements are not announced at Farnborough, unlike commercial civil aviation agreements.
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