AERO Friedrichshafen 2021 to take to the skies with a full program

After a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the leading show for general aviation will take place next year from April 21 to 24, 2021, at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Center. The show team at Lake Constance expects a large number of exhibitors. Important industry players such as Diamond, Tecnam, Piper, Junkers, Textron, and Rheinland Air Service (DAHER, Hondajet, Bell Partnership) have already confirmed their participation and are happy to be taking advantage of the opportunity presented by AERO Friedrichshafen, one of the sector’s most important international meeting places: “We are pleased about the loud and enthusiastic response by the industry. This underlines the relevance of AERO Friedrichshafen and the need for face-to-face interaction,” explains Roland Bosch, Head of AERO and a member of the Executive Board. AERO Project Manager Tobias Bretzel is confident, that the trade show can take place in a well-organized manner and in compliance with the relevant hygienic measures such as compulsory masks and mandatory online ticketing.

As of mid-December 2020, the AERO team is reporting very good international registration numbers, with some 60 percent of registered exhibitors coming from abroad. The e-flight-expo is expected to garner special attention in the coming year. Particularly innovative aircraft concepts, alternative propulsion systems, and the topic of charging infrastructure will be presented here under the umbrella term of “Sustainable Aviation.” Friedrichshafen Airport, which is adjacent to the exhibition grounds, is currently using a pilot project to assess the possibility of implementing charging stations for electrically powered aircraft. The objective is to have such a charging station in operation by the start of the upcoming AERO 2021, as specific inquiries from Swiss pilots have already been received by the AERO organizers. They would like to fly into Friedrichshafen (EDNY) with planes including the new Pipistrel Velis Electro, which is already being used for training purposes in Switzerland.

AERO Friedrichshafen offers a complete range of products for all areas of general aviation. Aircraft ranging from non-military drones, gliders, ultralights, and gyrocopters to helicopters and light aircraft with piston engines or propeller turbines through to business jets will be on display. New propulsion systems, state-of-the-art avionics, and services and accessories for pilots are further focal points of the show. These topic areas will also be covered in the AERO Conferences, making Europe’s largest general aviation event an important platform for knowledge exchange and continuing education.
The new date of AERO South Africa has now also been fixed, after the event was also canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic: the aviation show will take place from July 8 to 10, 2021, at Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria. 

AERO Friedrichshafen will also feature digital conference content on a regular basis outside the conventional trade fair period. “This will allow us to maintain contact with our exhibitors, our visitors, and all networks in the time before the upcoming trade show date as well as share the fascination of aviation with the industry all year-round under the hash tags #wearega and #aerofriedrichshafen,” AERO Project Manager Tobias Bretzel explains. 

Comments on AERO 2021:
Johannes Graf von Schaesberg, Managing Director of Rhineland Air Service:
“For Rhineland Air Service, the AERO is one of the most important supraregional industry meeting places in our European sales area, so we of course want to be part of it again next year. After a year in which we were forced to keep our distance, we are now looking forward to getting back into contact with our customers in person. For customers to convince themselves of the quality of our aircraft, nothing beats the opportunity to join others in looking over our exhibition aircraft. We are now full of anticipation as we await the upcoming AERO. As the official dealer for the HondaJet, the TBM series of DAHER, and the versatile Kodiak, we have of course already booked our regular spot in Hall A3 again and are looking forward to welcoming all the interested fair visitors again. As a new dealer for the Bell 505 helicopter in Germany, we can’t wait to greet the public at our booth in Hall B5, where we would like to invite visitors to take a look at the state-of-the-art Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, to ask questions, and to obtain comprehensive information.”

Vincent Fischer, Head of Marketing at Piper Deutschland AG:
“The Piper Germany Group is delighted that AERO is moving forward in 2021, now with a new hygiene concept appropriate to the situation. Piper Aircraft Inc. and Piper Germany Group fully support the AERO team and are pleased to confirm their attendance as an exhibitor in 2021. We are looking forward to AERO 2021, where we expect to break new ground with partners, customers, and suppliers.”

Ivo Boscarol, founder and General Manager of Pipistrel Group:

“Pipistrel has always regarded AERO Friedrichshafen to be one of the most important events for promoting ‘light and general aviation.’ That’s why we’ve never missed the fair from the very outset – except this year, when the coronavirus prevented us all from attending. We are therefore greatly anticipating AERO 2021, when the event will be brought back to life in all its glory. It’s important not only for the success of us exhibitors but also for promoting aviation in general through the leading European exhibition in this sector. The AERO fair, which is the recipient of unique acclaim due to its accompanying events such as conferences and presentations, is indispensable for us. Together with the organizers, we are going to do our best to prepare an event that is on the same level or even better than that of previous years. And did you know that Pipistrel’s planes have the slogan “Infected by Pipistrel”? There’s a reason behind it – once you’ve tried them, you won’t be able to get them out of your head your whole life. AERO Friedrichshafen has survived pandemics like AIDS and Ebola, and it will certainly survive Covid-19. We therefore believe that the Pipistrel Virus aircraft will be the only ‘virus’ at AERO 2021!”