AERO has exceeded the high expectations

Friedrichshafen, Germany – AERO 2023 has once again lived up to its claim of being the leading international trade show for General Aviation with this year's edition. With over 670 exhibitors from 35 nations, the trade show for General Aviation has impressively underscored its leading position. With its wide range of products and services on the show floor and the static display, it represents an indispensable element in the current transformation of aviation towards more sustainability.

After four trade show days (April 19 - 22, 2023), the AERO in Friedrichshafen, Germany, closed its doors today. The trade show was successful for the organizer fairnamic GmbH as well as for the exhibitors (see exhibitor comments in the appendix of this press release). The comprehensive offer of the exhibiting companies was highly appreciated by the expert and very international audience. A high percentage of the 27,200 visitors holds a pilot's license.

Tobias Bretzel, AERO show director, takes stock: "The intensity of AERO 2023 has not only excited me. This year's AERO has seamlessly continued the successful pre-pandemic trade shows and new event modules have been successfully established. Over the last four days, visitors were able to gain a comprehensive overview of the diversity of General Aviation. In the diverse conference program, they were able to learn about new products and future projects and concepts, and they were able to educate themselves on safety in aviation.

At the AERO Career Day on Friday, the trade show gave exhibitors a forum for the first time to offer interested parties concrete career prospects in aviation, which was well received.

AERO attendees were able to enjoy many AERO premieres. Gulfstream Aerospace from Savannah, Georgia, for example, was represented at AERO for the first time with its Gulfstream G500 ultra-long-range jet. French manufacturer Daher showed the latest version of its fast TBM 960 turboprop aircraft for the first time at a trade show in Europe, while Junkers Flugzeugwerke celebrated the trade show premiere of the Junkers A60, newly built as an ultralight aircraft. CEA Design's turboprop training aircraft from Austria was also on display for the first time at AERO.

However, trade show visitors were not only able to admire new and current aircraft, there were also innovations at accessories for pilots. For example, headphone manufacturer Bose Corporation presented its brand-new Bose A30 pilot headset to the expert audience at AERO.

Engine manufacturer BRP-Rotax from Austria presented its new four-cylinder Rotax 916 iS/C engine at AERO, which, with a mass of 85.8 kilograms and an output of 160 hp, achieves an unprecedented power-to-weight ratio in the light aircraft propulsion segment.

Engine manufacturer Continental Aerospace Technologies not only celebrated the milestone of ten million flight hours for its jetfuel aircraft engines, but also delighted its customers with the news that the TBR (time between two mandatory engine replacements) on the CD-170 jetfuel aircraft engine has been increased by 50 percent.

"We saw a great AERO with a high international participation. The unfavorable weather on Thursday and the rail services strike on Friday prevented an even better result in terms of visitor numbers," explains Stefan Reisinger, Managing Director of AERO organizer fairnamic GmbH.

AERO offers the industry an ideal platform for informing the public about the status of efforts to achieve greater sustainability. With the e-flight-expo, which has been held since 2009, AERO set an important milestone early on in the current phase of aviation transformation and has now set a new record with 50 exhibitors. Electric flight, vertical take-off and landing air cabs or hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft, new fuels and manufacturing processes will define the future of aviation. AERO has accompanied this process as a platform from an early stage. The extensive AERO conference program, which this year included more than 200 individual events, provided important impetus. For example, the SETOps conference brought together existing and potential operators of commercially operated single-engine turbine aircraft to encourage aviation regulators to act more pragmatically and more quickly, while the AERO Hydrogen Summit featured intensive discussions on hydrogen as an energy source for aviation.

AERO Drones, which this year for the first time covered three days as a trade show within the trade show, deals exclusively with unmanned aerial vehicles that are at the service of society, be it emergency services, civil protection or security agencies.

The date for AERO 2024 has already been set: The anniversary edition – it will be the 30th AERO – will take place in Friedrichshafen from April 17 - 20, 2024. The AERO Media Day and the premiere of the AERO Media Awards will take place the day before, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Further information at: https://www.aero-expo.com and https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/aeroshow.

Exhibitor comments on AERO 2023

Kyle Martin, Vice President of European Affairs of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA):

“Once again, AERO Friedrichshafen provided the global general aviation industry with tremendous opportunities to showcase our latest innovations and technologies as well as to host important discussions of industry activities in Europe, such as safety, sustainability, and workforce development. We look forward to the continued growth and utility of this valuable general aviation expo in 2024.”

Dr. Markus Fischer, Divisonal Board Member for Aeronautics, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR):

“On its road to climate-compatible flying, General Aviation has a special role to play. For small and regional aircraft in particular, electric or hybrid-electric drives with energy carriers such as hydrogen and batteries will be developed and used comparatively quickly, and then come into wider use for the aviation of the future. AERO is aptly picking up on this trend with new formats and concepts. This results in a diverse exchange with suitable partners and contacts in the industry."

Johannes Garbino-Anton, CTO and Co-Founder at NEX Aero GmbH:

“For us at NEX, AERO 2023 is the perfect platform to meet old acquaintances and new partners in person. Quasi the coffee kitchen of General Aviation and more and more of Sustainable Aviation. This is where the ideas and seeds for future collaborations are born.“

Dr. Michael Erb, CEO AOPA-Germany:

“This year, AERO was once again the ideal marketplace for General Aviation for the jointly exhibiting AOPAs from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The focus for us was, of course, on contact with our members, whom we were able to inform in many individual discussions, in conferences and on panels, especially on the current topics of ‘flying without air traffic controllers’ and environmentally friendly fuels. But there were also many opportunities for exchange with fellow exhibitors and authorities. The atmosphere was excellent, and we will of course be back next year, preferably with additional slots for visitors who want to travel with their own aircraft.“

Klaus Wellmann, CEO Messe Friedrichshafen:

“As home base and fairnamic shareholder, we at Messe Friedrichshafen are pleased that the 29th AERO was able to wonderfully live up to its proven strengths again after long pandemic turbulences. The international GA industry was inspired with new impulses in Friedrichshafen. In the city as well as the Lake Constance region, it was noticeable how the trade show days boost the local economy.“

Patrick Schutterop, Bose Business Manager - Aviation EMEAI & APAC:

“Bose Aviation has been a loyal exhibitor at AERO for many, many years. The show continues to impress! We meet our customers, our resellers, our media and industry partners. AERO Friedrichshafen is the place we get business done. We will be back, already look forward to celebrating, with the organization and team, AERO’s 30th anniversary next year!“

Nadia Haidar, Public Relations Manager Cirrus Aircraft:

“Cirrus Aircraft is the globally recognized leader in personal aviation and manufacturer of the best-selling SR Series and Vision Jet. The company continues to invest and expand in the European market and the advancement of personal aviation. As a longtime supporter of Aero Friedrichshafen, Cirrus Aircraft looks forward to attending in 2024 and sharing its innovations with the world.”

Daisy Einsiedel, Marketing Manager Rheinland Air Service (RAS) GmbH:

"We are very happy to be back at AERO. The Bell booth has been very busy the last days and we see that the Bell 505 market in Germany is developing positively."

Kate Barabanova, Senior Marketing Manager ZeroAvia:

“ZeroAvia had a great time exhibiting at the Aero Expo. The event was well-organized, and we were able to showcase our innovative approach to aviation in a visually stunning and informative way. We highly recommend the AERO Expo to any company looking to connect with potential customers and industry experts in the general aviation industry.”

Brenna Levin, Manager Strategic Exhibits & Events Pratt & Whitney:

“It is especially meaningful for us to have participated in AERO Friedrichshafen 2023, a premier general aviation event in Europe, as we celebrate 1 billion flying hours for our Pratt & Whitney Canada fleet and the 60th anniversary of our PT6 engine. With more than 64,000 PT6 engines produced since its introduction in 1963, it powers over 155 different aviation applications and has reached 500 million flying hours. It is unmatched in engine performance, reliability and dispatch availability. Today's PT6 is SAF compatible, up to four times more powerful, has a 50 percent better power-to-weight ratio and up to 20 percent better specific fuel consumption compared to the original engine. We will continue to be a leader in bringing innovative and sustainable propulsion technology to our customers and look forward to connecting with our customers and the industry at next year’s event.”

Hugh Sinclair, Sales Manager M4COM System GmbH:

“M4Com’s presence as exhibitor at AERO 2023 proved worthwhile for both our company and our business partners. The relaxed, friendly atmosphere of show in Friedrichshafen makes it a great location for such a trade fair. The rapid advancement in both drone technology and counter UAS systems was well reflected at the event by the presence of a broad variety of key players. The quality of visitors and business contacts we made during AERO 2023 well exceeded our expectations. For this reason we certainly plan on being an exhibitor at AERO 2024.”

Sarah Rietmüller, Project Manager trade fairs, WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH:

“Specific Made In Bremen aroused great interest among the visitors. Various aspects, such as the first UAS control center Bremen (USSP) operated by b.r.m.. IT & Aerospace, the VT-4 Rochen drone from OptoPrecision to the U-Space Reallabor at Oldenburg-Hatten airfield, covered the entire spectrum and thus generated further activity. We are looking forward to 2024, where we will present the latest results. A big thank you to Messe Friedrichshafen and fairnamic for the great organization.“

Sonja Seitz, Marketing and Communications Manager AutoGyro GmbH:

“We were pleased with higher visitor numbers overall and numerous international interested parties. Matching the 100th anniversary of gyroplanes, AutoGyro celebrates its 20th production anniversary this year and can report an increasing demand on the market. This was also reflected at our booth, where interest was particularly high in our trade show highlight, the MTOamphib with amphibious float, as well as modern models of our Calidus and Cavalon.”

About the event:

AERO 2024 will take place from April 17 - 20, 2024 at the Messe Friedrichshafen exhibition center. AERO is the leading international trade show for General Aviation, Business Aviation and air sports. Aircraft on display will range from civilian drones to gliders, ultralight and LSA aircraft and gyrocopters, helicopters, touring and training aircraft with piston engines or turboprops, and business jets. New propulsion systems, electric flight, state-of-the-art avionics, services and accessories for pilots are further focal points. These topics are also reflected in the AERO Conferences, making Europe's largest General Aviation event also an important platform for knowledge exchange and continuing education. The trade show is organized by fairnamic GmbH, a joint venture of Messe Friedrichshafen and Messe Frankfurt.

About fairnamic GmbH:

With the founding of fairnamic GmbH, the Frankfurt and Friedrichshafen trade fair companies have sealed a partnership with a focus on innovative mobility. Combined expertise as well as market knowledge, global positioning, brand strength and speed will strengthen the market position in the future markets of General Aviation, micromobility, e-bikes and bicycles. The AERO and EUROBIKE brands and their satellites form the focus of the joint venture. The aim is to expand and further develop the two leading trade shows.