eVTOLs and Drones Dominate Farnborough Airshow Displays

A late flurry of aircraft flocking to Farnborough over the weekend boosted what had looked like a relatively meager display lineup for the 2026 airshow. As of Sunday morning, the tally topped 73 exhibits, including several demonstration teams as part of just 15 flying displays. Some aircraft will only appear on Friday.

What jumps out from the list are electric flying debutants, notably the Vertical Aerospace VA-1X eVTOL prototype and the Beta Technologies CX300 airplane. Also enjoying a high profile this year are a slew of uncrewed vehicles vying for a proliferating mix of military and civil use cases, including a quintet of Airbus drones, the Boeing MQ-28, and Leonardo’s Proteus.

Historically, aircraft display tallies have been far higher. The 1998 Farnborough show featured 154 aircraft, comparable to the number at last year’s Paris Air Show.

But Farnborough International is growing in other dimensions, with the 2026 exhibitor count climbing 15% to 1,636, and nearly a quarter of these are first-timers. Almost two-thirds of companies present are from beyond the UK, and there are 28 national pavilions—seven more than in 2024.

Organizers have added 5,000 sq m (almost 54,000 sq ft) of event space at the Farnborough Airport site. U.S. exhibitors alone account for just over a third of all show real estate, including halls, chalets, and outdoor exhibits.

Several companies told AIN they opted not to display due to high exhibitor charges, including a defense group that said organizers quoted a substantial six-figure fee and required them to also book a chalet. Regional aircraft maker ATR indicated that it opted not to display its twin turboprops on the basis that it would not be a good return on marketing investment.

At least one other major airframer said its engineering teams are too busy with certification work to release aircraft to this year’s show. Farnborough International did not respond to requests to comment on exhibitor costs.