Aero F Show Takes Bizav Partnership to a New High

In the annals of air show history, the 2026 Aero Friedrichshafen event could go down as the year when its courtship of the business aviation community reached the wedding day. The show was already set to host a record presence from the sector, but the cancellation of the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) opened the doors to a growing number of visitors eager to establish a longer-term plan for the annual air fair on the banks of Lake Constance in Germany. In fact, the show, a broad general aviation event, drew 37,000 visitors from 88 countries over four days, surpassing 2025’s 32,100.

In early April, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) announced that it had decided to cancel the 2026 EBACE scheduled to be held in Geneva from June 2 to 4, saying that the show’s revised format had not generated “the momentum needed to deliver a viable edition of the event.” The group did not say whether it will attempt to relaunch the show in future years.

“This is a difficult decision, and one we have not taken lightly,” said EBAA CEO Stefan Benz. “We know it will cause disappointment for exhibitors, partners, and participants who have committed to this year’s event and placed trust in it. However, we believe this is the most responsible course of action. It is also the right decision to help minimize further impact on those who had already committed to the event, and reflects the transparency and seriousness with which we must act towards our members and the wider market.”

Meanwhile, Aero Friedrichshafen organizers noted that business aviation was the area that grew the most, with a 50% expansion of floor space dedicated to the sector. As such, more than one third of the show’s exhibitors—300 or so of the 830 total—occupied the growing business aviation cluster on the static display and in Halls A1 and A2. Part of the rising tide flowed through new group exhibits, including the German, Austrian, Dutch, and Chinese pavilions and the preowned aircraft corral convened by the International Aircraft Dealers Association.

Between the exhibit halls and the eye-catching Zeppelin airship hangar, the static display was bulging. Textron Aviation brought a pair of debutants in the shape of its Citation Ascend and Longitude jets, as well as its SkyCourier utility turboprop. Other newcomers included Dassault’s Falcon 6X, Bombardier’s Global 6500, Daher’s new TBM980 single turboprop, and the Kodiak 900, a trio of Diamond models, and the latest version of Cirrus’ VisionJet.

The scale and diversity of Aero Friedrichshafen can be somewhat overwhelming for newcomers, so organizers Fairnamic arranged guided tours and improved signage. Across the seven halls, visitors found concentrations of exhibitors around up-and-coming sectors such as electric aviation and additive manufacturing.

This year, the show has drawn exhibitors from well beyond Europe’s boundaries, including a growing number of Middle Eastern companies. The high concentration of start-ups is partly explained by Fairnamic’s policy of granting a 50% discount to exhibitors younger than four years old.

Most Diverse Show Yet

“This will be our most diverse show ever,” Fairnamic's head of aviation Tobias Bretzel told AIN, acknowledging the strong growth in both the business aviation footprint and, more generally, the ratio of business-to-business exhibitors. While some trade shows have struggled to attract high-net-worth aircraft buyers, he advised business jet sales executives to be alert to prospects dressed more like general aviation tire-kickers with kids and dogs in tow.

“The sort of people who can afford to buy something like a Global come to our show dressed less formally, including families from the Middle East,” Bretzel commented. He had expected Aero Friedrichshafen to draw serious buyers right through to the final day.

While the scrapping of the EBACE show might be viewed as a boost for Aero Friedrichshafen, the Fairnamic team takes no pleasure in the demise of the Geneva-based event. “I have had to postpone and cancel shows due to reasons like Covid; these are very hard decisions, and it really hurts me,” Bretzel reflected.

That said, there appears to be some prospect for future collaboration with EBAA. “We already work with different organizations and groups, and our door is wide open for discussion on future ideas. The role of EBAA is crucial,” Bretzel concluded.

EBACE was first held in 2001 and, until 2024, was jointly run by EBAA and the NBAA. After the U.S. industry group ended the joint venture, EBAA relaunched the show with a new format in May 2025, and it had planned further changes for the event to be held in June.

The 2026 show was to have included a new static display area for business aircraft after this feature was not part of the 2025 event. Last year, EBAA announced plans to alternate venues for the annual show between Geneva and other European locations in response to exhibitors complaining about the high costs in the Swiss city.