Story ID: 332
Farnborough Gears Up for F-35
By: David Donald
Caption: This year’s Farnborough International Airshow will feature (all being well) the F-35, a drone zone and, for the first time, a Chinese national pavilion.
Word Count: 436
Held biennially, the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) is one of the major dates in the aerospace calendar, bringing together exhibitors, potential customers and visitors from around the world. The organizers of this year’s event, to be held between July 11 and 17, are reporting that there is still a small amount of space remaining, but that inquiries are coming in daily, and it is going fast.

FIA16’s organizers have focused on growing international participation yet further, and more than 20 countries will have national pavilions. New participants include Austria and Brazil and, signifying a major increase in presence, China will have a national pavilion for the first time, in addition to the regular Avic and Comac exhibits. International delegations in both civil and defense fields have also increased.

Sectors in which the show is expanding include space, additive manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). The show is being made more accessible for small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) through a number of initiatives, such as a first-time exhibitors package. The show’s successful Meet the Buyer sessions are being expanded from two to three days.

For many visitors the expected highlight of the Farnborough show will be the much-anticipated UK appearance of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is scheduled to make a transatlantic trip to participate at FIA16 and the Royal International Air Tattoo.

The JSF was due to appear at Farnborough in 2014, but the trip was cancelled following a fleet grounding. Details of the F-35’s participation have yet to be decided, but the aircraft’s appearance is of great significance to many UK companies that are involved in the aircraft’s supply chain. FIA has seen something of an ‘F-35 factor’ as companies associated with the aircraft have expanded their space or joined up for the first time.

FIA16 also coincides with the 100th birthday of Boeing, which is bringing its “Above and Beyond” traveling exhibition of aerospace innovation to Farnborough. New for the show’s public weekend is a Drone Zone dedicated to the use of small air vehicles by private consumers, including a regulation area to explain the laws surrounding their use. The Farnborough Live area will enhance the interactive nature of the show for the public.

Already Farnborough International Ltd is looking forward to FIA’s 2018 edition, which will introduce some major changes. The temporary Hall 1/1A accommodation is being replaced by a permanent exhibition hall. This will remain open to the public during the weekend, housing the Space and Innovation Zones, among other attractions.