With just under a month to go until the Farnborough International Airshow 2022, final preparations are underway before thousands descend on the airport for a week-long event featuring deals, discussions and aircraft displays.

The finishing touches are being made to the site’s halls, chalets and meeting spaces before industry leaders, exhibitors and visitors arrive for the long-awaited event, after the 2020 airshow was cancelled due to Covid

To give a sense of the scale of the biennial global gathering, here are the key numbers for the last airshow, in 2018:

  • US$192bn in deals – up US$67.5bn on the 2016 airshow
  • More than US$154bn commercial aircraft ordered
  • More than 1,432 engines ordered, valued at US$21.96bn
  • 1,500 exhibitors, representing 48 countries
  • 80,000 visitors, from 112 countries
  • 109 trade aircraft

Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, said: “We really are delighted to be able to host the world again, here in the UK. 2019 in Paris was the last time the whole world got together and therefore the whole industry is so excited to come to Farnborough in the summer.”

He added: “It really is great to get people here and getting excited. Some are experienced and have done airshows, but it is important that we speak to everybody, we speak to all our customers.

Pioneers of Tomorrow

Among the highlights this year will be the Pioneers of Tomorrow event on Friday, 22 July, when industry exhibitors will be given a rare opportunity to engage with and inspire with future aerospace recruits.

Aimed at school children aged 11+, school leavers, graduates and career movers, Pioneers of Tomorrow will introduce the next generation of leaders, innovators and pioneers to employers, providing valuable insight into the wealth of career opportunities available throughout dynamic, global industries.

Aerospace Global Forum

Also launching at the 2022 airshow is the Aerospace Global Forum (AGF), a new global platform that aims to champion change and drive immediate action, accelerating transition to the new, net-zero economy.

Developed by Farnborough International, AGF will bring global leaders together, across all industries, sectors, and geographies, together for the very first time to drive conversation and interrogate issues to actively change the world for the better through an aerospace lens.

Taking place in tandem with the airshow, AGF will set the agenda for industry in the years ahead, discussing the new digital workforce and future leaders of the aerospace and defence industry, and preparing organisations for the new skills needed in an AI-fuelled world. Topics include transitioning to Net Zero, sustainability across the defence sector, smart manufacturing and hyper-scaling within the industry to accelerate change.

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