After a four-year pandemic-induced hiatus, the biennial Paris Air Show is back next week. TIM ROBINSON FRAeS and STEPHEN BRIDGEWATER look ahead to what promises to be a fascinating event for the global aerospace, aviation and space industry.

Organised by the SIAE, a subsidiary of the French Aerospace Industries Association GIFAS, the biennial Paris Air Show returns from 19-25 June at the historic Le Bourget airport in the suburbs of the French capital.

The event traces its history back more than a century to the Salon de la Locomotion Aerienne, held at the Grand Palais in 1909, and has taken place at Le Bourget since 1953. However, the effects of the global Covid pandemic in 2020 means the 2021 event did not take place and this year will be the first time the aviation, aerospace and space industries descend on Paris en masse since 2019.

Much has happened in the intervening four years, from an increasing push towards sustainability, advances in the field of urban air mobility (AAM) and, of course, the outbreak of war in Europe’s backyard.

Key themes

Le Bourget will see an eVTOL in the flying display for the first time with the Volocity. (Volocopter)

With commercial air travel now recovering strongly and growth set to return to pre-Covid levels by the end of this year, the attention of airframers has turned to ramping up production, finding skilled workers and meeting the insatiable demand from airlines, several of whom are now back in purchasing mode. While there may not be the mega-deals of yesteryear, there are rumours of imminent potential order from Turkish Airlines later this year, as well as a deal involving India’s IndiGo.

Those hoping for new product announcements from either Airbus or Boeing, in the form a new clean-sheet airliner from Boeing, or an A220 stretch from Airbus, may well be disappointed at this show, with a focus on getting existing products into the hands of customers. This has been a major challenge recently, with ongoing disruptions in global aerospace supply chains and lack of spare parts impacting airlines’ schedules.   

One country missing at this show, will of course be Russia, after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – which put its aerospace companies on Western sanctions lists. This ongoing peer-on-peer high-intensity war currently taking place will continue to drive defence decisions and see advanced military equipment take a higher profile at the show than in recent years – with military planners looking to extract lessons from the conflict. Expect much talk on replenishing ammunition stockpiles, NATO countries working together to enhance interoperability and potentially updates on the Franco/German/Spanish SCAF next-generation combat aircraft project.

There is also set to be an increased and deeper focus on sustainability at Paris this year as the industry races to decarbonise and meet its 2050 targets. While industry efforts are ramping up across many areas, including SAF, hydrogen, hybrid-electric and operational measures, privately there are some concerns that the aviation sector is still failing in getting its message across to the public, politicians and media of how much progress has already been made and its ongoing efforts across all sectors to address climate change. Paris then, will be a global showcase for it to display its robust sustainability credentials.

In urban air mobility, there is set to be strong presence from eVTOL and regional air mobility start-ups with Volocopter making history as the first eVTOL manufacturer to take part in a Le Bourget flying display. Seeing (and hearing) these electric ‘flying taxis’ at major public events like Paris, will be critical in gaining public and political acceptance for this new mode of air transport.

In technology and innovation, expect the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) to be major theme at the show. While much attention has been given to apocalyptic predictions of AI, the near-term uses of AI for the aerospace industry may be more prosaic – since as auto coding of apps, optimising flight routes, or scheduling of crew rosters.     

Finally in spaceflight the air (& space) show comes hot on the heels of the last-ever Ariane 5 flight – a stalwart rocket that has served Europe (and international customers well). Yet Ariane, despite its superb reliability never carried humans, with ESA having been content to rely on Russia and US rides to the International Space Station for its astronauts. This may be changing with ESA now pondering its future in human spaceflight and how secures access to the new race to the Moon. Look out for proposals from European space companies to address this, as well as more exciting start-ups as the ‘new space’ sector continues to evolve.

Paris by the numbers

Numbers of bookings have doubled since 2019, say the organisers. (SIAE)

The 54th edition of the event will once again will bring together leading players in this global industry, demonstrating their latest technological innovations and advancements. As per normal, the first four days will be reserved for trade visitors, followed by three days open to the general public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

According to SIAE, a total of 2,453 exhibitors from 49 countries will be in attendance including 150 start-ups. The entirety of the 125,000m2 of exhibition space was sold out six months prior to the show itself including 335 chalets and 52,000m2 of interior stands. Indeed, booking were twice what they were some four years ago, according to the organisers, a sign of the pent-up-demand after the Covid pandemic. 

During the last event in 2019, a total of 304 official delegations from 98 countries were in attendance and 139,840 trade visitors from 185 countries formed 44% of the almost 320,000 attendees during the week.

In 2019, a total of $140m of contracts were signed – so what can we expect in 2023?

Air mobility

 

Archer will bringing its Midnight eVTOL to Paris. (Archer)  

Running in parallel with the main Paris Air Show is the Paris Air Mobility showcase, highlighting the latest innovations and emerging technologies in the eVTOL and AAM sectors and enabling networking and the exchange of knowledge.

Located in Hall 5 from 20 to 22 June, the event will combine an exhibition area, where manufacturers and start-ups will display their products and services, alongside conference programme where senior-level speakers will provide analyses and insights on the current state of the AAM ecosystem.

Undoubtedly among the highlights of this year’s airshow at Paris will be the first flying appearance by the Volocopter eVTOL at Le Bourget. Although not flying at the show, other eVTOL manufacturers making appearances include Wisk, the Archer, Joby and the Autoflight Supernal, EHang and Overair.

Aircraft on display

New Saudi airline Riyadh Air is showing off a Dreamliner fresh from the paint shop. (Riyadh Air)

The last edition of the Paris Air Show saw 140 aircraft on display both in the air and on the grounds. As these words were written, the 2023 event promises to beat those numbers with 157 airframes confirmed to attend.

Although no new commercial aircraft – or even variants of existing airframes – are being mooted for this year’s event, the big manufacturers have committed to sending their latest wares to Le Bourget.

Needless to say Airbus will be attending the show en masse with a prototype A321XLR in the flying display and an Air France A220, Qatar Airways A319 and A350-1000 joining the company-operated A321LR and A350-900 demonstrators in the static park.

Meanwhile, transatlantic rival Boeing has committed its 737-10 and 777-9 demonstrators for the flying programme and a 787-9 for static display. Bringing a Dreamliner is new Saudi Arabian carrier Riyadh Air, which is aiming to do for Saudi, what Emirates did for the UAE. 

Franco-Italian company ATR will also be in attendance with an ATR-72-600 on static display and ATR-72-600F appearing in the air on Monday and Tuesday. Also flying in from across the ‘Pond’ are a pair of Embraer E195-E2s, both of which will be on static display and one appearing in the flying display on Monday through Wednesday.

Business aviation on show

Home team Dassault Aviation, which invented the dedicated business jet, is celebrating six decades of its Falcon family this year. (Dassault Aviation) 

Business aviation offerings include a Falcon 6X from ‘local heroes’ Dassault Aviation, which this year marks its 60th anniversary of the Falcon bizjet family. It will be flying on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday along with another 6X, an 8X, Falcon 2000 and Falcon 10X mock-up on static display. From further afield, Gulfstream is providing a G280, G500, G700 and G800 for static display at Qatar Airways’ G700 is also expected to be in attendance.

Italy’s Piaggio is providing its distinctive P180 Avanti II turboprop for static display and Swiss business aviation experts Pilatus also plans to exhibit its latest PC-12NGX single-engined turboprop and PC-24 business jet in the static park this year.

Czech-based Aircraft Industries (formerly Let) is sending its latest L-410NG regional airliner and cargo aircraft to Paris.

Helicopter showcase

Airbus will have its US-built AH-125 Ares on show at Le Bourget. (Airbus Helicopters)

In addition to the much-anticipated rotary winged eVTOLs, this year’s event will also provide a showcase for both civilian and military helicopters. The flying display will feature Airbus Helicopters’ H160 and H665 Tigre attack helicopter as well as NH Industries NH90 flying every day of the week – from Monday through Sunday.

Another pair of NH90s will appear in the static area; one a mock up of the latest special forces configuration and one Aeronavale NFH Caïman variant. Airbus Helicopters contribution to the static park consists of a H145, H175, H-225M Caracal and mock ups of the H125M, H-160M Guépard and the uncrewed VSR700.

DCI Group is also providing an EC120B Colibri for the static display whereas the US Department of Defense is sending an AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk. Elsewhere in the static areas, Leonardo is exhibiting its latest AW169 variant and Textron is sending the Bell 429 and 505 variants.

As was the case at last year’s Farnborough Airshow, Turkish Aerospace Inc is attending Paris on a large scale. From a rotary point of view, TAI is providing mock-ups of its 14-seat T625 Gökbey utility helicopter (of which four prototypes are now flying) and T929 ATAK 2 Multirole Heavy Combat Helicopter. TAI also promises to exhibit a mock-up of its proposed ’10 tonne utility helicopter’.

Military on parade

How will the war in Ukraine influence military procurement projects like the Franco/German/Spanish SCAF? (SIAE)

Switching to fixed wing military aircraft, a French Air Force Airbus A400M is slated to appear in the flying display each day and a company-owned example is booked in for static display. Airbus Military is also providing a C295 and A330 MRTT for the static park. Meanwhile, the French Air Force is also providing a Dassault Rafale for the daily flying show and one for the static park with Dassault also providing a Rafale A and Rafale M for static display.

Dassault also plans to display a mock-up of its proposed Système de combat aérien du future (SCAF) next generation fighter at Paris.

Other fast jets in the flying programme include a Eurofighter Typhoon from the Spanish Air Force (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), Belgian F-16 (Thursday through Sunday) and USAF F-35A; the latter scheduled to appear every day. The USAF/DoD is also providing a C-130J, F-15E Strike Eagle, RQ-7 Shadow, P-8 Poseidon and KC-46 Pegasus for static display.

Embraer will bring a pair of C390 Millennium military cargo aircraft to the show, including a demonstrator for the flying display (Monday only) and a Portuguese Air Force example for the static display; Portugal being the first NATO customer to operate the aircraft.

Following its successful appearance at last year’s Farnborough, Canada’s De Havilland Aircraft will be exhibiting the DHC-6 Guardian variant of the venerable Twin Otter. Embraer is also providing an example of its EMB-314E Super Tucano light attack aircraft and Leonardo sending a pair of Aermacchi M-345 jet trainers.

A number of drone manufacturers will be exhibiting their wares at Paris with pre-show confirmations of attendance received from Safran, TAI , Airbus Defense and Avian Dynamics who will be showing off UAVs ranging from ISR types to firefighting UAVs.

Lighter and greener flight

VoltAero’s hybrid-electric Cassio will be in the flying display. (VoltAero)

Unlike last year’s Farnborough, where General Aviation (GA) aircraft were relatively sparse, this year’s Paris Air Show boasts an eclectic mix of home designed and overseas light aircraft and microlights.

Elixir plans to exhibit three piston-powered variants of its Elixir aircraft at Paris and also intends to bring its much-anticipated 140hp Turbotech TP-90 turbine-powered prototype. Meanwhile, Diamond Aircraft plans to exhibit both its DA62MPP multi-mission twin and a prototype of its eDA40 electric four-seater.

Another eco-demonstrator platform on display within the grounds of the Paris Air Show will be the Daher TBM 700 EcoPulse. Being developed jointly by Daher (formerly SOCATA) and France’s CORAC civil aviation research council the EcoPulse is based on the familiar TBM 900-series turboprop but has its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engine augmented by six wing-mounted propellers each driven by a Safran-supplied 50kW electric motor.

Daher will also be bringing an example of its latest TBM 960 as well as its Kodiak utility aircraft. Other light aircraft set to appear are a Cessna Caravans from Aviation Sans Frontières, a modified CAP 10 and the latest iterations of Aura Aero’s Integral range.

Sustainability will be a major theme at Le Bourget this year, with flying displays from electric pioneers Innovavis Sol.Ex.2 and SolarStratos. Meanwhile, Pipistrel’s Velis Electro is scheduled to take to the skies daily during the week. Also due to appear is the VoltAero Cassio hybrid-electric demonstrator.

At the very light end of the market, Paris should see appearances from a variety of microlight designs. These include examples of Serge Pennac’s wood and foam Gaz’aile 2 homebuilt, to the cutting-edge Shark UL that famously flew around recently flown by British teenagers Zara and Mack Rutherford. The Fédération Française d’ULM also intends to exhibit aircraft ranging from paramotors to flexwing microlights, autogyros and homebuilt helicopters

Weekend display

The Public Days will see classic warbirds join the display. (SIAE)

Attendees staying on for the weekend public days will be treated to a varied flying display ranging from aerobatic aircraft such as the Extra 300 and MXS to French Air Force PC-21, and Breguet Atlantic via warbirds that include Mustang, Spitfire, Corsair, Flamant, Skyraider and a Curtiss Hawk 75 that saw service with French forces during WW2. The Patrouille de France is also scheduled to appear over the weekend and additional static aircraft include a Rockwell B-1B Lancer.

Air Lab and Start Me Up

Innovation will be the talk of the town in the Paris Air Lab. (SIAE)

Returning for a third time, the innovative Paris Air Lab event looks specifically at the revolution in modern air transport and highlights the industry’s efforts to decarbonise. In response to international commitments to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, a vast network of programmes, research projects and technological breakthroughs will be brought to life in an exciting, educational circuit hosted in its own 1,000m2 space in the heart of the Air Show.

This year, the Paris Air Lab stage also offers a rich and varied programme of talks, with keynote speeches from the industry’s leading names. A series of round tables throughout the week also take an in-depth look at key issues like the conditions required for the transition to alternative energies, and special sessions will be dedicated to European programmes and emerging players, including a session dedicated to pitches from start-ups working on decarbonisation.

Alongside the Air Lab, the show will also feature a special ‘Start-Me-Up’ initiative that gives new companies the opportunity to take part in round tables, pitches, video interviews and press briefings. Almost 300 start-ups from 21 countries have signed up for the programme to demonstrate and debate their forward-looking programmes focusing on themes as diverse as new on-board energies, digital technologies, big data, artificial intelligence, new space, the factory of the future, new materials, the vehicle of the future and the passenger experience.

The Start-Me-Up initiative is a reflection of an innovative aerospace industry anchored in the future and it will be fascinating to see what the participants pitch over the coming days.

Careers Plane

Highlighting the vast range of jobs available will be a dedicated careers section. (SIAE) 

Integral to the success of any future aviation, aerospace and space industry is the supply of ‘new blood’ and the Paris Air Show’s Avion des Métiers (Careers Plane) event provides a meeting point for the expectations of young people and the needs of the industry.

The week-long event allows young people and those considering a career change to meet representatives from 17 aeronautical design, production and maintenance professions. These include design, electronics, propulsion, product, materials, hardware, software, structures and systems engineers as well as system architects, fitters, assemblers, machine operators, welders, painters, mechanics and avionics technicians.

Also in attendance will be more than 40 schools, high schools and universities that offer aeronautical and space courses at all levels while the programme of events and conferences will highlight encouraging ‘diversity and inclusion’ in the sector.

The last time the Careers Plane event ran it provided 22,000 job opportunities, 5,000 work-study contracts and 8,000 internship opportunities.

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Stay ahead of all the news!

Catch up with all the hot news (SIAE)

To follow all the news at Paris don’t forget to bookmark www.aerosociety.com and follow the daily airshow news on the Insight blog. For those on Twitter, follow @AeroSociety and use the hashtag #PAS23.

Follow the AEROSPACE team for updates from the show

Editor-in-Chief Tim Robinson @RAeSTimR
Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgwater @RAeSSteveB
News Reporter Charlotte Bailey @penandpaper1989

Tim Robinson FRAeS and Stephen Bridgewater




16 June 2023