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Panelists discuss the state of the general aviation industry during the media day at Aero Friedrichshafen.
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany—Aero Friedrichshafen opened on media day, April 21, with a heightened focus on business aviation following the sudden cancellation of the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) in neighboring Switzerland.
Fairnamic GmbH, which organizes Aero Friedrichshafen, reported a record number of exhibitors for the four-day event, with the list growing in recent weeks from earlier estimates. With the surprise April 10 cancellation of EBACE, which had been scheduled for early June in Geneva, show executives now describe the German aviation trade fair as Europe’s leading showcase for business aviation.
“For the first time, we exceeded the number of 800 exhibitors with now—at this stage confirmed—860 exhibitors from 50 countries across the entire venue,” Aero Friedrichshafen Show Director Tobias Bretzel told reporters. “We see strong growth across major areas of the event, with business aviation as a key driver of this year’s edition.”
Nearly 300 exhibitors represent the business aviation segment of what has traditionally been considered a general aviation trade event. More than 50 business aircraft are being displayed in the event’s static display area and exhibit halls.
Textron Aviation is prominent among business aviation exhibitors.
The Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer is displaying its super-midsize Cessna Citation Longitude and midsize Citation Ascend business jets as well as the twin-turboprop Cessna SkyCourier utility aircraft for the first time at Aero Friedrichshafen.
“This is an important show in an important region for us,” Chris Hearne, Textron Aviation senior vice president of engineering, told reporters at a separate press conference. “Consistent communication and face-to-face relationships are important for us to ensure timely delivery of our EASA-validated airplanes to Europe.”
Among other Aero Friedrichshafen debuts, France’s Daher is displaying the new TBM 980 and U.S.-manufactured Kodiak 900 turboprops.
Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace, which was acquired by Turkey’s Baykar in June 2025 after spending years in extraordinary administration—a form of receivership—is displaying its P.180 Avanti EVO twin turboprop in the static display.
“After some years in a challenging condition, Piaggio is back,” CEO Giovanni Tomassini said.
The number of pre-registered visitors to Aero Friedrichshafen has increased by 30% compared to this time in 2025, according to Bretzel. More than 50% of attendees hold a pilot’s license, he said.
“While we see an increase in the B-to-B (business-to-business) audience, and an increase in B-to-B topics at Aero, we are strongly committed to our roots as an international platform for the entire general aviation industry,” Bretzel said. “This is the place where pilots meet in Europe.”
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