Aero Friedrichshafen 2025

2025 proved to be a landmark year for the Aero Friedrichshafen show (the 31st holding of the event) as more business jets and turboprops than ever were present. In fact, for the first time ever, it had the feel of a show with a proper 'static' aircraft display, and it was no coincidence that the traditional EBACE show in Geneva (set to take place May 20-22) had decided not to have a display at all. This is thanks in part to environmental protesters chaining themselves to aircraft in recent years, one suspects. EBACE is this year being run by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) without the US NBAA, which is also a major change.

The organizers of Aero 2025, Fairnamic, wasted no time in seeing an opportunity and engaged more busily than ever with business aircraft OEMs such as Textron, Bombardier, and Gulfstream.

In recent years, we have also seen companies protesting that Geneva was prohibitively expensive. Some OEMs, in particular those with turboprops to offer, had sent aircraft to previous Aero Friedrichshafen shows, but until this year, it has always felt dominated by light aircraft, microlights, and balloons with an increasingly visible presence of manufacturers such as Pilatus, Daher, Tecnam, and Cirrus – the leading producer of single-engine piston aircraft and single-engine jets. Business jets started to appear over the past couple of shows, but as the list below illustrates, the lineup expanded significantly this year.

Against this setting was, of course, the presence of Zeppelin, which builds and flies airships from Friedrichshafen, and many visitors take advantage of the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime flight over Lake Constance.

'Press Preview Day'

Tuesday, April 8, was the final build-up day for exhibitors while also giving the media a chance for a preview of some of the show highlights. The organizers gave a brief presentation, and there was a panel of women in aviation with some impressive CVs to boot, both pilots and non-pilots.

Show director Tobias Bretzel described this year's show: "Never before have we had such intense preparations." He welcomed the good weather (it's not always the case) for his third show as director and said there were a record 760 exhibitors from 38 countries (last year there were 670 exhibitors).

In addition, there were more aircraft this year, at 328, including more business jets than ever on a much-expanded static display outside, while most light aircraft and turboprops were inside the eight large halls – all massive timber frames with glass ends so they are flooded with daylight. The helicopter hall had grown too with 25, and Airbus Helicopters was a big name making an Aero debut. Bretzel also mentioned the sister event to be held again at Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport (FALA), June 25-27, and the second Aero Asia, to be held in Zhuhai, China (ZGSD), November 6-9.

With business aviation having a growing presence at the show, this year's event had a Business Aviation Dome for the first time, located at the end of the aircraft static park.

Cate Brancart, director, European safety & sustainability at the Washington, D.C.-based General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), said business aviation was "a hot topic for this Aero" and added that new GAMA president & CEO, James Viola, who joined the association in March, was attending Aero this year – most business aircraft manufacturers are members of GAMA.

Cate Brancart, moderator (GAMA); Susan Ying, co-founder ANG Fei (China), & board member of Norway’s El-Fly; Melanie Astles (aerobatic pilot, SAS Airmel, France); Kathrin Kaiser, pilot and author (Germany); and Lindsay Allmon, vp-marketing, Blackhawk (USA).

For the first time in 2024, more than 4,000 aircraft were delivered in the sector with billings exceeding $30 billion for the first time too, said Brancart. GAMA's Economic Impact Study has shown that business aviation contributed 110 billion euros to the European economy, supporting 440,000 jobs.

Other highlights of the Aero 2025 show included the eFlight Expo, which has been held for the past 15 years now, said Bretzel. This year there was also an eFlight Airshow on the Thursday lunchtime and the usual airshow on the Saturday ('Families Day') with aerobatics displays.

A Hydrogen & Battery Summit, which saw its debut event in 2023, added to the 'sustainable aviation' theme alongside the 'Sustainability Trail' and an Additive Manufacturing Summit, which saw a focus on advanced fabrication techniques too.

Looking forward to next year's event (set for April 22-25, 2026), Bretzel said, "We've already thought about next year. Exhibitors will be able to book their 2026 spaces from straight after this show. We are discussing with Friedrichshafen Airport (EDNY) to have exhibition space in the airport area, and we want to become more international."

Show Tour

A tour of the show followed the press preview and was led by Volker Thomalla, head of communications for Fairnamic's aerospace events. First stop was the Smartflyer SFX1 hybrid-electric aircraft, making its first trade show appearance.

Dovetail Electric Aviation was next, specializing in retrofitting existing aircraft with novel electric powerplants – the Spanish/Australian company was exhibiting for the first time at a European airshow and said it aims to fly the powerplant in a Cessna Caravan first, in 2026 in Norway. It claims to have orders for more than 70 conversions worth around US$170 million.

AeroDelft, a university student team exhibiting in the Dutch pavilion, was showing the prototype of a South African-designed Sling 4 single-engine aircraft with a liquid-hydrogen electric powertrain; and nearby was Germany's kit-built aircraft association OUV, similar to EAA and the UK's Light Aircraft Association. One highlight here was an electric flying wing ultralight prototype, using the 'Horton' principle.

Moving outside, Thomalla headed for a Piper Meridian powered by a PT6A-135A turboprop engine and new five-bladed composite MT-Prop, which reduces noise from 74.9 to 66.9 dB(A). MT-Propeller is a German company that has been pushing the boundaries in propeller design in general aviation for several years.

This led us past several business jets (a Pilatus PC-24, a Challenger, a Dassault Falcon 2000, an Embraer Phenom 300E and so on) to the 'BASH' (Business Aviation Show Hub), with the 'Business Aviation Dome' and its speaker stage as the highlight. BASH includes the business aircraft static display and two halls focused on business aviation.

The organizer of the Dome said he planned to increase the size at future shows from the current 2,000 square meters (21,500-sq-ft) and added that the Dome would also appear at the Salon du Bourget (Paris Air Show) in June.

There followed a quick visit to Turbotech, a French company which is offering its regenerative turboprop/turbogenerator for hybrid-electric powered light aircraft. The 140-HP unit features a heat exchanger to reuse exhaust gas heat (and this acts as a handy muffler) and overall it has the same fuel consumption as a Rotax, said the company, which is also making a 250-HP version, and considering a 400-HP variant. With the current unit, it is targeting EASA CS23 certification and looking at STCs to retrofit aircraft with old Lycoming engines. "An answer to replacing Avgas," suggested Turbotech's representative.

Elsewhere in the exhibition hall, fellow French company Elixir Aircraft was preparing to announce that it had started up a Turbotech TP-R90 turbine fitted to an aircraft for the first time; it plans a flight using SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) later in 2025.

World Premieres

Among 'world premieres' touted by the organizers at the Aero show this year was a Chinese electric aircraft, the RX4E (pictured below), which became the world's first four-seater electric aircraft to receive certification in December 2024. It also flew in the e-Flight Airshow.

Also, the PC-12 PRO single-engine turboprop aircraft from Swiss manufacturer Pilatus saw its global trade fair debut at Aero 2025. The PC-12 PRO has an updated 'Advanced Cockpit Environment' (ACE), based on the Garmin G3000 PRIME Integrated Flight Deck. This has track-based synthetic vision, three large, high-resolution touchscreen flight displays and two 7-inch secondary touchscreen displays. The updated cockpit also has ergonomic control yokes inspired by those in the PC-24, and exterior visibility has been improved by removing the 'Direct Vision' cockpit window frame. Various new avionics enhancements and cabin enhancements have also been added, along with a choice of new PC-12 PRO color schemes.

Tarbes, France-based Daher held a press conference where it professed a desire to be a builder of "more-electric aircraft," having pioneered this in its market segment with the ecoPulse demonstrator.

Daher Aircraft CEO Nicolas Chabbert said the project had allowed the company to "build valuable knowledge on hybrid-electric aircraft," while VP-engineering Christophe Robin said it had "exposed the gap between current battery performance and aviation needs. [While] it highlighted the thermal control challenges it also revealed the potential of smart, automated systems for managing energy and flight trajectories." He noted that Daher is aiming to work on weight and aerodynamic aspects, for example the wing is "a key area we need to work on," along with induction welding to reduce weight. To that end, the company recently opened a new technology center for R&D, rapid prototyping and flight testing – and "data science."

"We are committed to announcing a new aircraft by 2027," concluded Chabbert, "which will be as 'more electric' as possible."

Cirrus Aircraft also briefed journalists next to its large exhibition stand, which also featured its SF50 single-engine 'Vision Jet' and a couple of SR-Series single-engine piston aircraft, famed for their 'whole aircraft' parachute system, CAPS. President of customer experience, Todd Simmons, said the US company had clocked up 630 SR Series sales in 2024 plus 101 Vision Jet orders. It has a new spares stocking center in The Netherlands to better support owners – it delivered 40 SR Series aircraft in the EU in 2024. Since Aero Friedrichshafen 2024, Cirrus total deliveries hit the 10,000 aircraft milestone – having rolled out the first in 1998 (an SR20).

Cirrus has also been working to better connect clients to their aircraft digitally, with the new Cirrus IQ Pro app (launched March 31) – including maintenance status, life-limited part tracking, technical publications and manuals, and analysis of use including landing performance and even supporting simulator linking and personalization. It has 2,700 connected aircraft and more than 3,300 unique users, said Simmons.

Always a strong supporter of Aero Friedrichshafen, Textron Aviation was back again in force with several aircraft in the static display, its Cessna light singles inside and a few aircraft from its Slovenian subsidiary Pipistrel on its own exhibition stand.

Gabriel Massey, president and managing director of Pipistrel Aircraft, the Slovenian manufacturer that is now part of Textron eAviation, said that the Explorer aircraft on display was "fully spin and UPRT capable, and can be used for IFR training." (UPRT is Upset Prevention & Recovery Training). "We always say start in the Velis and move to the Explorer," while pointing out that its electric aircraft, the Velis Electro, can also be part of the training mix.

The company delivered its 100th Electro in April 2024, part of an order for 50 aircraft plus 150 options from Green Aerolease – which is leasing the aircraft to flight schools around Europe. Meanwhile, the largest fleet operator is Swiss training school Alpin AirPlanes, which has 13 Electros in its fleet.

Massey said the company is focusing on expanding the Velis Electro's operating envelope, for example in cold weather (when Li-ion batteries perform poorly), and expanding the charging network, for example in partnership with Total it will install chargers at all nine ADP airports around Paris, France. It is also working on software upgrades to improve the algorithms and allow for more cycles, and therefore battery life. New batteries can also be retrofitted – the Electro battery is already in its second generation. "It's important to get over that one-hour flight-time hump to be more productive," he admitted. This is essential for training flights.

Massey said that EASA CS23 certification of the Pantera, its fast single-engine piston aircraft, with FAA concurrent validation, is now "a priority" for Pipistrel. "We're making good progress," he said.

Also, the first flight of its Nuuva V300 in January represented "a big milestone," he said; this is an unmanned hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft with eight electric motors and one engine driving a propeller for thrust and can carry a 600-pound payload over a range of 300 nautical miles. There has been a lot of interest for activities such as border protection, and from the military, he reflected – especially as it can operate at up to 25,000 feet. It is set to be demonstrated at the Paris Air Show in June, said Massey.

While Pipistrel has long been part of Aero Friedrichshafen (even before becoming part of Textron eAviation), Textron Aviation itself has been enjoying a growing presence both with its single-engine aircraft (Cessna and Beechcraft pistons) and with its growing family of turboprops, and in recent years its business jets, too.

Lannie O'Bannion, Textron Aviation's senior vice president global sales and flight operations, said the U.S. company was here with more products this year with five aircraft in the static display (a Cessna Citation Latitude, a CJ3+, an M2 Gen2, a King Air 260 and a Grand Caravan EX) and two inside the halls (a Cessna 182 Skylane and a Cessna Turbo Stationair).

"Europe's a huge priority for Textron Aviation," O'Bannion said. "We're seeing strong global demand for all of our products, and we've been able to build a robust backlog," he added. The company's European Distribution Center in Dusseldorf, Germany, celebrated its 10th anniversary on the eve of the Aero show and on the product side it is working hard on various certification programs this year – new Gen 3 versions of its CJ3, CJ4 and M2 jets, adding Autoland among other enhancements; a Cessna Citation Latitude Garmin 5000 cockpit software upgrade (to be rolled out this year with the Longitude equivalent due in 2026); and Ascend, the next aircraft in the Latitude/Longitude jet lineage, that is set to enter service this year offering better range, greater efficiency and performance especially at high altitudes, and an upgraded cockpit.

O'Bannion did not discuss the Beechcraft Denali single-engine turboprop, which made its air show debut at Sun 'n Fun in Florida in the first week of April. Certification of the aircraft was delayed from 2023 to next year (2026) due to slower than expected progress with its GE Catalyst engine – which has now received FAA certification, such that Textron is currently completing the certification flight test campaign.

The Denali is competing for sales with the successful Pilatus PC-12 and Daher TBM products and is sure to be at future Aero Friedrichshafen shows.

FL3XX Continues to Grow; AI-Powered Flight Ops

An example of a business aviation exhibitor that also is very much a 'tech' company is FL3XX. Stefan Oberender, co-founder & CEO, said, "This is the first time we've been seen here with a booth...last year Dennis [Dennis Göppel, business development manager] was here alone and there was hardly any business aviation. It's a lot easier and cheaper than EBACE and Geneva." He agreed that there were lots of bizav people at Aero this year but that it was probably just the start.

Stefan Oberender, co-founder & CEO (not pictured) introduced his team at Aero: Vlad Condratov, chief revenue officer; Filip Ranebo, chief marketing officer; VP product Manuel Gusterer; and Dennis Goppel, business development manager.

FL3XX launched in 2010 in aviation management software. "It's not a scheduler but allows you to run your entire operation in one system, speeding things up and enabling you to [analyze] data too," explained Oberender. "You don't have separate systems for things like catering and flight operations, which is good as business aviation flights often get changed a lot. Previously, people had to copy across between systems. Typically, there can be 30 or 40 changes [before a flight actually takes off].

"The biggest challenge is fear of change," he said. "Changing the core of your operations is never fun. Typically, there are several departments to coordinate, and planning takes 6-8 weeks, and usually a couple of days to go live where some people have an overlap with their old systems."

Oberender said there are now more than 100 integration parties ('integrations') linked to FL3XX – e.g., charter booking marketplaces, catering, transportation, hotel booking, weather forecasting, maintenance and fuel.

The company has around 200 operators as customers in around 60 countries, representing around 1,500 aircraft, and facilitates some 2,000 quotes a month through its system. The company also has a separate product for brokers.

There is clearly a lot of scope for growth, he noted. "We're counting 30,000 business aircraft [in the world fleet] and then there are helicopter and drone operators too," said Oberender. "Lots of people are on legacy platforms still."

Oberender admitted the company has competitors, "but we are the only global one – we don't have anyone competing globally and nobody has our scope." The company, which is based in Vienna, Austria, and has around 50 employees now, recently added an office in Australia. It is growing fast in the US too, said Oberender. "We're doubling down in the US as there's a big wave of legacy systems [needing replacement soon]."

He described artificial intelligence (AI) as "a learning curve" but the company has already applied it to help its users. For example, it can be used to analyze new flight requests (even if just on an email), quote generation and crew scheduling. It saves time but as with all AI some sort of checking is always advised, he noted.

Conclusion: Best Aero Yet!

FL3XX is just one of many business aviation companies that are starting to see Aero Friedrichshafen as somewhere they can market their products. The question then is whether business aviation visitors will flock to the show to join the thousands of aviation enthusiasts, many of them hobby pilots and aircraft builders. It certainly makes for a varied and interesting show and the venue is good, come rain or shine!

Stefan Reisinger, CEO of organizer fairnamic GmbH, said: "Aero 2025 was a precision landing. We have been able to expand our expertise and relevance. The new trade fair concept with the Business Aviation Show Hub has been a stunning success."

Show director Tobias Bretzel added: "Aero 2025 met all expectations and exceeded many. The exhibitors presented a large number of innovations and premieres and reported strong business deals. The mood in the industry and among the audience was excellent.

"Without exaggerating, I can say that this was the best Aero ever, and the great result is spurring us to take Aero 2026 to the next level. To this end, we will integrate further parts of the adjacent airport area into the trade show."

Next year's Aero Friedrichshafen will take place April 22-25, 2026.