Aero Friedrichshafen Will Go Forward

As some show venues are canceling or postponing events, Aero Friedrichshafen announced this week that it will go forward with the 2021 show April 21 to 24. Like most other shows, Aero canceled the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising infection rates in Germany. In addition, another Aero event in South Africa will take place July 8 to 10 at Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria.

As of mid-December, show organizers say international participation is good with about 60 percent of exhibitors coming from abroad. One theme for the 2021 show will be sustainable aviation, showcasing electric aircraft and alternative propulsion systems. Aero has traditionally been a venue for electric aircraft, which have a stronger presence in Europe than in the U.S. Messe Friedrichshafen, the company that that runs the show, says the Friedrichshafen Airport adjacent to the venue has a pilot project underway to study installing charging stations for electric aircraft and the goal is to have that in place for the 2021 show. A group of Swiss pilots plans to fly into Friedrichshafen in the new Pipistrel Velis Electro, which is being used for training in Switzerland.

The Aero show in Friedrichshafen will feature digital conference content outside the regular show schedule. "This will allow us to maintain contact with our exhibitors, our visitors, and all networks in the time before the upcoming trade show date as well as share the fascination of aviation with the industry all year-round under the hash tags #wearega and #aerofriedrichshafen,” Aero project manager Tobias Bretzel said in a press release on Wednesday.