The Paris Air Show Is Fast Approaching

The Paris Air Show is fast approaching, with the doors opening to the industry and press in a week. This will be the first Paris Air Show since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the 2021 edition being canceled. After the heat of the Farnborough Air Show last year, many will be hoping for a slightly cooler week on the tarmac. Here’s a look at some of the things to expect next week:

1 A big focus on eVTOL

There are many players working in the eVTOL (electric Vertical TakeOff & Landing vehicle) space, and a large number of these will want to show off what they’re doing at this year’s air show. According to the organizers, four eVTOL companies are due to showcase their aircraft at the show,

• Atea – Ascendance Flight Technologies
• Midnight – Archer
• Prosperity 1 – Autoflight USA
• Volocity VC200 – Volocopter

Photo: Volocopter

Many more companies within this space will also be showcasing their ideas at the show, including the likes of Lilium and Boeing’s Whisk.

2 Enter Riyadh Air

Over the past week or so, we’ve heard an awful lot about the Saudi Arabian startup airline Riyadh Air. The airline will have a chalet at this year’s edition of the show and will also be bringing the first Boeing 787-9 to wear its stunning indigo livery for everybody to see. This aircraft will likely be the highlight of the show for many. Expect to learn much more about the airline’s plans over the coming years throughout the course of the week.

3 A wet week?

In contrast to the high temperatures and scorching sun seen in Farnborough last year, it seems as though raincoats and umbrellas will be in order during the air show. According to BBC Weather, the current forecast for the week is,

• Monday – Sunny & Light Winds – 29° High
• Tuesday – Light Rain Showers – 27° High
• Wednesday – Light Rain Showers – 28° High
• Thursday – Drizzle & A Gentle Breeze – 28° High
• Friday – Drizzle & A Gentle Breeze – 28° High
• Saturday – Sunny Intervals – 29° High
• Sunday – Sunny & A Gentle Breeze – 30° High

Photo: Tom Boon – Simple Flying

The cooler temperatures will certainly be welcome after the 2022 Farnborough Air Show saw the hottest day in UK history, though hopefully, the rain can be kept to a minimum and won’t impact the daily flying display. Speaking of which…

4 The daily flying display

One of the highlights for any aviation fan is the daily flying display. Airshows are the only place where avgeeks can see the latest commercial aircraft pushed to their limits back to back, including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X. While the list of aircraft attending this year’s Paris Air Show is still yet to be finalized, 35 Aircraft are already on the bill across the seven days of the show! Some of the highlights are:

5 Orders, Orders, Orders

Air shows are a celebration of all that is good with the aviation industry, be this flying the latest aircraft or more historical specimens. At Le Bourget, one of the exhibition halls even houses two Concorde aircraft, with exhibitors positioned below the aircraft’s wings. One thing that many airlines are keen to show off is their latest orders. After all, all of the relevant journalists are already in one spot.

Photo: Tom Boon – Simple Flying

At Farnborough last year, we saw Boeing walk away from the show with 192 new firm orders. Airbus, meanwhile, clocked just 37 new aircraft orders, while 56 easyJet orders previously placed were confirmed by the airline’s shareholders. Will the duopoly dynamic be different this year? We’ll find out soon!

Read more: Boeing Vs. Airbus: Who Won The Farnborough Airshow?

6 Simple Flying will be there

As always, the Simple Flying team will be at the airshow this year. Feel free to say hi if you see us around, and be sure to follow us for the latest from the show each show day. If you represent an aviation brand and would like to meet us at the show this year, please just drop us an email!

Photo: Simple Flying

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Paris Air Show? Let us know in the comments!

Sources: BBC, Paris Air Show