Farnborough air show a success despite scorching heat

It was a trying time for the organizers of Farnborough International Air Show as rumours were rife about the heat wave and the likely human casualty. Exhibitors and visitors thronged the gates despite the UK's rising temperatures. The organizers took a difficult decision of closing the exhibition two hours early. The air show which started on July 18 will conclude on July 22.

With hot weather expected, organisers had put in place increased measures and facilities for the air show to ensure the comfort of attendees, exhibitors and staff.

The global warming scare emphasized the focus on sustainability, there was a dire need to reduce emissions and the buzz, was which technology would make the cut, Electric, SAF or Hydrogen.

Partnerships between different sections of the aviation industry are vital if sustainability goals are to be met in the future, Nick Earl, CEO of Safran Helicopter Engines UK, said.

He explained how the company was 'working proactively' to encourage the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as well as working on more fuel efficient engines and airframe designs.

Among the highlights of this year's show was the first Aerospace Global Forum, which addressed key issues such as future workforce, digitalisation and sustainability. Rolls-Royce's Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, Grazia Vittadini and Easyjet's CEO, Johan Lundgren, announced a new partnership, H2ZERO.

This will pioneer the development of hydrogen combustion engine technology capable of powering a range of aircraft. H2ZERO is inspired by the global, UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that both companies have signed up to, committing to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The H2ZERO announcement was swiftly followed by the UK's Jet Zero Council, launching a £273 million injection of government and industry funding to support a raft of new projects designed to slash emissions from the global aviation industry.

Also aiming to provide a superfast transatlantic option is Boom Supersonic, who unveiled a new design for their Overture aircraft, with four turbofan engines. Slated to carry passengers in 2029, the aircraft will fly on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel and plans to achieve a flight time from New York to London of just three-and-a-half hours.

Dassault Systèmes has been showcasing its 3DEXPERIENCE platform this week, which is designed to facilitate transformation by accelerating design of eVTOL and other more sustainable aircraft through an end-to-end virtual twin experience.

Pioneers of tomorrow, was an event being held at the Farnborough air show this year to give students, apprentices, graduates and young professionals considering a career in aerospace unprecedented access to the industry. The key was to work with academics, and to get young people at any age to bring them up in the aerospace industry. Inclusivity and diversity was important for women in engineering, this is a perfect opportunity to attract the next talent. The growing Turkish aerospace and defence industry was apparent, as well as the US defence industry and military with both rotary and fixed wing aircraft – including the F35. Flight displays also saw the Embraer E190-E2, Boeing 777X, Boeing 737-10 and Airbus A350-900 – plus many more non-civilian aircraft.