Friedrichshafen, Germany, nestled into a tidy corner of Lake Constance, is a remote destination that is several hours from any major cities. But it’s also the site of Europe’s largest general-aviation trade show. With 680 exhibitors from 38 countries and 250 aircraft of all types, Aero is also the launch point for the leading innovations in the aerospace sector in Europe. The event finished its four-day run on Saturday, with attendance of 31,500—up significantly since the end of the pandemic.
Tobias Bretzel, the event’s director, noted that the show focused not only on new products but put low-emissions and no-emissions flying front and center. “Exhibitors showcased several aircraft with alternative propulsion systems,” he said. There was, in fact, a large section of the show devoted to electric and other forms of alternative propulsion.
Swiss airframer Pilatus also showed the latest modifications of its popular PC-24 jet for the first time to a European audience. “Basically, the engineers looked at every single part,” Ursula Widmer, Pilatus communications director, told. “They’ve taken more than 700 pieces—big and small—and tried to optimize everything, taking weight out without compromising stability or security.” The exercise resulted in weight savings of more than 400 lbs.