Road to Farnborough 2024: Everything You Should Know

‍DALLAS — That time of the year has come. In one week, the entire world of aviation will turn its eyes to the largest fair of the industry in the heart of the United Kingdom: the Farnborough International Airshow 2024.

After the airshow's success last year in Paris, which proved that the commercial aviation market was on its way to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is tough to predict if the amount of activity, orders, and announcements will be higher in this year's edition. The 2023 Paris Airshow ended with more than 1,000 aircraft added to delivery queues by the main manufacturers Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and ATR.

From July 22 to 26, 2024, Airways will provide its readers with breaking news and detailed insights into the agreements and displays at FIA2024. First, let’s review the current state and expectations of the airshow's main attendees.

Airbus: Main Figure on the Ramp

After an excellent performance at Le Bourget, the European manufacturer wants to consolidate its position as a leader in the passenger aircraft segment. At least in terms of aircraft displayed, Airbus will be the company that will showcase the largest variety of planes to the public and potential customers.

One week before the start of the show, Airbus has confirmed the following passenger aircraft lineup at FIA2024: the brand-new Air India (AI) A350-900, the colorful JetBlue (B6) A220-300, and the elegant Virgin Atlantic (VS) A330-900neo. These three exciting airframes will be placed on static display and open for tours and visits by the attendees.

On flying display, the Airbus team will showcase the performance and capabilities of its most talked-about jet, the A321XLR. The jet is expected to begin commercial flights with the launch customer, Iberia, in November 2024.

Eyes should be placed on all Airbus models, as every airframe has enormous selling power, especially the A321XLR and the recently announced freighter variant of the A350.

Embraer to Cater to the Cargo Market

Always playing away from home on each worldwide airshow, the Brazilian aircraft factory remains conservative with its range of products, though with a significant addition to the lineup.

While the new-generation E-195 E2 will gain attention from the public with its capabilities and attractive “Tech Eagle” livery, Embraer will probably dedicate most of its promotional efforts to showcasing its new member, the E-Freighter, based on the first generation of the E-Jet.

This plane aims to be a comfortable fit for the air cargo market bag between medium-haul conversions and smaller turboprops, with 3,600 cubic feet of volume and a range of 2,300 nautical miles.

Keeping with its typical organization on every airshow, Embraer will dedicate one of the three trade days to announce the entirety of its commercial aviation announcements and orders, reserving the rest of the days for other market announcements, visits, and tours. The E-195 E2 “Tech Eagle” will also be put on flying display.

Qatar Airways Focused on Passenger Experience

Having received numerous awards through the last year for its extraordinary inflight experience and premium products, the Middle Eastern airline will be present once again at FIA2024, this time displaying its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and the brand-new Gulfstream G700 private jet of which it is the launch customer.

While no flight displays are expected from Qatar Airways (QR), both aircraft will, of course, be open to the public so that they can enjoy the feeling of flying on board one of the most luxurious airlines today without taking off from the ground.

At the time of writing, and awaiting any other last-minute announcements, the Qatari flag carrier will be the only Middle Eastern company to bring and showcase its fleet at FIA2024.

ATR: On the Lookout for New Customers

There are and will always be new opportunities for regional aircraft, and ATR knows it. The Franco-Italian manufacturer will return to the Farnborough Airshow with its small yet consistent range of products, including significant innovations such as the ATR Highline Premium Cabin, already selected by a handful of customers.

Present on the ramp of Farnborough will be a Braathens Regional Airlines ATR 72-600, the first aircraft that flew with 100% SAF in June 2022 and the ATR 72-600 Test Aircraft, "which will substitute the FedEx Freighter and conduct the daily flight exhibitions," according to ATR.

This will be the first time this small carrier will appear in such a famous airshow, so with the help of ATR, it will surely gain attention from customers and investors.

First Airshow without Riyadh Air?

While everyone was getting used to viewing the new Saudi carrier as one of the main attendees at every show, Riyadh Air has yet to make any move to be physically present at Farnborough Airshow 2024, at least on a large scale.

After its official presentation in March 2023, the company led by CEO Tony Douglas made enormous efforts to be highlighted among its peers at the Paris and Dubai Airshows. It brought its “borrowed” Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Boeing and announced updates toward its operational debut in 2025.

This time, and awaiting any last-minute confirmation, Riyadh Air will not showcase its only aircraft, although tours and expositions of its recently unveiled uniforms should appear at FIA2024.

Boeing Stays at Home

Yes, you read it well. In a historic and unprecedented move, Boeing will not fly any commercial passenger aircraft to the Farnborough International Airshow this year. The airline’s current product, based on the Boeing 737-10 MAX and 777-9X, will stay in Seattle to dedicate all their work and effort to achieve certification from the FAA as soon as possible.

The Boeing 777X variant began flight test certification with the FAA on July 13, and showcasing the aircraft at FIA2024 would handicap the quick and efficient certification process.

Boeing said in a statement: “We are concentrated on implementing our comprehensive safety and quality plan and meeting our customer commitments…The best way to build trust is through high-quality performance in our factories, one airplane at a time.”

While not directly, attendees will be able to visit and explore Boeing passenger aircraft thanks to the display of the QR Boeing 787-9 mentioned earlier, as well as a range of military and defense airplanes, including the United States Air Force.

Other Significant Arrivals

Other attendees will surely gain attention from potential customers, the press, investors, and the public. One entity that should be taken into account is Boom Supersonic, which aims to prove once again at FIA2024 that supersonic passenger travel is economically possible after the retirement of the Concorde.

Many airline summits, agreements, interviews, and announcements will also take place at the most prestigious and reputed air travel concentrations in the world.

FIA2024 Live Coverage

The featured image shows the apron view between this year’s airshow, which, compared to FIA2022, will be very different with livery and aircraft lineup changes.

Stay tuned to Airways for our live coverage of FIA2024 from the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre in the UK.

Be sure to follow us for live updates on all our social media channels #FIA2024.