Supersonic flight, automation and space tech cleared to land at Farnborough Airshow

World's largest aircraft makers and airlines will rub shoulders this week with those innovating around the future of flight and Net Zero air transport

An Airbus SE A350 aircraft lands after an aerial display at the Farnborough International Airshow. Getty Images

Sustainability, innovation and space technology are among the themes at this year's Farnborough Airshow, one of the major events in the aviation industry's calendar, which begins on Monday.

There will be a focus on small electric aircraft and urban flight, plus a return for supersonic aviation.

Having recently completed the construction of its super factory, Boom Supersonic will be presenting the latest developments for its Overture aircraft, which the company says will usher in a new era of super fast air travel.

As such, among Boom’s special guests at Farnborough will be former chief Concorde pilot for British Airways, Mike Bannister, who flew more hours on Concorde than any other pilot.

Also on display will be Windracers Ultra-UAV, an unmanned freight-delivering drone capable of flying a 100kg payload for a 1,000km. Built to land on dirt, grass, ice or tarmac, Windracers call the aircraft "the Jeep of the skies".

Real deals

The large companies are still expected to make their mark, although embattled Boeing has already said it will tailor its presence at Farnborough as it focuses on strengthening safety and quality and meeting customer commitments.

"We have reduced our commercial airplanes display and flight demonstrations at the show, and will focus on new technology, sustainability, security and services solutions," said Brendan Nelson, president of Boeing Global.

The show, which is a biennial event alternating with the Paris Airshow, brings together senior figures from the aerospace and defence sectors for a week of sales, deal-making and aeronautical displays.

At last year's Paris Airshow, more than 1,000 aircraft orders were announced across the larger manufacturers Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and ATR.

At the last Farnborough International Airshow in 2022, the big plane makers did more than $50 billion worth of business, although it wasn't a great show for Airbus, which bagged only 29 orders during the week.

Some say the Airbus figure should include the 56 A320neos that Easyjet ordered, but that deal was not done at the Air Show itself and was more a case of shareholders giving the green light to a previously arranged deal.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of Boeing's deals at Farnborough in 2022 involved the revamped 737 Max. In fact, 737 Max deals outstripped all other Boeing model orders combined.

On show

Even so, Boeing's F-15QA fighter jet will be performing an aerial display and, on the commercial front, a Qatar Airways 787-9 Dreamliner will be on the ground.

Airbus will be showcasing its A321XLR aircraft, the latest offering in its successful A321 family, which has effectively twice the range of the original models from the early 1990s.

Airbus already has 550 orders for the XLR and there could be more to come during Farnborough week.

A Boeing 737 Max aircraft at Farnborough in 2022. The plane maker says it has 'tailored' its presence at the airshow this year, as it addresses safety concerns. Reuters

The Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air already has 47 XLRs on order, and is hoping that the aircraft, which can carry more than 240 passengers, will open up new routes in the Middle East and Asia.

Meanwhile Rolls-Royce, whose Trent engines power both Boeing and Airbus models, is looking forward to an active Farnborough, not least because Airbus is selling more A350s than ever.

Supply woes

One talking point at Farnborough will be the delivery delays being incurred across the industry, as supply chain issues, worker turnover and other market turbulence continue to plague the aerospace industry years after the Covid pandemic.

Boeing warned recently that deliveries for its 737 Max due in 2025 and 2026 could face yet more delays. Meanwhile, Airbus has also alerted its customers to potential delays over the next two years.

"There's an imbalance of supply and demand in the market at the moment," said Ewan McDonald, senior vice president with Rolls-Royce.

Visitors admire the VX4, a battery-powered eVTOL aircraft, at the Farnborough Airshow. Getty Images

"We look forward to announcing some deals at Farnborough," he added.

Recently, Norwegian Air Shuttle and the German carrier Lufthansa said the delivery delays from Boeing were starting to affect their growth prospects.

However, Korean Air is thought to be close to finalising a deal to buy two dozen Boeing 777X aircraft, which the company could announce at Farnborough. The airline placed an order for 33 A350 jets from Airbus back in March.

The Brazilian plane maker Embraer is set to debut its new E-Freighter, the E190F, which is a passenger jet that has been converted into a cargo aircraft to meet the growing global demand for freight posed by the expansion of e-commerce.

Future flying solutions

One of the newest and fastest growing sectors in global aviation keen to show off its wares at Farnborough is the electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL).

eVTOLs are usually designed to take between two to six passengers and look and fly like helicopters. Essentially, they are flying taxis and for many they are the future of urban travel.

"Flying taxis are going to happen," said Benedikt Kloss, associate partner with McKinsey and company.

"The question for me at the moment is when it’s going to happen, not if."

Flying taxis come under the banner of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which itself is a subset of Advanced Air Mobility, which covers everything from drones to eVTOLs to airships.

The whole sector has been rising to such a degree within the aerospace industry that its going to hold its own forum, the Global Urban and Advanced Air Summit, during the Farnborough week.

eVTOL makers exhibiting at Farnborough will include Vertical Aerospace, which is keen to show the potential of its VX4 aircraft, Hyundai's air taxi division Supernal which will be showcasing its new S-A2 and Lilium, which last week signed a sales agreement with Saudia for 50 of its vertical take-off electric jets with an option to buy 50 more.

Plenty of Space

But the Farnborough Airshow is not just about taking to the skies - once again, it'll go much further than that with the Space Zone, an area dedicated to innovative companies working within the burgeoning space sector.

Dozens of companies will be exhibiting their space innovations at Farnborough, from component manufacturers, to guidance systems makers to materials specialists and communications experts.

For example, Space Engine Systems will be showing its plans for its HELLO series of piloted airplanes, which are engineered for ultra-high-speed travel, capable of exceeding Mach 5, which would mean a journey from Paris to New York would take 90 minutes.

Farnborough Airshow through the years - in pictures

The Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire has played host to the latest and greatest from the aerospace industry since 1948. Here, 'The National' takes a look back at 74 years of aviation. All photos: Getty Images

An Avro Lincoln, developed from the Lancaster bomber, on display at the 1948 Farnborough Airshow.

A formation of RAF de Havilland Vampire jets in flight at the Farnborough Airshow in 1950.

A young visitor stands by the wheel of an Avro York transport plane at Farnborough Airshow in 1950.

A child is carried away from the scene of a crash at the Farnborough Airshow in 1952. A prototype de Havilland DH 110 jet fighter crashed during a display, killing 27 people.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, inspects aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow in 1952.

The Handley Page Victor, a four-jet crescent-wing bomber that became part of the UK's V Bomber nuclear force along with the Vulcan and the Valiant, makes an appearance at the Farnborough Airshow in 1953.

Farnborough Airshow crowds and dignitaries watch RAF Hawker Hunter jets perform a display in honour of the Royal Aircraft Establishment's jubilee in 1955.

A cameraman stands on the roof of his estate car to get footage of the 1956 Farnborough Airshow.

A Hawker Hunter equipped with rockets flies over the Farnborough Airshow in 1956.

Visitors queue to have a look inside a Bristol freighter at the 1956 Farnborough Airshow.

Enthusiasts stand on chairs in the rain to get a better view of the aircraft as they fly past at the Farnborough Airshow 1956.

A formation of 16 Hawker Hunter jets of a Royal Air Force aerobatic team flying at the Farnborough Airshow in 1959.

A Saunders-Roe hovercraft, with a group of Royal Marines on board, on display Farnborough Airshow in 1959.

A Westland Widgeon helicopter hovers above the Farnborough Airshow crowd in 1959.

Spectators shield their eyes against the sun at Farnborough Airshow in 1959.

A worker cleans a transparent model of the supersonic passenger airliner Concorde at a British Aircraft Corporation exhibit at Farnborough Airshow in 1966.

Smoke rises after a French Navy long-range maritime patrol Breguet 1150 Atlantic aircraft crashed into buildings at the Farnborough Airshow in 1968. Five crewmen were killed.

Members of the RAF's Macaws, the College of Air Warfare's Jet Provost T-4 aerobatic display team, at Farnborough Airshow in 1972.

Pilots Maj James V Sullivan and Maj Noel F Widdifield of the US Air Force meet the press at the Farnborough Air Show in 1974, after setting an air speed record by flying the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird from New York to London in less than two hours.

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in 1974.

A prototype Concorde takes off from Farnborough Airshow in 1974.

The Westland Wisp, a radio-controlled, unmanned miniature helicopter designed to take pictures in dangerous and difficult to reach places, on display at Farnborough Airshow in 1976.

A Hawker Sea Harrier and a 'ski jump' launcher on display in at Farnborough Airshow in 1978.

Prince Charles, with his brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, inspect the Tornado multi-role combat aircraft and its payload at Farnborough Airshow in 1978.

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber approaches a KC-135R Stratotanker for refuelling for the flight back home after the stealth aircraft made a 21 hour non-stop round-trip flight to make a fly past at the 1996 Farnborough Airshow.

In 2000, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, consisting of an Avro Lancaster bomber, a PR XIX Supermarine Spitfire, and a MkIIc Hawker Hurricane, was at the Farnborough Airshow.

The new Airbus A380 double decker airliner comes in to land over a double decker busses in the 2006 Farnborough Airshow.

The tilt-rotor Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey manoeuvres at the Farnborough Airshow in 2006.

An member of the Italian Air Force crew demonstrates the capabilities of the Typhoon Eurofighter during a flight simulation at Farnborough Airshow in 2010.

Members of the public look inside a JF-17 Thunder jet fighter developed by Pakistan and China at 2010's Farnborough Airshow.

The Blades British civilian flying display team perform at Farnborough Airshow in 2010.

A crew from Wattisham army base in Suffolk with an Apache AH1 Helicopter at Farnborough Airshow in 2010.

A Typhoon Eurofighter touches down at Farnborough Airshow in 2010.

An Airbus A380 comes into land after putting on a performance for the crowds at Farnborough Airshow in 2014.

A visitor sits in a model of a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting stealth fighter, which was big news at Farnborough Airshow in 2014.

Military helmets on display at the Farnborough Airshow in 2014.

Visitors take pictures as an Airbus A380 performs for the Farnborough Airshow crowd in 2014.

Evolving technology: high-performance remote-controlled aerial target drones used by the US Air Force on display at Farnborough Airshow in 2014.

British prime minister David Cameron meets aircrew at the Farnborough Airshow in 2016.

Britain's Red Arrows fly in formation around a Spitfire at the Farnborough Airshow in 2018.

British prime minister Theresa May talks with guests as she opens the 2018 Farnborough Airshow. An Airbus A-400 Atlas looms in the background.

The aircraft are also designed to transport payloads to orbit and beyond, including the moon.

In addition, Scotland-based Missiles and Space Batteries will be showcasing its thermal batteries for use in space launcher actuators and satellite dispenser systems.

The success of the Space Zone in recent years has spurred the organisers to create a stand-alone event, the Farnborough International Space Show, which will take place in March next year.