It may be a global village that comes to life for a week every two years, but there is an increasingly established feel to the Farnborough show grounds. Around the perimeter, housing, smart offices and an upscale hotel have replaced a clutter of redundant buildings from its days as a Cold War defence establishment. And on the slope facing the modern hangars and terminal of Farnborough business airport on the other side of the runway, permanent exhibition buildings are emerging.
The first to appear was Five, in recent years BAE Systems’ air show home but hired out as an events venue the rest of the time. Then, in time for Farnborough 2014, a permanent chalet Row A was constructed, with exhibitors committing to long-term leases to secure prime positions overlooking the flight line. Lockheed Martin, one of the biggest supporters of the show, is now building a year-round pavilion, ready for July’s show.
The most significant permanent addition will be a new exhibition complex, on the site occupied by the temporary Hall 1 and 1A. Work will begin shortly after this year’s show ends with the public weekend on 16/17 July, with the intention of having the building open for Farnborough 2018, says Shaun Ormrod, chief executive of show organiser Farnborough International (FIL), which is owned by UK industry federation ADS.
Although the building will provide some exhibitors with a much more comfortable home for the week – with air conditioning, wi-fi, catering and meeting rooms – the benefits of the investment go beyond the show itself, maintains Ormrod. The facility will compete with exhibition centres around the country, including in Harrogate and Mancheter, and provide valuable third-party revenue for FIL and ADS. “It’s all about protecting Farnborough for the future,” he says.
As for the show itself, show director Amanda Stainer promises “the most international Farnborough yet”, with a “huge overseas presence” from small and medium-sized enterprises as well as airframers. Among the 20 country pavilions will be some from China, which is doubling its presence from 2014, and – in a sign of rapprochement with the once pariah Islamic Republic – the first representation from Iran’s aerospace sector in modern times.
Airbus, as ever, is expected to have a major presence with an A350 and A380 flying. In addition, A350-900 launch customer and Farnborough and Paris stalwart Qatar Airways is likely to exhibit both types. FIL says it is “hopeful” of having Bombardier’s CS100 or CS300, and the new Embraer E-Jet E2 “at least on the static”.
On the military side, the Lockheed Martin F-35 will make its debut outside the USA, with up to five examples flying. Embraer too will display its KC-390 airlifter for the first time at an air show. The Brazilian manufacturer will be keen to use the opportunity to promote the tanker-transport, which still has just its domestic customer and has had its entry into service delayed until 2018. However the prototype is back in flight test and a second aircraft is close to joining it.
Meanwhile, the Antonov An-178 transport will also appear for the first time at Farnborough. The Ukrainian-built aircraft, which flew for the first time in May last year, is due for certification at the end of 2016. Late last year, Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding for 30 examples.
This year’s show will also be a stage for Boeing’s centenary celebrations – the actual anniversary falls at the end of the week, on Friday 15 July. Although plans are under wraps, both FIL and Boeing hint at a spectacular to mark the date. At the 2012 Farnborough, Boeing famously made a return to the flying display with its 787-8. With its next new programmes – the 787-10 and the 777X – not due to fly until later in the decade, expect the emphasis to be on Boeing’s heritage.
On a more sobering note, there will perhaps be an increasing emphasis on safety this year. Farnborough and the Royal International Air Tattoo, which takes place over the 9/10 July weekend, will be the first major air shows to take place in the UK since the Shoreham disaster in August in which 11 people were killed. FIL insists “safety governs every aspect” of the air show and that its “own set of regulations… go above and beyond those of the [UK Civil Aviation Authority]”.
Included in these is the so-called “Farnborough bowl” rule which requires that pilots are only permitted to fly to their minimum display heights within the airfield boundary. At Shoreham, the casualties occured when a Hawker Hunter manoeuvre went wrong and the aircraft crashed on a busy main road. In addition, says FIL, flights are monitored by an electro-optical tracking system that flags if any pilot’s display deviates from that approved in validation.
But while the metal on the static and in the skies over the show site enjoys the spotlight, it is behind closed doors in the chalets, and in the halls – where hundreds of exhibitors hope to catch the eye of potential buyers – that the real business of Farnborough will be done. Once again, the week of 11 July will see tens of thousands of aerospace professionals from all over the world converge on a Hampshire town to make new contacts, entertain customers and seal multi-million dollar deals.
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Source: Flight International
