Business aviation is set to have its highest-ever profile at the annual Aero Friedrichshafen show running from April 9 to 12. The enhanced focus on the sector comes at a time when the industry in Europe is facing political turbulence with operating costs inflated by decarbonization policies and operational restrictions at airports.

Held at Friedrichshafen Airport close to Lake Constance in southern Germany, the annual event has sometimes been described as Europe’s answer to the EAA AirVenture show in Wisconsin. This year, the lineup is even more diverse with a new Business Aviation Show Hub, alongside light and aerobatic aircraft, gliders, ultralights, drones, and an assortment of flying curiosities.

At the heart of the new business aviation enclave is the 2,000-sq-m (21,500-sq-ft) Dome structure, made to accommodate some of the exhibitors and also to serve as an area for presentations. This structure is part of the static display, which will include multiple business aircraft, including a Bombardier Challenger 3500, Gulfstream G600, Dassault Falcon 2000, and Pilatus PC-24.

The Messe Friedrichshafen exhibition site also features a pair of exhibit halls occupied by business and general aviation companies. These include a broad cross-section of aircraft makers, such as Honda Aircraft, Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, Cirrus Aircraft, Boeing, Textron Aviation, Daher, and Piper Aircraft. It would appear that some airframers may have opted to gravitate to Aero Friedrichshafen as a change from attending May’s Geneva-based EBACE show, which this year will not include a static display of aircraft.

The Aero Friedrichshafen exhibitor list also boasts a rich array of Europe’s leading business aviation service providers, including multiple aircraft charter and management groups, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul specialists. Among those exhibiting are Aero-Dienst, ACC Columbia Jet Service, Augsburg Air Service, DAS Private Jets, DC Aviation, Delta Interior, ExecuJet, FAI Aviation, Jet Aviation, and Rheinland Air Service.

Overall, the show now draws approaching 700 exhibitors from 35 countries, and 32,000 attendees are expected to pass through the gates. On Saturday, April 12, the event will close with a public day, including a flying display.

European Bizav Could Use a Boost

At Aero Friedrichshafen, the German Business Aviation Association will be articulating the case for an industry that feels increasingly embattled and scapegoated by European political leaders. The group is part of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), which has accused the European Commission of discriminatory policies, including the exclusion of the sector from the European Union’s sustainability taxonomy.

In January, EBAA joined forces with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association to publish a report making the case that restrictions on business aviation could cost Europe’s economy up to €120 billion (nearly $126 billion) in foreign direct investment and 104,000 jobs. The findings were based on research by Oxford Economics, which said the industry contributes around €100 billion to the European Union’s GDP each year and warned that Germany is one of several countries that could be impacted most severely.

Rather than imposing taxes targeting business aircraft, along with new slot restrictions and bans on short-haul flights, EBAA is arguing that Europe’s politicians should seek to harness the industry’s resolve to introduce carbon-reducing technology. Based on around 400,000 business aircraft departing 1,000 European airports each year that each fly an average of 800 kilometers (432 nm), EBAA and GAMA estimate that this activity accounts for just 0.8% of all aviation industry carbon emissions.

Meanwhile, German industry leaders are cautiously hoping for greater understanding of their plight with Friedrich Merz, a noted aircraft owner and pilot, set to become the country’s new chancellor after his CDU party achieved the largest number of parliamentary seats in the February 23 election. That said, Merz, who has faced criticism for his use of his Diamond DA62 aircraft for business and personal trips, may have too many other priorities in the face of looming political, security, and economic crises.