Highlights from Aero Friedrichshafen 2026

Exhibitors were still setting up, the big hangar doors of the exhibit halls wide open to admit aircraft and other equipment to be towed inside, when Volker Thomalla, head of communications, led a group of about 30 journalists and photographers to the first stop of the tour.

Volocopter presented a mockup of its VoloCity, the first electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in Europe, set to transport passengers in major cities by 2027. It has performed more than 2,500 test flights in locations including Singapore, Paris, and New York. Volocopter Head of Global Marketing and Brand Management Markus Hinkel said that it is currently “the first and only eVTOL in Europe to have reached this state of development.”

Next stop was the booth of Evocopter based in Bavaria, Germany. Its Evocopter ClassiX, an autorotating ultralight helicopter on skids, is making its first public appearance at the convention. Realizing that existing ultralight helicopters were neither mature nor safe, Paul Ressle, founder of the company, decided to develop his own and one that was economical to maintain and operate. It took five years from development to German type certification. “I didn’t want to be one of those guys who announces a project and then tells the audience year after year that it’s almost done. I wanted to exhibit only once we had certification,” said Ressle. The ClassiX features an optimized Lycoming engine and is made almost entirely out of carbon fiber. Numerous load tests have demonstrated the stability of the airframe.

At the next stop, Kaelin Aero Technologies unveiled its B-100C, a mission-ready aircraft, its elegant lines reminiscent of the Socata TB 30 Epsilon. The basic trainer emerged from a cloud of smoke and is designed “as an aircraft that supports pilots from the structured start of their training through to advanced training profiles,” according to Kaelin Aero Technologies Marketing Manager Nadja Kübler. It can reach speeds of 162 knots, has tandem seating, and offers excellent visibility. The B-100C was developed and is manufactured in Switzerland and Germany.

Introduced in 2025, Aero’s business aviation show hub, the next stop, has grown to 300 exhibitors from 50 countries (so much so that the actual dome had to be moved to make space for the multitude of aircraft showcased in the static display), making Aero the leading show for general and business aviation in Europe. The enlarged dome serves as a venue for networking and features a hospitality area and a speaker stage to discuss topics such as sustainability, innovation, and how to attract skilled workers to careers in aviation. On the static display, Piaggio Aerospace’s Avanti NX stood out. Based on the iconic design of the P.180 Avanti, it shows that “innovation could be both daring and enduring,” according to Chief Designer Alberto Caruso.

Daher Aircraft displayed the TBM 980 and the Kodiak 900, which made its first appearance in Europe. Senior Director of Multi-Mission Aircraft and Business Development for the Americas Paul Carelli had flown it all the way from Idaho to Friedrichshafen, Germany. The multi-mission aircraft is tailored for a spectrum of operations. In the United States the New York State Police, the Virginia State Police, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Maine Marine Patrol use the aircraft for law enforcement and research. 

Junkers Aircraft was celebrating a special milestone at its exhibit area when the German Ultralight Association presented the Dimor Group’s founder, Dieter Morszeck, with the type certificate for its Junkers A60. (Dimor Group acquired the rights to the Junkers name and relaunched the production of the historic aircraft.) The A60 can be configured for open- and closed-cockpit flying; a windshield and canopy can be easily removed and mounted. It is the evolution of the A50 Junior with fixed tricycle landing gear, side-by-side seating, and an interior inspired by luxury sports cars. Two models of the A50 Heritage were also on display, showcasing a range individual customization of their paint schemes.

Textron Aviation displayed the Cessna Citation Longitude and Ascend along with a lineup that included the Pipistrel Velis and a Cessna 172 in the training segment. While regaling the media representatives with pretzels and beer, the manufacturer announced that Luminair, a German charter company, had ordered nine Citation Latitudes.

Prior to the tour, Tobias Bretzel, show director at Aero, kicked the day off with a short summary of how Aero has grown over the years to culminate in a new high of 860 exhibitors from 50 countries this year. Visitor pre-registrations increased by 30 percent. He called Aero “a place where pilots meet in Europe,” and said that 50 percent of all visitors hold a pilot certificate.