New To This Year's Event: "E-Flight-Expo"

Organizers for AERO Friedrichshafen 2009 tell ANN leading general aviation companies have expanded their presence at the international aviation trade show.

In the run-up to this year's start, AERO reports an increase of used exhibition space in excess of 10 percent. From April 2-5, approximately 500 firms will present the entire spectrum of general aviation products and services at AERO 2009 in Friedrichshafen. The event will occupy eleven trade show halls, compared to the previous seven. Over half of the exhibition space (52 percent) will be used by aviation companies from outside Germany to present their products and services. The contingent of American companies will again form the largest non-German group of exhibitors at AERO 2009.

"AERO is strategically important for the world's general aviation industry," says trade show director Klaus Wellmann. "We are particularly pleased to once more be able to report stable results, even in these economically challenging times."

It will all be there in Friedrichshafen, from parachuting and hang gliding to ultralight aircraft, gliders, power gliders, single- and twin-engine aircraft, and business jets. Further exhibition sections have been added for 2009: The entire field of rotorcraft will be under one roof in the Helicopter Hangar, while E-FLIGHT-EXPO will showcase the latest alternative innovations in aviation propulsion.

Overall, approximately 500 firms from 23 countries will exhibit in Friedrichshafen. "We're pleased about the continuing strong participation of US companies. In fact, after Germany, they put together the largest national contingent at AERO," says Project Director Thomas Grunewald. Companies from the Czech Republic form the second largest group of non-German exhibitors.

Among the new items at this year's AERO is the "E-Flight-Expo," which will be presented as a "trade show within a trade show". Among the exhibited products will be aircraft with electrical propulsion, new solar technologies and innovative propulsion concepts. The 'E' featured in the concept's name stands for Ecological, Electrical and Evolutionary.

IMAS, the trade show for secondhand aircraft, will be held concurrently with AERO as part of the show.

FMI: www.aero-expo.de, www.e-flight-expo.de, www.widola.com