AERO 2026 shines with innovations for sustainable aviation

AERO 2026 offers visitors a glimpse into the future of aviation. The industry agrees that the aviation of the future will be sustainable and is currently developing new technologies, lighter materials, new propulsion systems, and alternative fuels to achieve this goal. This year, exhibitors on the AERO Sustainable Aviation Trail will be highlighted for the first time by green and white windsocks instead of green balloons at their stands.

The organisers are using these to identify companies that are working on sustainable projects or offering sustainable products and services. Over 100 exhibitors will be represented along the trail. The aviation industry is working on many aspects to become more sustainable. Innovations include not only hardware but also navigation software that enables more direct and shorter flight routes while also meteorological conditions into account.

Tobias Bretzel, Show Director AERO at fairnamic GmbH, commented: "Sustainable aviation plays a central role at this year's AERO Friedrichshafen with our new Innovation Stage and the redesigned Innovation Area in Hall A7. AERO has a long tradition of promoting innovation and presenting it to a wide audience. With the e-Flight Expo, we were pioneers in the field of sustainable aviation in 2009 and are proud of its successful development."

Hall A7 will feature the Innovation Stage for the first time, dedicated exclusively to expert presentations by high-profile speakers on topics related to sustainable aviation during the first two days of the trade show (April 22 and 23). Around the stage, exhibitors will showcase their visions and projects for the future of aviation, including new propulsion concepts, fuels, and materials. Experts agree that future aircraft will be quieter, more energy-efficient, and cheaper to operate.

General aviation, with its wide range of aircraft types, plays an important role in the development of new aviation technologies, because general aviation aircraft allow aerospace innovations to be developed and tested quickly and cost-effectively before being used in larger aircraft.

The fourth AERO Hydrogen & Battery Summit, with Bosch as the official headline sponsor, will take place on April 21 and 22, 2026. The symposium will focus on the transition to sustainable and CO₂-free aviation and present practical solutions and applications. Experts from research and development and industry will provide current insights into their work on topics including:

• Advances in battery cell development and safety
• Sustainable electromobility and new propulsion systems in aviation
• Current hydrogen research and industrial projects, including fuel cell development and its basic components.

Messe Friedrichshafen with the largest rooftop photovoltaic system in the Lake Constance region

It is not only the exhibitors at AERO who are supporting the industry's efforts to become more sustainable. Messe Friedrichshafen itself has also invested in green technologies in recent months. A new photovoltaic system with a total capacity of 5.5 megawatts peak has been installed on the roofs of ten exhibition halls. In the future, the trade fair will generate a large part of its electricity requirements itself and feed surplus energy into the regional grid as green electricity. The facility was officially inaugurated on February 24, 2026. Klaus Wellmann, CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen, said: “With the commissioning of our 5.5-megawatt-peak PV system, Messe Friedrichshafen is literally going online. Together with strong technology partners from the region, we are sending a clear signal for on-site power generation, high energy self-sufficiency and sustainable management. The project is a central pillar of our sustainability strategy and at the same time supports the climate targets of the city of Friedrichshafen by reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 2,735 tons."