AERO 2021 to be held in the summer

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Show for General Aviation will be unable to start as planned on April 21, 2021 on the exhibition grounds in Friedrichshafen. "Following the cancellation of the event last year, the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic coupled with the renewed lockdown extension unfortunately mean that AERO Friedrichshafen will have to be postponed.  With the aim of creating clear parameters for all our customers and partners, we have now decided at this relatively early stage to hold our upcoming AERO as a summer edition from July 14 to July 17, 2021, in Friedrichshafen,” stated Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann.

Head of AERO Roland Bosch and project manager Tobias Bretzel explained the course correction as follows: "A few weeks ago we started off the new year with confidence and hope. Metaphorically speaking, it was clear flying for the first few days, but we now find ourselves faced, once again, with a thick fog on the landing runway. In fact, we are already able to forecast that it will not be possible to hold AERO 2021 as an international trade show in April as planned. However, the large overall number of bookings and the very positive feedback that we have received about AERO have encouraged us to plan a summer edition of the event for July.  While we are fully aware that this will be yet another challenge for all of us, we are very confident that we are doing the right thing. Indeed, we view this revamp as a great opportunity to stage this all-important gathering of the entire GA family in pleasant summer conditions.”

The idea of a summer edition of AERO has already received prominent endorsements from within the industry. "AERO Friedrichshafen provides the global general aviation industry the opportunity to showcase its latest innovations. It has also become a premier setting for discussions about the current affairs and future of the industry in Europe. GAMA looks forward to our continued participation in this valuable general aviation expo - also at the upcoming summer edition from 14th - 17th July 2021”, explained Pete Bunce, President and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Walter Da Costa - Chief Sales Officer (CSO) Tecnam Aircraft stated: "As safety is our mantra, Tecnam is happy to support AERO Germany in its decision of postponing the event in summertime. We hope that the difficult days will be gone and this could revamp the General Aviation community in a further step forward. For sure we all will be back stronger than ever." Trevor Pegrum, Garmin Aviation Sales and Marketing Manager, Europe agrees: "We applaud AERO organizers for shifting the dates of this marquee event after careful deliberation regarding global health considerations, while also understanding the value AERO has for the European Aviation industry. We look forward to participating in AERO this year and in the future years to showcase the latest Garmin products.”

Those exhibitors who already registered for the AERO Friedrichshafen event that was to be held in April will receive detailed information about the new summer edition in the next few days.  To streamline our organizational processes, we kindly ask other interested parties to discuss their tradeshow stand participation in the summer edition of AERO with the project team before the end of January, if possible.  Additionally, we advise all our patrons and customers to arrange for accommodations as soon as possible, as the Lake Constance region is a popular holiday destination in July, particularly under current circumstances.