Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

In the annals of air show history, the 2026 Aero Friedrichshafen event could go down as the year when its courtship of the business aviation community reached the wedding day. The show was already set to host a record presence from the sector even before the recent cancellation of the EBACE show, and is now set to welcome growing numbers of visitors eager to establish a longer term plan for the annual air fair on the banks of Lake Constance.
More than one third of exhibitors—300 or so of the 830 total—are occupying the growing business aviation cluster on the static display and in Halls A1 and A2. Part of the rising tide is flowing through new group exhibits, including the German, Austrian, Dutch and Chinese pavilions and the pre-owned aircraft coral convened by International Aircraft Dealers Association.
Between the exhibit halls and the eye-catching Zeppelin airship hangar, the static display is bulging. Textron has brought a pair of debutants in the shape of its Citation Ascend and Longitude jets, as well as its SkyCourier utility turboprop. Other newcomers include Dassault’s Falcon 6X, Bombardier’s Global 6500, Daher’s new TBM980 single turboprop and the Kodiak 900, a trio of Diamond models, and the latest ?? version of Cirrus’ VisionJet.
The scale and diversity of Aero Friedrichshafen can be somewhat overwhelming for newcomers so organizers Fairnamic have arranged guided tours and improved signage. Across the seven halls, visitors will find concentrations of exhibitors around up and coming sectors such as electric aviation and additive manufacturing.
This year, the show has drawn exhibitors from well beyond Europe’s boundaries, including a growing number of Middle Eastern companies, including ???. The high concentration of start-ups is partly explained by Fairnamic’s policy of granting a 50% discount to exhibitors younger than four years old.
<h2>Most Diverse Show Yet</h2>
“This will be our most diverse show ever,” Fairnamic's head of aviation Tobias Bretzel told AIN, acknowledging the strong growth in both the business aviation footprint and, more generally, the ratio of business-to-business exhibitors. While some trade shows have struggled to attract high net worth aircraft buyers, he advised business jet sales executives to be alert to prospects dressed more like general aviation tire-kickers with kids and dogs in tow.
“The sort of people who can afford to buy something like a Global come to our show dressed less formally, including families from the Middle East,” Bretzel commented. He predicted that Aero Friedrichshafen will continue to draw serious buyers right through to the final day on Saturday. Even before the gates opened, it saw around a 50% increase in pre-show visitor registrations.
While the scrapping of the EBACE show might be viewed as a boost for Aero Friedrichafen, the Fairnamic team take no pleasure in the demise of the Geneva-based event. “I have had to postpone and cancel shows due to reasons like Covid; these are very hard decisions and it really hurts me,” Bretzel reflected.
That said, there appears to be some prospect for future collaboration with EBACE’s organizer, the European Business Aviation Association. “We already work with different organiztions and groups and our door is wide open for discussion on future ideas. The role of EBAA is crucial,” Bretzel concluded.
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