Air shows & industry calendar

The Malta Aviation Conference and Expo (MACE) is an annual two-day combined conference and exhibition held each October at the Corinthia Hotel St George's Bay in St Julian's, Malta. First staged in 2019, the 2026 gathering is its eighth edition, running 28–29 October. Organised by MACE Malta Ltd., the event draws approximately 450 delegates, around 30 exhibitors, and more than 100 speakers drawn from airlines, business aviation, MRO, leasing, regulatory bodies, and government. Topics addressed span aviation safety, cybersecurity, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and economic policy. Held under the patronage of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), MACE serves as a focused networking and procurement forum for operators, financiers, and supply-chain businesses active in the European and Mediterranean aviation markets.

NBAA-BACE (Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition) is the global business aviation industry's flagship annual trade event, organised by the National Business Aviation Association. The 2026 edition runs 20–22 October at the Las Vegas Convention Center (West Hall), with a static aircraft display concurrently held at Henderson Executive Airport. The event takes place every year, predominantly in Las Vegas. It draws more than 1,000 indoor exhibitors and approximately 25,000 professionals, including corporate flight departments, business jet OEMs such as Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault, Cessna and Embraer, engine manufacturers, avionics suppliers, MRO providers, fractional and charter operators, and procurement decision-makers. For the aerospace supply chain, NBAA-BACE concentrates avionics, interiors, aftermarket services and component suppliers in one venue, making it a key forum for product launches, supplier evaluation and contract negotiations across the business aviation sector.

The AIRTAXI & Drone World Congress (ATWC) is an annual advanced air mobility (AAM) conference and exhibition focused on eVTOLs, air taxis, cargo drones, next-generation seaplanes, and autonomous systems. The 2026 edition runs 6–8 October at the Centro Congressi Porto Antico di Genova, Genoa, Italy, having previously been staged in San Francisco, Dubai, and London. The event rotates host cities annually. It brings together OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, regulators, airlines, airport operators, investors, vertiport developers, and city authorities. Formats include a high-level summit, one-to-one business meetings, static displays, and live flight demonstrations. For the aerospace supply chain, ATWC serves as a principal forum for new entrant certification roadmaps, component sourcing, and emerging commercial frameworks for electric and sustainable aviation platforms.

The 11th Annual UAV Technology Conference is a two-day defence-focused conference organised by SAE Media Group, held in London, United Kingdom, on 21–22 September 2026. Running annually since its inaugural edition, the event convenes senior military officers, government officials, procurement leads, and industry specialists from across the uncrewed aerial systems sector. Confirmed attendees represent organisations including the Royal Air Force, British Army, US Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Ukrainian Armed Forces, NATO, and the Italian Air Force, alongside industry exhibitors and sponsors. The conference addresses ISR operations, airspace integration, autonomy, strike capability, and NATO interoperability, providing a structured forum where platform developers, system integrators, and defence procurement authorities engage directly with operational requirements.

ICAS 2026 is the 35th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, a peer-reviewed scientific congress held biennially since 1958. It takes place 13–18 September 2026 at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia, hosted by the Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division. The congress draws aeronautical engineers, researchers, scientists and managers from across ICAS's 30 member nations to present and critique advances in aeronautical science and technology spanning both civil and military aviation. The 2026 theme, Shaping Aviation for Society, places particular emphasis on energy, materials, control systems, data science and certification of disruptive technologies — topics that directly inform technology-readiness decisions throughout the aerospace supply chain.

The Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC) is an annual technical research and development conference co-sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and owned by the Digital Avionics Technical Committee (DATC). The 45th edition runs 13–17 September 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando Theme Park Resort, Florida, USA, with tutorials on 13–14 September and the main conference on 15–17 September. The event convenes engineers, researchers, and industry professionals working across avionics hardware, software, autonomous systems, AI integration, and cybersecurity. Proceedings are published in IEEE Xplore, making DASC a key forum through which avionics suppliers, system integrators, and airframers track emerging standards and technologies shaping the digital avionics supply chain.

The Istanbul Airshow (also known as AIREX) is a biennial international trade exhibition dedicated exclusively to civil aviation, held at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in the Yeşilköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. Organised by Expo Mint, the three-day event runs every two years, with the 2026 edition scheduled for 12–14 September. It is the only civil aviation showcase of its kind serving Turkey, the Balkans, the Middle East, and CIS countries. Exhibitors span airframe manufacturers, avionics suppliers, MRO providers, air cargo operators, and airport technology companies. Attendees include airline executives, airport operators, regulatory authorities, and procurement professionals, making the event a significant access point for suppliers targeting Eurasian aviation markets.

AeroTech is an annual conference and exposition hosted by SAE International, held at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. The 2026 edition runs 2–4 June and marks the event's 25th anniversary. It convenes engineers, executives, researchers, regulators, and academics drawn from commercial aviation, military, rotary-wing, and unmanned sectors. The programme combines technical presentations, standards committee meetings, and an exposition where suppliers, manufacturers, and tooling and materials vendors demonstrate technology. AeroTech is notable for its focus on the practical application of engineering developments — spanning advanced air mobility, propulsion, sustainability, and digital manufacturing — making it a consequential touchpoint for aerospace prime contractors and their supply chains.