There’s something in the air … for all

Australia’s largest aerospace and defence industry event – Avalon Australian International Airshow – returns to Avalon Airport today in a six-day program showcasing the spectrum of civil and military aviation, aerospace and space.

The RAAF Roulette’s air display at the 2023 Avalon Airshow.

The Avalon Australian International Airshow – Australia’s largest aerospace and defence industry event – returns to Avalon Airport in Victoria commencing today in a six-day program showcasing the spectrum of civil and military aviation, aerospace and space.

Held every two years, Avalon is the largest industry airshow in the southern hemisphere and Australia’s equivalent of the legendary Paris and Farnborough airshows, with numbers to match.

Avalon 2025, from today until Sunday, will see around 850 participating exhibitor companies, 45 industry-led conferences and more than 200 official industry, government and scientific delegations from more than 30 countries. The 2023 event attracted nearly a quarter of a million attendances across its six days.

Alongside the Australian Chief of Air Force’s own symposium, Avalon 2025 will host a range of major conferences on the Australian space industry, airports development, aerospace engineering, emerging technologies and how Australian companies can join the global supply chains of prime contractors.

Outside the exhibition halls there will be more than 350 aircraft on display – in the air and on the ground – from home-built light aircraft to competition aerobatics aircraft, business jets, helicopters, military heavies such as the Boeing C-17 and Airbus A400M, and fast jets including the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-22 Raptor.

On Friday, Avalon 2025 will deliver the largest careers and skills program in the event’s 33-year history, with more than 7500 students and teachers learning about aerospace careers opportunities from industry and defence specialists including two former NASA astronauts and Australia’s own astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg.

One of the world’s great airshows

The event is a dual-purpose celebration of aviation, aerospace and space.

The first three days, today through to Thursday, are industry-only exhibition days, devoted to business. Day four is a hybrid business and public day, with gates opening to the general public in anticipation of the world-famous Friday Night Alight evening airshow.

Across the weekend the event continues as a spectacular public airshow, featuring Australian and international military aircraft, vintage and veteran, warbirds, parachutists and helicopters.

Avalon 2025 is a critical interface between aviation and the general public, offering the chance to climb into cockpits and cabins, and talk to industry experts. In the exhibition halls you’ll see emerging technologies and career paths from a diverse industry.

Aviation across the spectrum

Avalon will also highlight historic and modern general aviation and airsport aircraft, from home-builts to aircraft from major manufacturers such as Cessna, Tecnam, Cirrus and Jabiru. At Avalon 2023 general aviation aircraft made up more than a third of aircraft on display.

So, alongside the fire-breathing supersonic fighters there will be vintage and veteran biplanes, restored WWII legends such as the Spitfire, Mustang and Hudson, and later Royal Australian Air Force veterans including the Winjeel and CT4A trainer.

Air force on show

And it’s not just industry that sees the benefit. Avalon provides a unique interface between defence, industry and the general public, with delegations from allies and international partners meeting with the Royal Australian Air Force and Australian government, both outside and inside the event.

The Royal Australian Air Force sees Avalon as both a major recruiting exercise and a means of showing the Australian public how the air force serves the nation in both conflict and national emergencies.

Open for business

With the latest aircraft displayed on the flight line, major international companies exhibit alongside smaller SMEs and start-ups with a Big Idea, connecting with potential customers, suppliers and partners.

This is Australia’s signature aerospace industry event, renowned for the engagement created by the sheer concentration of industry, government, defence and academia.

Exhibition space sold out in 2023, so the exhibition footprint has grown by a third for Avalon 2025, with the addition of a fourth exhibition hall. This year’s exhibition will be three times the size of the 1992 original.

Avalon 2025 will also celebrate the centenary of the first flight of the legendary de Havilland Moth, later developed into the iconic Tiger Moth biplane trainer. Put all the elements together and Avalon 2025 will be a gathering of the entire aviation community.

“The week of Avalon has a special atmosphere, a feeling of being involved in something quite extraordinary,” AMDA CEO Justin Giddings said.

“There’s a sense that the entire aviation community is in residence at Avalon for that week, with Avalon acting as a barometer for the health and future of the whole industry. All this happens with regular flying displays demonstrating some of the most advanced civil and military aircraft in the world.”

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The Avalon Australian International Airshow 2025 runs from today until Sunday at Avalon Airport in Victoria. See airshow.com.au for more.