Farnborough International Airshow 2026 Reveals First Aircraft Lineup

‍FARNBOROUGH — Farnborough International Airshow has released the first list of aircraft and demonstration teams confirmed for its 2026 edition, led by the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team.

The show will take place July 20–24, 2026, at Farnborough Airport (FAB) in Hampshire, United Kingdom, and our team will be there again to cover all things commercial aviation. Lucky them. But we'll include all the displays in this post, commercial or otherwise.

Organizers note that aircraft display details remain subject to change as additional participants are confirmed.

F-35A demo team headlines flying display

The U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team will headline the five-day flying program, with organizers describing it as the team’s only public display in Europe this year. The F-35A appearance gives the show a major fifth-generation military centerpiece at a time when defense capability remains one of Farnborough’s core themes.

The first announced flying display list also includes the Airbus A350-1000, Bombardier Global 8000, Embraer C-390 Millennium, BETA Technologies CX300, GE Aerospace Saab 340B, Vertical Aerospace VA-1X, and Ultimate WarBird Flights’ P-51D Mustang. Heritage and display participants include a Rolls-Royce Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire PR.Mk.XIX, The Starlings Aerobatic Team, and The Falcons, the RAF Parachute Display Team.

Flypasts are also planned from the Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 and the Czech Air Force L-159.

Static lineup adds freighters, eVTOLs

The early static lineup includes the Czech Air Force JAS-39 Gripen, a DHL Air UK Boeing 777-200LRMF, BETA Technologies MV250, Embraer E195-E2, GE Aerospace Boeing 747-400, and General Atomic AeroTec Systems Do228 NXT, among others.

That mix gives Farnborough its usual balance of commercial, defense, business aviation, and new-technology aircraft. The presence of the A350-1000 and E195-E2 keeps commercial aircraft visible, while the C-390, F-35A, Typhoon, Gripen, and L-159 reinforce the defense side of the event.

The VA-1X and BETA aircraft also point to Farnborough’s growing advanced air mobility focus, a segment the show has increasingly used to connect aerospace manufacturing with electrification, infrastructure, and next-generation mobility.

Pioneers of tomorrow returns

The final day of the show, Friday, July 24, will again host Pioneers of Tomorrow, Farnborough’s public and careers-focused day. Organizers said the program will include STEM activities, Meet the Pilot sessions, simulators, careers programming, and other features aimed at students, apprentices, and young people entering aerospace.

The wider show remains trade-focused, with Farnborough positioning the week around aerospace, aviation, defense, space, technology, and sustainability themes.

A full list in volatile times

The first aircraft list shows Farnborough trying to cover the full aerospace spectrum: frontline combat aircraft, commercial widebodies, regional jets, freighters, business aviation, electric aircraft, and historic warbirds.

That breadth matters in a more volatile operating environment. Renewed conflict in the Gulf has sent fuel costs sharply higher, putting pressure on airline margins and making fleet efficiency, cargo resilience, defense capability, and next-generation propulsion more relevant than usual. Against that backdrop, Farnborough’s mix of commercial, military, business aviation, and advanced mobility aircraft gives the show a timely cross-section of the pressures shaping aerospace in 2026.

For manufacturers and defense organizations, the flying display remains a high-visibility platform to demonstrate capability in front of customers, governments, suppliers, and media. For the show itself, the early lineup gives Farnborough a strong aviation draw before the usual second wave of commercial and defense announcements closer to July.