The 55th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget (June 16–20, 2025) is in full swing, marked by blockbuster aircraft orders, strategic defense updates, and a strong focus on green innovation. By mid-week (as of June 18), industry giants and startups alike have unveiled major announcements spanning commercial aviation, military/defense, and aerospace technology.
Themes of sustainability (especially hydrogen propulsion), advanced air mobility (eVTOLs and autonomous systems), and global collaboration are dominating the conversation. Attendance remains high with a mix of trade visitors and international delegations, underlining the show’s importance for both B2B stakeholders and aviation enthusiasts worldwide. Below is a breakdown of the key highlights and themes so far.
Commercial Aviation Highlights
Surging Aircraft Orders for Airbus and Partners —
The first days saw Airbus steal the spotlight in the traditional orders race. By the end of Day 1, Airbus had amassed 132 firm jet orders from four customers. Notable deals included a cornerstone order by Saudi leasing firm AviLease for 10 A350F freighters and 30 A320neo-family jets (with options to expand to 22 and 55 respectively).
Saudi startup Riyadh Air followed with a firm order for 25 A350-1000s, plus 25 options, making it the first Saudi carrier to commit to Airbus’s largest twinjet. Japan’s ANA Holdings signed for 24 A321neos and 3 long-range A321XLRs – a split that will see 10 neos and all XLRs go to its low-cost arm Peach, and the rest to ANA itself.
In a surprise move, LOT Polish Airlines broke tradition (having long operated Boeing fleets) by ordering 20 A220-100s and 20 A220-300s for its narrowbody renewal, marking the Polish flag carrier’s first-ever Airbus purchase.
Mid-Week Widebody Additions —
The orders momentum continued into Day 3 with more widebody deals. Turkey’s MNG Airlines signed an MoU for two A350F freighters to bolster its cargo operations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. EGYPTAIR expanded a prior A350-900 order, adding 6 more airframes to reach 16 total on order.
And Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines announced a firm purchase of 10 additional A350-1000s, bringing its A350-1000 backlog to 18 jets. Starlux, an all-Airbus operator, plans to debut a special carbon-themed livery on its first A350-1000 this year and use the type for a new Phoenix route in the US while eyeing its first European destination next year.
Even lessors joined the fray: Dublin-based Avolon agreed to lease 10 A321neos to “AJet”, a new low-cost subsidiary of Turkish Airlines – underscoring lessor confidence in Airbus narrowbodies.
Embraer’s Big Win —
After two days dominated by Airbus, Brazil’s Embraer made headlines on Day 3 with a multi-billion dollar regional jet deal. US regional carrier SkyWest Airlines placed an order for 60 Embraer E175 jets (worth $3.6 billion) with purchase rights for 50 more.
This “mega-order” reinforces the E175’s status as a cornerstone of North American regional fleets. SkyWest will use 16 of the new E175s to operate feeder flights for Delta Air Lines under contract, replacing older CRJ900/700 regional jets. In addition, Embraer secured a deal to supply 10 new E195-E2 jets to lessor Azorra, which will lease them to South African carrier Airlink for expanding regional routes in sub-Saharan Africa.
Embraer’s cargo arm also notched success – leasing firm Regional One doubled its order for E190 passenger-to-freighter conversions (from two to four) to be operated by Bridges Air Cargo for integrators like DHL and UPS.
These wins gave Embraer a Day 3 boost and signaled continued demand for regional jets and freighters.
Boeing’s Quiet Presence —
In contrast to 2019’s fierce Airbus-Boeing order duels, Boeing adopted a lower-key approach to order announcements this week. The U.S. giant did not announce any major jetliner sales at Paris by June 18, reportedly out of respect following a recent tragic 787 Dreamliner accident in India.
While Boeing’s commercial order book at the show was minimal, the company’s executives focused on reassuring customers about production stability and addressing existing backlogs (especially for the 737 MAX and upcoming 777X). Some industry analysts noted that Boeing’s relative pause allowed Airbus to dominate headlines, though Boeing is expected to regroup for future campaigns.
Other Commercial Highlights —
Beyond the Airbus and Embraer deals, several other commercial developments stood out. Vietnam’s private carrier VietJet Air inked an MoU for up to 150 Airbus A321neo jets (100 firm and 50 options), potentially as a hedge against delays in its Boeing 737 MAX orders.
This move would further cement VietJet’s all-Airbus fleet strategy (it recently also ordered 20 A330neos), aiming to turn Vietnam into a regional aviation hub with dense route networks. In regional turboprops, ATR and Pratt & Whitney announced a collaboration to develop next-generation, more efficient turboprop engines – hinting at a future ATR “EVO” hybrid-electric regional aircraft.
Canada’s De Havilland Aircraft used the show to launch the amphibious Twin Otter 300-G: Ethiopia’s flag carrier became the first airline customer, ordering two of these versatile seaplanes to reach remote communities and lakes.
Meanwhile, business aviation made a splash when a Bombardier Global 7500 demonstrator set a speed record flying from Montreal to Paris (Le Bourget) in just 5h30m – a testament to ultra-long-range bizjet performance. And at the Paris Air Forum, Air Transat was crowned World’s Best Leisure Airline by Skytrax for the third year running, highlighting post-pandemic resilience in the travel sector.
Defense and Military Announcements
European Defense in Focus —
Geopolitical tensions have clearly influenced Paris 2025’s defense agenda. European nations, amid security concerns, are announcing moves to boost capabilities and autonomy. France’s Armed Forces Minister signed a framework agreement with Airbus Helicopters to acquire a new naval drone system (SDAM) for the Navy, built around the VSR700 unmanned helicopter to deploy from warships.
In fighter development, the multinational Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program was under the microscope. Airbus Defense executives addressed their partnership with France’s Dassault, insisting that the next-gen fighter project “doesn’t have to become toxic,” despite Dassault’s demands for clear leadership (Notably, Dassault prominently showcased a full-scale mock-up of a stealth UCAV (unmanned combat air vehicle) at its stand – interpreted as a signal amid Rafale vs. FCAS leadership debates).
To support France’s own needs, local players Daher and Thales announced a contract to develop a new MALE drone (medium-altitude, long-endurance) by 2027, aiming for a sovereign French surveillance UAV that could even fly a demo by year’s end.
Transatlantic Contributions —
U.S. defense giants used the show to court European rearmament plans. Boeing Defense held briefings touting its support of 25 European armed forces and a 600+ firm supply chain on the continent. Boeing sees opportunities in offering its platforms like the E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft and P-8 Poseidon sub-hunter to countries like the UK, France and Germany to replace aging local solutions.
Executives highlighted deals already won – e.g. Germany’s purchase of CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and Poland’s order of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters – and floated new prospects such as supplying T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainers to European air forces. They even revealed an unnamed customer has expressed interest in restarting production of the C-17 Globemaster III transport (a line closed 10 years ago) – a sign of surging strategic airlift demand.
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky division, for its part, showcased an upgraded Black Hawk utility helicopter with autonomous “Matrix” technology that can enable uncrewed operations. In a Paris briefing, Sikorsky emphasized giving military commanders the option to fly Black Hawks with or without pilots for missions like search-and-rescue, highlighting that “what commanders want is options”. The company also pitched the CH-53K King Stallion heavy helicopter as a future battlefield logistics workhorse alongside drones.
Major Military Deals and Displays —
Several countries announced procurement decisions during the show. In a headline move for European airlift, Lithuania chose the Embraer C-390 Millennium as its next transport aircraft, aligning with other NATO members (Portugal, Netherlands, Hungary, etc.) that have bought the Brazilian jet. A photo-op at Embraer’s pavilion saw Lithuanian officials in front of a C-390 painted in Brazilian Air Force colors, flanked by flags of all countries interested in the type – symbolizing the aircraft’s growing NATO footprint.
Meanwhile, France signaled intent to acquire up to four Saab GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) planes for its Air Force, potentially joining the UAE and Sweden in operating the GlobalEye’s radar suite for ground and air surveillance. On Day 1, Portugal quietly firmed up an order for a sixth KC-390 tanker-transport (and secured options for 10 more via NATO) to bolster allied capabilities.
South Korea’s KAI drew attention in the static park with models of its FA-50 light fighter (as ordered by Poland) paired with a conceptual loyal-wingman combat drone, underscoring the trend toward “crewed-uncrewed teaming” for force multiplication. And MBDA unveiled a new “One-Way Effector” loitering munition (a high-end kamikaze drone) as a means to saturate enemy air defenses – a timely showcase given lessons from recent conflicts.
Next-Gen Combat and Training —
Future fighter technology was another talking point. U.S. firm Anduril brought its concept of a Fury unmanned combat aircraft (CCA) to Paris – a jet-powered drone wingman, displayed as a mock-up, reflecting how “collaborative combat aircraft are en vogue” this year. Similarly, General Atomics exhibited its jet-powered YFQ-42A CCA prototype in full-scale model form, with ground tests underway and first flight imminent.
On pilot training, CAE noted that sixth-generation fighter programs will rely “almost no training using a live platform,” highlighting immersive simulators and AI-driven virtual training for jets like the Tempest or Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighters in development. French defense contractor Babcock France went a step further, calling for a new “global trainer” aircraft that can serve as an advanced jet trainer, aggressor (Red Air) and companion trainer, to address a looming gap as air forces retire older fighters used for training.
Babcock even invested in a fleet of L-39 Albatros jets to start offering aggressor training services, but ultimately suggests a modern modular trainer (name-checking UK’s Aeralis project) may be needed for Europe’s future pilot pipeline.
International Participation —
The defense presence at Le Bourget is truly global. The United States sent a strong contingent of military aircraft (including a combat-coded F-35A on static display and the F-15EX fighter showcased by Boeing) and delegations, while Russia was notably absent due to geopolitical circumstances. Israel’s defense firms (IAI, Elbit, Rafael) faced an unexpected hurdle on Day 1 when French authorities temporarily shuttered their stands displaying missiles and drones, in light of tensions involving Israel-Iran conflicts.
On the show floor, the UK Pavilion features 63 British companies – from major players like Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems to SMEs – eager to secure export deals. Turkey showcased its TF-X fighter mockup and drones, and inked its own deals (e.g. Turkish cargo carrier MNG’s A350F order). Asia-Pacific nations are visible too: Japan’s Mitsubishi and Kawasaki discussed partnership opportunities, and South Korea’s presence (KAI’s lineup and Hanwha’s engines) reflects its growing aerospace ambitions. Even African representation is growing, exemplified by Ethiopian Airlines’ purchase of Canadian amphibious planes and new African airline startups scouting for regional jets.
Aerospace Technology & Innovation
The 2025 Paris Air Show has doubled as a showcase for cutting-edge aerospace technologies, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and new forms of mobility.
Hydrogen Propulsion Takes Center Stage —
If one buzzword has dominated Le Bourget this year, it’s “hydrogen.” Multiple projects unveiled aim to make zero-emission hydrogen-powered flight a reality. France and the UK announced significant funding for green aviation tech – notably, the UK government pledged £250 million to cutting-edge aerospace R&D, including Airbus’s ZEROe hydrogen-fuel demonstrators and Rolls-Royce’s hydrogen combustion and engine efficiency programs.
Startup activity around hydrogen is high: French venture Blue Spirit Aero showed off its sleek 4-seat Dragonfly prototype, a hydrogen-fueled electric aircraft built “around hydrogen, not around the aircraft.” Having just completed taxi tests, Dragonfly aims for a first flight by end of the year, using 12 distributed electric propulsors fed by gaseous H₂ – promising ~440 miles range at 125 knots.
From Scotland, hydrogen-electric engine maker ZeroAvia inked an MoU with regional airline Loganair to retrofit ATR 72 turboprops with 600 kW hydrogen powertrains for zero-emission flights to the Scottish isles.
They even revealed concept art of a Loganair ATR in hybrid livery, illustrating the airline’s vision for H₂-powered routes. On the larger end, Airbus itself announced a new collaboration with Germany’s MTU Aero Engines to develop hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion for future airliners – part of Airbus’s shift toward an all-hydrogen fuel-cell engine architecture for its 2035 ZEROe concept plane.
Executives noted that fuel-cell systems could power a fully electric hydrogen aircraft, leveraging MTU’s “Flying Fuel Cell” tech demonstrator expertise. Across the board, these hydrogen initiatives underscore an industry-wide drive to decarbonize aviation, with Paris acting as the staging ground for hydrogen flight commitments.
Electric Flight and eVTOLs —
Electrification is another prominent theme, particularly in urban air mobility. Numerous eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft developers have populated the display halls and chalets.
EHang, a Chinese pioneer, announced it is now producing 600+ autonomous aerial vehicles per year and recently secured its first commercial air operator certificate for an eVTOL airline in China. An actual EHang 216 passenger drone was on display, attracting crowds with its futuristic white pod design.
Meanwhile, Embraer’s spin-off Eve Air Mobility showcased a full-scale mockup of its piloted eVTOL air taxi in a distinctive teal color scheme. During the show, Eve disclosed a Letter of Intent to sell up to 54 of its eVTOLs to a US/Brazil venture called Future Flight Global, aimed at launching UAM services in cities like São Paulo and Miami.
This comes on top of Eve’s earlier $250 million deal for 50 eVTOLs with Halo/Revo and Archer’s separate MoU for 116 units – highlighting the anticipated scale of urban air mobility fleets. A high-profile AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) panel featured the CEOs of Joby, Archer, Beta Technologies, and Wisk discussing the sector’s challenges.
They stressed the need for vertiport infrastructure (like charging at pads), the advantages of autonomous flight to reduce operating costs, and the huge ramp-up in manufacturing needed to meet thousands of pre-orders. “We’re talking about scaling aircraft production to levels not seen since the 1950s,” noted Joby’s JoeBen Bevirt, who welcomed Toyota’s nearly $900 million investment to bring automotive-style mass production to eVTOLs.
The panelists also addressed public acceptance, regulatory support, and recent pro-AAM moves – including a new U.S. Executive Order to bolster advanced air mobility development.
Autonomy and Advanced Systems —
Autonomy isn’t just for flying taxis – it’s permeating traditional aerospace too. Honeywell announced it achieved the first fully autonomous flight of a medium helicopter (an Airbus AW139 testbed) using onboard AI and sensors, as part of a U.S. Marines logistics drone project.
Major avionics firms like Honeywell and Collins also touted advanced MUM-T (manned-unmanned teaming) capabilities, allowing human pilots to control drone wingmen – a concept now being trialed on platforms like Airbus Helicopters’ VSR700 and H175.
Singapore’s defense agency, for instance, signed an agreement with Airbus to add a “HTeaming” system to its H225M helicopters so crews can operate accompanying Flexrotor drones directly from the cockpit.
In manufacturing, Swiss airframer Pilatus revealed it is trialing humanoid robots on its assembly line to counter labor shortages – a project with robotics firm Hexagon deploying an agile robot called AEON for tasks like precision inspection and machine-tending.
The robot, demonstrated at the show, is meant to augment human workers, not replace them, helping maintain production rates as skilled labor becomes harder to find. Another French startup, Greenerwave, attracted attention by winning a French defense contract to supply innovative SATCOM antennas that use passive beam-steering (no semiconductors) to improve military satellite communications, including leveraging new LEO constellations.
And in avionics, Sodern unveiled its Astradia star-tracker navigation system that enables precise positioning by tracking stars, providing an immune-to-jamming alternative to GPS for aircraft and drones – a timely innovation given concerns over GPS spoofing in conflict zones.
Space and Beyond —
Space technology had its own corner (the “Space Hub”) at Paris. Blue Origin, celebrating its 25th anniversary, outlined plans for a “year of exponential scale” in 2025 – focused on drastically lowering launch costs through full reusability and in-situ resource utilization. The Jeff Bezos-led company showcased models of its Blue Moon lunar lander (part of NASA’s Artemis program for a 2029 Moon landing) and pitched its Orbital Reef commercial space station concept.
The European Space Agency (ESA) used the show to sign a contract with OHB for LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) – a trio of satellites that will be the first space-based observatory for gravitational waves.
ESA also highlighted its riSE and ASCEND programs to secure Europe’s space assets and develop debris removal capabilities.
On the expo floor, a scale model of a proposed European reusable spaceplane called VORTEX (by Dassault) hinted at Europe’s interest in an X-37B-like platform for both military and civil orbital tasks.
And with much fanfare, Dawn Aerospace promoted its Aurora spaceplane, designed for “daily trips to space” by taking off horizontally like an airplane and releasing a small second-stage rocket in the upper atmosphere – an eye-catching concept blending aerospace and spaceflight.
International Collaboration & Industry Outlook
Across all these sectors, a clear thread at Paris 2025 is international collaboration. Many announcements are joint efforts: Airbus partnering with MTU (Germany) on fuel cells, Leonardo (Italy) teaming with Baykar (Turkey) on a new drone venture, Safran (France) joining with Aura Aero (startup) on hybrid-electric regional aircraft, and Collins (US) working with Daher and Safran on France’s TAGINE hybrid-General Aviation project.
The presence of pavilions from dozens of countries and high-level governmental visits (the French Prime Minister, foreign ministers, military chiefs, etc., toured the show) underscores how the aerospace industry is a global ecosystem.
Several trends are evident as the show heads into its final days: Commercial air travel demand is rebounding strongly, with airlines placing large orders – especially for fuel-efficient narrowbodies – to position for growth and fleet renewal post-pandemic. Defense spending in Europe and beyond is increasing, driving purchases of airlifters, fighters, drones, and support systems as nations modernize and prepare for complex security scenarios.
Sustainability is no longer a side topic but front and center – every major player has a roadmap for net-zero aviation, whether via hydrogen, SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) or electric propulsion, and governments are funding these initiatives generously. Lastly, the convergence of aviation and tech (AI, autonomy, robotics) suggests the aerospace workforce and supply chain will need new skills and resilience.
As Paris Air Show 2025 approaches its finale, the atmosphere is one of cautious optimism and excitement. Deals signed here will shape aircraft production for years to come, and prototypes revealed hint at the next generation of flight. With international partnerships flourishing and innovation on display at every corner, the world’s oldest air show once again proves to be a barometer of the aviation and aerospace industry’s trajectory in 2025 and beyond.
References —
- Royal Aeronautical Society – Paris Air Show 2025 Day One Highlights
- Royal Aeronautical Society – Paris Air Show 2025 Day Two Highlights
- Royal Aeronautical Society – Paris Air Show 2025 Day Three Highlight
- AeroTime News – SkyWest orders Embraer E175s at Paris 2025
- AeroTime News – Starlux adds 10 Airbus A350-1000
- AeroTime News – Lithuania selects Embraer C-390 transport
- AeroTime News – Eve Air Mobility eVTOL deal and mockup
- Royal Aeronautical Society – Hydrogen & Innovation at Paris 2025
- Royal Aeronautical Society – Defense Updates at Paris 2025
- Royal Aeronautical Society – Advanced Air Mobility at Paris 2025
