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ILA Berlin // Gate A // Why exhibit

Arguments, not adjectives

What does a stand at ILA deliver? The ILA 2026 figures provide the answer.

An Emirates Airbus A380-800 stands in a broad side view in the static display at ILA Berlin 2026. ILA 2026 Photo: Messe Berlin / Sandra Prengel
Results 2026

The record show in numbers

110,000
Participants
around, official closing figure
765
Exhibitors
from 37 nations (2024: 600 from 31)
330
Delegations
from around 60 countries (2024: 200)
90
Countries of origin
of the trade audience (2024: 66)
Audience quality

Decision-makers with concrete demand

Who you connect with at your stand: The profile of ILA 2026's qualified trade audience.

57
Purchasing influence
have the final say on purchases, co-decide or advise
28
Top management
of trade registrations come from executive and C-level roles
36
Million-euro budgets
of decision-makers manage annual budgets of €1m or more
7
€500m and above
of decision-makers manage budgets of €500m or more
Outcomes

Every metric up on 2024

Share of trade visitors reporting tangible business outcomes; post-show potential as rated by exhibitors.

New business contacts made

2024
48%
2026
51%

International share of deals

2024
64%
2026
76%
+12 points

Deals closed on site

2024
4%
2026
6%

Good post-show business expected

2024
80%
2026
86%
+6 points, strongest gain of the survey
Business impact 2026

The market that comes to Berlin

The economic dimension of ILA 2026.

76
International deal partners
of business contacts involve an international counterpart
40
Deal-closing potential
of trade visitors see concrete deal-closing potential
Evidence

What was announced in Berlin in 2026

≈ €3.5bn · Lufthansa

Order for 10 more Airbus A350-900s, on a list-price basis of around €350m per aircraft.

≈ €1bn · Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat

7 more MQ-28s, derived from Australia's $930m order for six systems.

€700m · Sentinel-1 NG

ESA and Thales Alenia Space sign the contract for the first elements of the next radar-satellite generation.

≥ €500m · eSAF plant Brandenburg

MB Energy and Zaffra invest in a plant producing 30,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel per year.

€345m · Airbus C-band SAR

Contract for two radar instruments for Earth observation.

≈ €275m · Safran JIM Compact

German Armed Forces framework contract for 2,500 units, with a record call-off of more than 1,000 units at the show.

International reach

Where the international trade audience comes from

Top 10 countries of origin as a share of all international trade registrations (excluding Germany).

Poland 9.0%
France 8.8%
United Kingdom 8.1%
Italy 6.6%
Netherlands 6.6%
USA 5.6%
Austria 5.6%
Switzerland 4.9%
Czechia 4.6%
Spain 4.1%

36% of international trade visitors arrive from beyond the top 10: Europe's primary aerospace decision hubs convene in Berlin alongside strong global partners.

Satisfaction 2026

Exhibitors who come back

How exhibitors rate ILA 2026.

88
Overall satisfaction
of exhibitors in 2026
87
Success confirmed
rate their participation as successful
87
Intend to return
plan to exhibit again at ILA 2028
85
Recommendation
recommend ILA to others
Reach

Visibility far beyond the grounds

International media presence

1,050 accredited journalists from 35 countries (2024: 850 from 25) delivered global coverage of ILA 2026; official press imagery is available via the ILA Media Hub.

Digital reach

41.9m organic social media reach, 0.7m website users and 16.6m video views generated via 36 creator partnerships (Aug 2024 to June 2026).

A political stage

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz opened ILA 2026: “ILA inspires confidence for a new beginning, ignites enthusiasm for technology, and simply evokes a sense of anticipation for our shared future.”

More than 400 speakers, 300 sessions

The conference program brought industry, politics and research to the three ILA stages for five days.

A talent magnet

3,500 participants at the ILA Talent Hub, more than double the 2024 figure. Your presence also reaches tomorrow's workforce.

Airbus Helicopters Racer in flight ILA 2026 · Airbus Racer Photo: Ibex73 / CC BY 4.0
The industry's stage

Where programs launch

PULSE P19, MQ-28 Ghost Bat, Lufthansa's order for 10 more A350-900s, the live call to the ISS: ILA 2026 was where the industry made its headlines. In 2028 this stage is yours.