Aviation Week's Window Seat Podcast
Jul 22, 2026 · 17 min · 11 segments
Which announcements mattered most, what do the latest aircraft orders reveal about the market and where is commercial aviation heading next? ATW editors unpack the defining themes from the Farnborough…
Alan DronGuestSo before we get into the individual announcements, what have been your overall impressions of the show? How has it been for you this year, Victoria?
I think the thing that surprised me the most this year, David, is that we've had quite a few subdued air shows over the last few years.
But we've not really seen that classic order flurry that we would normally see at air shows.
My first briefing that I went into was an announcement for 100, uh, 737 maxes for SMBC.
The other thing I've noticed is it doesn't feel like that we're in a period of geopolitical unrest.
I'm sure that our defense colleagues have really picked up on that on the briefings they've done.
But it seems to be that the airline market for orders is very, very bullish, and we've seen a lot of activity.
So there's that combination of perhaps unexpectedly strong order activity and a real sense of optimism.
I think that's been interesting, particularly if you take into account the geopolitical backdrop of the show at the minute.
So Alan, did you pick up on the same mood? How has Farnborough felt for you compared to previous editions?
Well, uh, I think it's definitely been buzzier than the 2024 edition, which was generally agreed to be distinctly dull.
And there was, I would say, an indefinable perkiness to the atmosphere around the show.
And as Victoria mentioned, perhaps the clearest evidence of that confidence has been the volume of commercial activity.
So before we get into the individual announcements, what have been your overall impressions of the show? How has it been for you this year, Victoria?
I think the thing that surprised me the most this year, David, is that we've had quite a few subdued air shows over the last few years.
But we've not really seen that classic order flurry that we would normally see at air shows.
My first briefing that I went into was an announcement for 100, uh, 737 maxes for SMBC.
The other thing I've noticed is it doesn't feel like that we're in a period of geopolitical unrest.
I'm sure that our defense colleagues have really picked up on that on the briefings they've done.
But it seems to be that the airline market for orders is very, very bullish, and we've seen a lot of activity.
So there's that combination of perhaps unexpectedly strong order activity and a real sense of optimism.
I think that's been interesting, particularly if you take into account the geopolitical backdrop of the show at the minute.
So Alan, did you pick up on the same mood? How has Farnborough felt for you compared to previous editions?
Well, uh, I think it's definitely been buzzier than the 2024 edition, which was generally agreed to be distinctly dull.
And there was, I would say, an indefinable perkiness to the atmosphere around the show.
And as Victoria mentioned, perhaps the clearest evidence of that confidence has been the volume of commercial activity.
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