Hosted by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) is widely known as Europe’s premier on-demand aviation and advanced air mobility event.

This year, EBACE2024 is working to redefine and shape the future of business aviation with the annual expo taking place 28-30 May 2024 at Palexpo and Geneva Airport.

EBACE2024 will serve as a hub where innovation, safety and sustainability take center stage.

Why should you attend EBACE2024?

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a key decision maker, policy maker, or simply curious to see the latest revolutionary products and ideas in business aviation, there is something for everyone at EBACE2024.

EBACE2024 offers innovators the chance to connect with companies leading the way in the future of flight and serves as a hub to explore ideas for advanced air mobility, electric and hydrogen propulsion and other game-changing innovations to advance aviation sustainability.

Attendees can connect with premier aircraft manufacturers, experience state-of-the-art avionics, witness the latest engines and gain insight into advanced technologies, products, services and marketplace trends.

There will also be a number of panel events and learning sessions from industry experts, and attendees are encouraged to engage in discussions about the transformative ideas shaping the future of business aviation. 

And if you’re planning on exhibiting your products and sharing your ideas, there’s no better location to showcase new advanced technologies, products and services for flight operations. These can range from advanced air mobility and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, to high-tech small aircraft, ultra-modern intercontinental jets and business helicopters.

More importantly, face-to-face connections make a greater impact than those formed online. EBACE2024 is the place to establish interaction with clients, prospects and potential talent-seeking opportunities within your company.

What’s new at EBACE2024?

Innovation, safety and sustainability are at the forefront of EBACE2024, and there’s no shortage of exciting displays on offer, including exhibits from many of the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

For the first time, EBACE will showcase leading advanced air mobility (AAM) companies in an outdoor display, alongside the indoor presentations at the Palexpo exhibit hall.  

Participants in the indoor and outdoor AAM exhibits include VAERIDION, Lilium, VoltAero, and more.

Bigger innovation pavillion, more opportunities

The EBACE Innovation Pavilion, located on the exhibit floor, will be bigger this year, and will feature a host of several AAM companies displaying game-changing technologies.

The 2023 event attracted more than 300 exhibiting companies and approximately 11,000 professionals, so EBACE2024 will definitely be the venue to connect with leading manufacturers, wholesalers, importers and retailers. 

Image: EBACE2024 click for more details

Displays and demos at EBACE2024

EBACE2024 will host displays and exhibitions from companies leading the way in cutting-edge advanced air mobility technology. Some of these companies include:

VAERIDION

VAERIDION will display the cabin mockup and current aircraft design for the Electric Microliner, where up to nine passengers plus crew can travel up to 500 km/hour.

The German-based company said the design of the aircraft took inspiration from gliders, with batteries integrated into the wing, and not the fuselage, to optimize the plane’s structural weight.

Hydroplane

Hydroplane is an emission-free aviation technology company focused on hydrogen-based energy storage and propulsion.

The California-based company is currently developing a modular Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant for general aviation, urban air mobility and vertical lift platforms. 

Lilium

Lilium is a German-based company developing sustainable, high-speed air mobility through its electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, vertiports and digital service.

It plans to enable faster travel than existing high-speed alternatives, opening direct connections to create a new, sustainable network.

Beyond Aero

The Toulouse-based electric aircraft manufacturer will feature One, the world’s first electric business aircraft using hydrogen propulsion to reach more than 800 nm.

VoltAero

VoltAero has designed a hybrid-electric aircraft for passenger, cargo and medical evacuation use. In a statement to EBACE, VoltAero said it is firmly committed to the development of its Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft family as a sustainable solution for regional air transportation, connecting cities and communities while supporting aviation’s transition toward the industry’s goal of reaching climate neutrality later this century.

The French company also said it is successfully derisking the technology for Cassio by validating the propulsion module in flight trials on typical regional air route segments, and demonstrating its operation with 100% sustainable fuel today, followed by the use of hydrogen in the future.

Women at EBACE2024

Innovation and sustainability are not the only highlights of EBACE2024. Women who are breaking ground in business aviation are also set to take center stage.

Here are some of the women helping to shape the future of the industry who will be present at EBACE2024.

Dr. Anita Sengupta, CEO of Hydroplane

Dr. Anita Sengupta is an aerospace engineer, rocket scientist, professor, commercial pilot, and executive. 

Her career began with launch vehicles and communication satellites at Boeing Space and Communications. She then worked for NASA for 16 years where her engineering projects included her PhD research on developing the electric propulsion system for the Dawn Mission (to the main asteroid belt), the supersonic parachute that landed the Curiosity rover on Mars in 2012, the Orion drogue parachute system development, and the Cold Atom Laboratory an atomic physics facility on board the International Space Station (ISS). 

In 2020 she founded Hydroplane to develop a novel hydrogen fuel cell powered electric power plant for aircraft, using her passion as a pilot, skills as an executive, training as a technologist, and presence as a transport thought leader to enable truly sustainable aviation.

Dr. Sengupta will be a panel member at the following EBACE Sustainability Summit discussions:

• Going the Extra Mile – Will Intermodal Transportation Expand Business Aviation? 
• The Hydrogen Horizon: From H2 to Net Zero

Hydroplane is an exhibitor at EBACE2024 and will feature its Winged VTO, Powerplant: All-Electric or Hybrid-Electric.

Freshta Farzam, CEO & Founder of LYTE Aviation

CEO and Founder of LYTE Aviation, Freshta Farzam is an entrepreneur who believes that a bold mindset, sharp focus and passionate co-creation is the solution to tackling the climate crisis.

Combining her understanding of business strategy and technology, Farzam approached the fundamentals of aviation to research, study and find an ideal solution to the climate crisis for the aviation industry with her team.

Freshta is a panel member at the EBACE2024 Sustainability Summit, and will be involved in the following discussions:

• Future of Flight – The Balance Between Technology and the Human Touch
• Innovation to the Rescue! Potential Roles of Drones and eVTOLs in EMS
• Going the Extra Mile – Will Intermodal Transportation Expand Business Aviation?

Eloa Guillotin, CEO and co-founder, Beyond Aero

Eloa Guillotin is the co-founder and CEO of Beyond Aero, a French startup working to decarbonize private planes.

In a March 2024 interview with Fast Company, Guillotin said that growing up in a small village in the west of France, “there was nothing to do except look at the stars,” so this inspired her to study aerospace engineering. 

After graduating from the best aerospace universities (UC Berkeley, Polytechnique, Supaero & HEC), she launched her third venture, Beyond Aero, to build the first hydrogen-electric business aircraft. 

Guillotin believes that aviation’s future will be electric, and it is her job to make it happen.

27-year old Guillotin was one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 for 2023, under the Social Impact category. 

View the full list of speakers here.

EBACE Sustainability Summit

EBACE is all about initiating conversations focused on initiatives and ideas designed to propel the industry’s efforts to ensure a zero-carbon future for the sector.

Experts and industry leaders will discuss next-generation propulsion systems, advanced air mobility, carbon-reduction advances and other sustainability initiatives.

Themes and subjects of discussion include: 

• Elevating Business Aviation to New Sustainability Heights
• Future of Flight – The Balance Between Technology and the Human Touch
• SAF Case Study: The Quest for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
• Potential Roles of Drones and eVTOLs in EMS
• Best Practices for Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Navigating Aviation Safety in a Dynamic World
• Aviation Sustainability: More Than CO2 Emissions
• Going the Extra Mile – Will Intermodal Transportation Expand Business Aviation? 
• The Hydrogen Horizon: From H2 to Net Zero

More information about the EBACE Sustainability Summit, including times, dates, schedules and panel members, can be found here. 

Sustainable ideas, sustainable venue

Committed to its contribution towards net zero, EBACE2024 will be held at Palexpo, a convention center in Geneva which also serves as Switzerland’s second largest power plant. 70% of the electricity used at Palexpo is produced via the 30,000 m2 solar power plant located on the roof of the venue.

Even food and beverages have been carefully considered at Palexpo. All of the convention center’s restaurants and catering feature vegetarian options, with 43% of dishes being vegetarian.

And even better news for EBACE2024 attendees, public transport to Palexpo is free for all guests accommodated in a hotel or youth hostel in Geneva.

Register now for EBACE2024

EBACE2024 is preparing to take off in Geneva, Switzerland at the Palexpo and Geneva Airport between 28-30 May 2024. Secure your spot by registering now!

Companies interested in joining the innovation pavilion and innovation sessions for EBACE2025 can contact Rachel Clementi at rclementi@ebaa.org.