As shifting geopolitical alignments, environmental regulation and digital transformation reshape the aviation sector, the Paris Air Show 2025 returns with a broader, more multifaceted agenda. This year’s edition, running 16–22 June at Le Bourget, is poised to reflect an industry redefining itself under pressure—from defence escalation to e-commerce strain and environmental accountability.
For air cargo professionals, the 55th edition won’t be just about aircraft. While freighters won’t dominate the static display, the conversations inside the exhibition halls will dig deep into how cargo is adjusting to volatile global flows, sustainability mandates, and digital inefficiencies still plaguing the supply chain.
Sustainability and infrastructure
While hydrogen aircraft and SAF development will again make headlines, expect the discussion to shift toward infrastructure readiness and energy logistics. Air cargo’s interest in the Paris Air Show lies not in future propulsion, but in whether airports, handlers, and customs authorities are building the systems needed to enable decarbonisation without stalling throughput.
Ground handling electrification, energy grid modernisation, and the economics of SAF procurement for belly cargo operators are likely to underpin quieter conversations behind the larger OEM announcements.
Meanwhile, dual-use civil-military logistics—once a niche subject—is becoming central. With defence spending rising and global charter fleets increasingly called into contingency operations, the integration of commercial and military logistics networks is now a legitimate business concern.
Spotlight on start-ups
New this year is the expanded Start-Me-Up initiative, which brings together over 120 aerospace and tech start-ups. For air cargo, many of these players are quietly developing solutions for real-time cargo visibility, predictive risk management, and supply chain resilience analytics. Logistics professionals should watch for emerging partnerships between OEMs, airports and SaaS platforms aiming to bridge the communication gaps between shipment origin and final mile.
The Paris Air Lab also returns, offering a curated lens on sustainable innovation and applied R&D, where AI, automation, and digital twin tech will be discussed in relation to aircraft maintenance, airspace management—and cargo routing optimisation. Much of this may sound theoretical, but for freight operators, there are signs that large-scale predictive analytics could soon be applied to congestion forecasting, emissions reporting, and capacity planning.
The Paris Space Hub, running concurrently, may also intersect unexpectedly with cargo. As satellite-powered track-and-trace and low-orbit communication platforms become viable for supply chain security and real-time data integrity, these technologies are inching closer to practical applications in commercial freight.
Beyond the technical and commercial agenda, this year’s show has made a visible effort to address structural industry challenges. The Women in Aerospace programme, for example, will spotlight voices from across aviation, including logistics and cargo operations, where gender parity remains low—particularly in ground handling and executive roles. The session aims to identify not just HR policies but the broader cultural barriers to retention and progression in the sector.
The b2b matchmaking programme, running throughout the week, offers cargo professionals the chance to explore partnerships not only with aerospace giants but also with niche system integrators and tech enablers working behind the scenes of aircraft certification, cargo systems, or route optimisation tools.
