Washington state continues to solidify its leadership in the global aerospace industry, with a powerful delegation making waves at the 2024 Farnborough Airshow. With Paris hosting the Summer Olympics, it was Farnborough’s turn in 2024, meaning five amazing days of exhibits, workshops, panels, and spectacular air demonstrations in this city of 57,000, about 40 miles southwest of London.
The 2024 show saw an impressive start, with deals exceeding $50 billion on the first day alone. The event featured over 1,500 exhibitors from more than 60 countries, attracting 100,000 visitors and over 390 delegations. Under the leadership of Lt. Governor Denny Heck, Washington state fielded its largest delegation ever at Farnborough, demonstrating the state’s growing influence in the aerospace sector.
A record 66 business representatives, elected officials, and economic development partners from across the state joined the Department of Commerce’s business development and trade experts to engage in a whirlwind series of meetings with airlines, suppliers, manufacturers, and government officials to discuss opportunities in the aviation, aerospace, and space industries.
The Choose Washington Pavilion hosted business representatives from 16 companies: AeroTEC; Alitheon; Connected Ops; General Plastics; Hover Inc.; Industrial Machine Tool Inc.; Leading Ladies Of…Aerospace & Defense; Mid-Mountain Materials Inc.; National Precision; Pioneer Human Services; SeaCast; SEKISUI Aerospace; TLG Aerospace; U.S. Aluminum Castings; Virutec; and VT Volant.
Joining them in the exhibit space were officials from the Economic Alliance Snohomish County; the Economic Development Board for Tacoma Pierce County; Greater Seattle Partners; Port of Moses Lake; Paine Field Airport; S3R3 Solutions; Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance; and Northwest Aerospace News Magazine.
Washington’s theme, “Leading the Way in Building a Sustainable Future,” highlighted the state’s pioneering efforts in automation, robotics, and sustainable aviation fuels, underscoring its commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship.
The five days at the show were filled with events and meetings, including a welcome reception at The Shard, which attracted global aerospace industry leaders, business decision-makers, and government officials from Washington and the UK.
The week kicked off with a dynamic start as Lt. Governor Denny Heck, Washington State Senator Andy Billig, and Commerce’s Keith Swenson led the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Choose Washington Pavilion. Their opening remarks set a tone of optimism and ambition for the days ahead.
In the U.S. Pavilion on Tuesday morning, Lt. Governor Heck led a discussion on “Innovation and Sustainability in Aerospace: Perspectives from Washington State.” Panelists included Brian Young, Commerce’s Clean Technology Sector Lead; Val Miftakhov, CEO of ZeroAvia; Kyle Skalisky, CEO of CheckSix; and Tommy Gantz, Director of Business Development for TLG Aerospace. Additionally, the majority of our delegation participated in marathon meetings —akin to speed dating sessions — with representatives from Northern Ireland at the Invest Northern Ireland Pavilion.
State Senator Andy Billig led a second panel discussion on Wednesday. The topic, “Achieving Net-Zero: The Role of Innovation, Technology, and Government in the Aerospace Industry,” focused on the pivotal role of governments, technological advancements, and the broader ecosystem. Senator Billig highlighted the state’s leadership in developing cleaner fuels and reducing carbon emissions. He discussed how innovations in the supply chain, existing processes, and new technologies are driving the industry closer to its net-zero goal and achieving more sustainable air travel.
“Washington state is proud to lead the charge in developing and producing sustainable aviation fuels,” says Senator Billig. “Our state has been selected by several SAF producers due to the proximity of feed stocks, affordable power, our favorable SAF policies, and our century-plus tradition of innovation in the aviation industry.”
Thursday, while some of the delegation remained at the show for the final day of meetings, Lt. Governor Denny Heck and Keith Swenson, Deputy Assistant Director for Washington State Department of Commerce, along with several sector leads, met with UK government officials to sign a trade MOU to deepen the trade and economic development relationship.
After the trade meeting a group of 20 delegates traveled up to the North West of England to Chester to cultivate new connections in the region. They toured Chester Town Hall, met with Lord Mayor Razia Daniels, and explored the historic streets.
Friday, in North West of England and Wales the delegation had the incredible opportunity to connect, tour, and collaborate at several manufacturing sites, including Airbus UK, AMRC, Electroimpact UK, and HyNet NW, further strengthening industry partnerships.
In addition, three delegates met at the Irish Embassy in London, hosted by EACP (European Aerospace Cluster Partnership) / GACP (Global Aerospace Cluster Partnership), to collaborate and welcome two new cluster organizations to the fold – Chihuahua Aerospace Cluster from Mexico and CAMASA South Africa. The final workshop activity was an opportunity for the clusters to share ideas on how to support one another across borders with common supply chain gaps.
Now that the teams are back in the U.S., the real work begins. Commerce’s business development and international trade teams, as well as the many small businesses and economic development officials who attended from partnering organizations, have a lot of follow-up to do with the many contacts they made at this prestigious show.
Lt. Governor Heck commented, “The show exceeded all expectations with a strong showing of both cutting-edge sustainable technology and next-generation aircraft. The Department of Commerce and the Washington businesses we traveled with worked tirelessly to make this record-size trade delegation a success. Washington state is a global leader in the movement to sustainable aviation, and the Farnborough Airshow reaffirmed to me the bright future this industry has in our state and globally.”
With the Paris Air Show fast approaching (June 16–22, 2025), now is the time to secure your spot in the Choose Washington Pavilion. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this eminent event. Contact Joanna Boatwright at 206-485-8541 or email joanna.boatwright@commerce.wa.gov for more information.
