The 55th edition of the International Paris Air Show, world’s oldest and largest aerospace exhibition, took place from June 16 to 22, 2025 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris-Le Bourget, located at Paris-Le Bourget Airport in Le Bourget, France.
- The biennial event serves as a global platform for showcasing groundbreaking advancements in aerospace, defence, and space technologies.
About International Paris Air Show 2025:
i.The event was organized by Le Bourget (France) based Salon International De L’Aeronautique ET DE L’ESPACE (SIAE), a subsidiary of the Paris (France) based French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS).
ii.With over 2,500 exhibitors from 48 countries, 300 start-ups, and 150 aircraft on display, including 210 flying demonstrations, the Paris Air Show is a pivotal event for professionals and organizations, shaping the future of aerospace.
iii.The event was divided as Professional Days (June 16-19,2025) for only trade purposes and Public Days (June 20-22), open for all kinds of visitors.
Highlights of the Paris Air Show 2025:
Key Innovation & Initiatives:
i.The Paris Air Lab offered an interactive space that showcased cutting-edge advancements in air transport.
- The exhibit focused on key themes such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), hydrogen propulsion, and digital transformation, underlining the industry’s commitment to overcoming environmental and technological challenges.
ii.The Start-Me-Up initiative spotlighted emerging aerospace start-ups that are driving innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials, big data, and passenger experience solutions.
iii.The Avion des Métiers segment provided hands-on experiences for students and young professionals to explore various career paths in aerospace.
- Through live demonstrations, interactive workshops, and direct engagement with industry experts, this platform helped connect future talent with employment opportunities across the aviation sector.
iv.The international final of the Rocketry Challenge showcased brilliant young minds competing in a thrilling display of rocketry design and engineering.
- The competition served as a platform for promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and inspiring the next generation of aerospace innovators.
India & France Launched Rafale Marine Programme:
On June 19, 2025, an Indian delegation led by Dinesh Kumar, Joint Secretary and Acquisition Manager (Maritime Systems), Ministry of Defence (MoD), met with French defence Officials, marking the launch of the Rafale Marine Programme, on the sidelines of the event.
- The French delegation was headed by Lieutenant (Lt) General (Gen) Gael Diaz De Tusta, Director General of Armament.
Key Points:
i.The 63,887 crore (USD 7.4 billion) programme, will equip the Indian Navy (IN) with 26 Rafale Marine (Rafale M)fighter jets, to enhance India’s naval strike capabilities, through the acquisition of the Rafale M, which will complement the existing fleet of Rafale aircraft with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
ii.With this development, India becomes the only country after France to operate all three variants of Rafale such as single seater (Rafale C), two-seater (Rafale B), and the carrier-based Rafale Marine (Rafale M).
Note: The 26 Rafale M jets will be delivered between 2028 and 2030.
DRDO Showcased India’s Aerospace and Defence Innovation:
New Delhi (Delhi) based Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), MoD, showcased India’s aerospace innovation, featuring next generation Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), advanced avionics and indigenous defence systems, highlighting India’s growing capabilities in aerospace and defence innovation.
- DRDO showcased its Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) class of Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM), ‘Astra’, designed to be mounted on fighter aircraft.
i.The missile is designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft with all-weather day and night capability.
ii.The missile is being developed in multiple variants to meet specific requirements. The ASTRA Mark (Mk)-1 weapon system integrated with Sukhoi (SU)-30 Mk-1 aircraft is also being inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF).
iii.At the Paris Air Show 2025, India showcased a range of indigenous defence platforms and technologies, highlighting its growing aerospace capabilities.
- The exhibits included the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark-II, Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AEW&C), Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft, Helina – a Helicopter-Launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile, the Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) – Swathi, and SHYEN – a suite of advanced payloads developed for the Dornier aircraft’s Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) program.
Dassault & Reliance to Build Falcon Jets in India:
Mumbai (Maharashtra) based Reliance Aerostructure Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure Limited, has signed an agreement with Paris (France) based Dassault Aviation, to manufacture Falcon 2,000 business jets in India, with the first batch expected to roll out from its Nagpur (Maharashtra) facility by 2028.
- This marks the first time a Falcon aircraft will be entirely built outside France.
i.Under the agreement, assembly of the Falcon 2000’s wings and fuselage and the front sections of Falcon 6X and Falcon 8X will shift to India.
ii.Dassault intends to export the India-made jets for both civil and military use, enhancing India’s global aerospace footprint.
Aernnova Aerospace Signs USD 300 millioncontract with Mahindra Aerostructures:
Minano (Spain) based Aernnova Aerospace has signed a multi-year contract with Narasapura (Karnataka) based Mahindra Aerostructure Private Limited (MASPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) for USD 300 million to manufacture metal sub-assemblies and components for a range of Airbus aircraft and for Embraer aircraft families.
- The contract covers the supply to several Aernnova sites in Spain, the United Kingdom (UK), Portugal and Brazil.
HAL Signs Agreement with SAE for Production of LEAP Engine parts:
Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), an Indian aerospace and defence company, signed an agreement with Evry-Courcouronnes (France) based Safran Aircraft Engines (SAE), a French manufacturer of aircraft engines, to produce rotating parts for Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion (LEAP) engines.
- The agreement follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by SAE and HAL in October 2023.
Bharat Forge, Turgis Galliard Sign MoU for Manufacturing AAROK MALE UAV
Pune (Maharashtra) based Bharat Forge signed a MoU with Ile-de-France (France) based Turgis Gaillard, to jointly offer the AAROK Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to the MoD, Government of India (GOI).
i.AAROK is classified as a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. These drones are designed to operate at altitudes between 10,000 and 30,000 feet, with flight endurance ranging from 24 to 48 hours.
ii.Bharat Forge will establish a domestic production line for the AAROK platform.
Airbus Secures USD 21 billion New Plane Orders:
On June 18, 2025, Blagnac (France) based Airbus, an aerospace company, has secured USD 21 billion in new aircraft orders at the 2025 Paris Air Show.
i.Air bus signed multiple deals, including10 long-haul jets order from Taiwan-based Starlux Airlines, 2 A350 freighters order from Istanbul (Turkey) based MNG Airlines, 40 A220 aircraft for Warsaw (Poland) based LOT Polish Airlines (LO).
ii.In total, Airbus secured 148 orders worth around USD 14.2 billion, and another 102 provisional orders estimated at USD 6.7 billion.
Note: Airbus secured large number of orders, ahead of Virginia, United States of America (USA) based Boeing, following the Air India Flight 171 crash.
Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Unveiled Indigenous Jet Engine:
Hyderabad (Telangana) based Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group unveiled a fully indigenous KGF micro turbojet engine, developed UAVs and cruise missiles at the show.
- The high-thrust engine is part of a family of four indigenous engines (14, 19, 25, and 40 KGF).
AXISCADES Partners with Indra for Defence Manufacturing:
i.Indra, a spanish defence and aerospace company, has signed a strategic agreement with Bengaluru-based AXISCADES Technologies to advance local production of high-tech systems in India.
- Under the agreement, Indra will source defence-related products and services from AXISCADES
ii.AXISCADES Technologies has also signed an agreement with France-based MBDA, to set-up a manufacturing unit at the Aerospace Park near Kempagowda International Airport in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
AI powered ‘Wingman’ drones at Paris Airshow:
Wingman drones, formerly known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered drone that can perform dangerous missions alongside human pilots. It can spy on the enemy, jam enemy signals, launch attacks or protect the pilot.
Thales Unveils Mini Electronic Warfare Payload for Drones:
La Defense (France) based Thales, an aerospace company launched a lightweight, remotely controlled electronic warfare payload for deployment by small drones to detect and locate radio signals at the Paris Air Show to meet the need for the closely integrated electromagnetic dominance operations across all military units
About France:
President – Emmanuel Macron
Capital -Paris
Currency – Euro
