The first deal of the 2025 Paris Air Show was sealed on Sunday, when Brazil’s Revo signed a binding contract that will see it operate air taxi services in São Paulo with 50 Eve Air Mobility four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. The spinoff from helicopter group Omni intends to take delivery of the first 10 vehicles in late 2027, with the others to follow as it scales up the operation.

These sales are set to be the first of more than 1,000 commercial aircraft orders anticipated at Le Bourget this week. According to analysts at investment group Jefferies, carriers including IndiGo, Riyadh Air, Cathay Pacific, LOT Polish Airlines, and Turkish Airlines are expected to account for the lion's share of these. However, there is now doubt about whether Air India will complete orders for around 200 narrowbodies and 40 widebodies as it deals with the consequences of Thursday’s fatal accident involving one of the airline’s Boeing 787s in Ahmedabad.

Escalating military conflicts, NATO’s future in flux, and aerospace and defense companies absorbing the impact of U.S. tariffs compose a backdrop to what could be the most consequential Paris Air Show in years. The fallout from these vexatious issues seems set to reshape industry alliances and market expectations for aircraft and equipment sales.

But geopolitics will not eclipse the prominent profile of cutting-edge technology this week during the 55th biennial salon at Le Bourget. In the absence of major new airliners or military aircraft, electric aircraft will provide much of the novelty, and industry leaders will debate the growing role of artificial intelligence, future propulsion systems, autonomy, and the interminable struggle to fix stubborn supply-chain weaknesses.

Textron Aviation’s newest Beechcraft King Air multi-mission demonstrator is making its international debut at the company’s pavilion during the Paris Air Show. The aircraft is based on the current King Air 360 version and is outfitted with extended-range fuel tanks, wing hardpoints installed in the factory, and a large cargo door. The latter allows the aircraft to be used for freight and air ambulance operations, as well as providing for the installation of large items of equipment.

King Air variants have been in use for a wide range of military and civilian special missions for decades, and the latest offering is able to be tailored to many roles, from aeromedical tasks through to aerial survey and maritime surveillance. A factory-installed option is an extended nose that can house a variety of sensors, including a retractable electro-optical/infrared sensor turret of up to 20 inches in diameter.

GE Aerospace is readying for the entry into service of its GE9X engine, which it describes as the “future of widebody” aircraft. According to the company, the engine, which was certified in 2020, has undergone one of its most stringent test programs, having completed 17,000 hours of testing, including 27,000 cycles.

Last year, it successfully underwent 1,600 hours of dust ingestion tests with no deterioration, and at the end of 2024, it completed ETOPS 3K testing—a 3,000-cycle endurance trial required for extended-range twin-engine operations. Scale production and deliveries of the engine have already begun, and a ramp-up is expected in the second half of 2025.

Another step in the development of a more compact engine core for the future of flight.

In the quest to conjure the next generation of commercial airliners, U.S. start-up JetZero believes it could give Boeing and Airbus a run for their money. The California-based company is poised to shake up the commercial airline market with a novel type of airplane that hardly resembles any aircraft in service today.

Meet the Z4, a blended-wing-body aircraft with a highly aerodynamic and lightweight airframe that JetZero says will deliver up to a 50% reduction in fuel burn and greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional tube-and-wing airplanes that are currently in service, even while using the same conventional engines. The company has purposefully eschewed options for electric propulsion, including hybrid and hydrogen-based powertrains, on the grounds that these would slow certification and impose performance compromises.

Honeywell has been selected to provide the Bell MV-75 tiltrotor with its environmental control system and auxiliary power unit, it said today at the Paris Air Show. Previously designated as the V-280 Valor, the tiltrotor was selected to answer the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft requirement in December 2022.

Bell Textron announced the official MV-75 designation for the production aircraft last month, honoring the Army’s founding year, 1775. A demonstrator has been flying since December 2017.

Airbus and Boeing are neatly aligned in their assessment of demand for new airliners over the next 20 years, with both having published new market forecasts on the eve of the 2025 Paris Air Show. The U.S. airframer is predicting just 180 more deliveries in this period than its European rival—43,600 versus 43,420.

The companies’ analysts are also in harmony as to the dominance of narrowbody jets, with Boeing predicting that 75% of its deliveries will be from the single-aisle 737 family and Airbus saying that 81% of demand will be for A320s and A220s. There is also consensus around the dominant role airlines in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions will play as dominant drivers of increased demand.

Elixir Aircraft secured an order from the École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC), France’s national civil aviation school, for 30 two-seat trainers on Sunday at the Paris Air Show. The order, part of ENAC’s fleet renewal initiative, will see deliveries between 2026 and 2027 and marks a key milestone for Elixir’s expansion in institutional aviation markets.

Founded in 2015, Elixir Aircraft produces the 100-hp Elixir, a fourth-generation aircraft certified in 2020. Built using a OneShot carbon composite structure, the aircraft consists of nine primary parts, eliminating the need for rivets or glue. This streamlined design increases safety, simplifies maintenance, and reduces fuel consumption. Combined with an ultra-efficient engine, the Elixir offers up to 70% fewer CO₂ emissions compared to conventional trainers.

The digital flip-through issue of AIN’s award-winning Paris Airshow News is now available online. It’s a great way to quickly scan the news from Paris Air Show 2025, whether you’re at Le Bourget attending the show or watching from afar.