The Paris Air Show is the world’s biggest aerospace trade show in 2023, and it ran from June 19 to 25. The Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC), in collaboration with the Ontario government, supported the official delegation, which saw ten Ontario-based aerospace companies taking part as exhibitors at the Ontario Pavilion and 23 more participating in various ways in the event. A total of 33 organizations with 100 participants were present at the show. Read on to find out how it went!
The Air Show in numbers
The Paris Air Show is held every two years. According to the show’s website, this year’s show attracted 2,500 exhibitors from 46 countries, as well as 300 start-ups from 21 countries. Ontario’s delegation was one of 322 delegations from over 100 countries. The show also brought in 380,000 visitor entries—both professionals and the general public—in addition to 1,850 accredited journalists from 75 countries.
Approximately $150 billion worth of contracts were signed during the 2023 event.
Some key Ontario events
On the Sunday night preceding the show’s official start, the OAC hosted a sold-out Ontario Aerospace dinner attended by 132 industry participants. The evening’s special guest was the Honourable Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, who later tweeted: “Our aerospace industry exports $2.9B in products to 186 countries. Almost every passenger aircraft in the world has a piece of Ontario!”
Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga, one of the dinner’s sponsors, also spoke at the event. “Mississauga is home to the largest aerospace cluster in the country and a significant contributor to Ontario’s $2.9B export market,” she said.
Participants revelled in the opportunities to connect with national and foreign government officials, service providers such as KPMG and BDC, and aerospace representatives from Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Bombardier, Safran, MHI RJ and L3Harris, to name just a few!
The next day, Minister Fedeli opened the Ontario pavilion at the Air Show. He then toured the pavilion along with Simon Kennedy, Canada’s Deputy Minister for Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), as well as representatives of Invest Canada, the National Research Council (NRC) and the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). They met with the Ontario Delegation, which included representatives from ten companies—Besnovo Technologies Inc., CCX Technologies Inc., Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR), Firan Technology Group Corporation, Gastops Ltd., Koss Aerospace, MDS, Rampf Composite Solutions Inc., Shimifrez Inc., and Vac Aero International Inc.—as well as a number of universities and government entities. (Scroll down for more info on each of these companies!)
On June 19, OAC held a Board lunch with Minister Victor Fedeli to highlight the Ontario government’s commitment to supporting the growth and success of its aerospace industry. This event was hosted by OAC Board Director Deane Weatherby, President and CEO of Safran Landing Systems Canada, and engaged the participation of Board directors representing a full range of Ontario-based businesses, from aerospace suppliers all the way up the tiers to OEMS and multinationals. Thank you to Airbus Helicopters Canada, Arnprior Aerospace Inc., DeHavilland Aircraft of Canada, Horizon Aircraft, L3Harris – WESCAM Division, RAMPF Composite Solutions, Safran Landing Systems Canada Inc., Shimifrez Inc. and Vac Aero International.
B2B meetings and more
B2B meetings were facilitated through Aero+B2BeeMatch for the Ontario Delegation with companies including Aernnova, Airbus Helicopters, Alestis, Cira, Indra Spain, ITP and Thales Alenia Space.
In a networking event providing the Ontario delegation with an opportunity to meet the French exhibitors from the ALTYTUD Aerospace Cluster, Stéphane Edler, General Manager – France at Advanced Logistics for Aerospace (ALA) and former Senior Development Manager at Collins Aerospace France, gave a presentation on the topic of client expectations and forecasted support opportunities. Participating French companies included the Amiens International Airport, Aquarese, Betrancourt, Borflex, Cablog, Coredux, Desailly, HLS Group, Induxial, SACI Technology, Sealicone and Somepic.
The OAC also participated in the Global Aerospace Cluster Partnership (GACP) Summit as a founding member of this newly created network of 45 aerospace clusters. The initiative, led by the Internationalization Working Group of the European Aerospace Cluster Partnership (EACP), strives to support cluster collaboration, growth and sustainability.
A highlight for OAC Interim CEO, Natasha Gagnon, was meeting with Erica Zoia, Partner and Strategic Advisor – Defence and Space at Levio, a major digital transformation firm with new offices in Ontario. As we see a priority in integrating the use of AI and AI platforms to augment productivity and automation in our sector, we are keen to have Levio join our ranks as an OAC member to grow the expertise in aerospace applications.
Success in Paris
“Our industry is heavily reliant on export opportunities for growth, which makes our participation in the Paris Air Show a core activity for our association,” says Natasha Gagnon, OAC’s Interim CEO. “Creating visibility for our sector and fostering connections for our companies at such a large air show is vital. The competition is fierce and the window of opportunity is short, proving our global network of OAC partners effective in helping our delegates secure greater returns.”
This year’s Paris Air Show was a great success for Ontario. Many thanks to the Ontario government and all the companies that joined us for this major international event. We’re already looking forward to taking part in 2025!
Further information on the Ontario delegation participants
- Besnovo Technologies Inc. is a pioneer in laser de-coating for airplanes.
- CCX Technologies Inc. designs and develops a wide range of cybersecurity and testing solutions for the aviation, military and government markets.
- Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR) brings together academics, companies, research organizations and government stakeholders around a shared goal: to advance Canada’s global aerospace leadership.
- Firan Technology Group Corporation is a global corporation providing solutions for aerospace and defense electronic products and sub-systems.
- Gastops Ltd. has provided unparalleled data-based diagnostic and prognostic technologies and services since 1979.
- Koss Aerospace is a Tier-1 manufacturer of structural aircraft components and assemblies, having over 40 years of experience serving commercial aerospace and defense customers worldwide.
- MDS designs and builds highly complex multi-million-dollar gas turbine engine test facilities all over the world.
- Rampf Composite Solutions Inc. is a leading expert in the manufacture of carbon fiber and fiberglass composite parts for the aerospace and medical industries.
- Shimifrez Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of thin metal parts, with 30 years of experience in precision metal fabrication, precision photo etching and electro-forming.
- Vac Aero International Inc. is a leading vacuum furnace manufacturer and vacuum heat treating and coatings service provider to aerospace and high-tech industries worldwide.
