The LleidaAirChallenge Aeronautical Fair returns to the Lleida-Alguaire airport on October 7 and 8. The contest, which until now was held in June, changes dates to avoid the heat and thus be “more friendly” with the public.
The eighth edition of this fair, unique in Catalonia and Spain, grows in number of exhibitors with a total of 96, 11% more than last year, and adds new recreational and gastronomic offerings with the aim of attracting more family audiences. .
Among the notable novelties, for the first time there will be hot air balloons, two flight simulators, one commercial and one for competitive flight exercises, as well as a market for the sale of second-hand aircraft that will have three small planes and a helicopter.
The president of Aeropuertos Públicos de Catalunya, Daniel Albalate, presented this Tuesday in Lleida the news of the eighth edition of the fair accompanied by the Government delegate in Lleida, Montse Bergés.
The event remains at the Alguaire airport, although it is moved from the landing strip to the industrial platform, a larger space that, according to Albalate, will allow for “better grouping of activities” and improving public mobility.
The fair, which has been growing to become a reference space within the aeronautics and aerospace sector, will have three large spaces divided into three large tents dedicated to new aeronautical technologies, training and companies in the aeronautical sector. There will also be fifteen aircraft for exhibition and sale.
Regarding the decision to include for the first time a space for the sale and purchase of second-hand aircraft, Albalate defended that it is one more “activity” of the sector that “brings” the LleidaAirChallenge closer to other reference fairs at the European level. In total, you can find three small planes and a helicopter.
In addition, there will be conferences related to the different strategic orientations of the airport and its employment possibilities. Likewise, the Catalan Air Federation will demonstrate the different types of sports aviation with autogyros and model airplanes.
Another novelty is a space dedicated to flight simulators, where visitors will be able to experience piloting a commercial aircraft and practice competitive flight exercises. In this sense, Albalate hopes that in future editions they will be able to have a greater number of simulators.
Apart from aviation fans, this year’s edition also wants to attract more family audiences and, to this end, has expanded the recreational and gastronomic offer with food trucks and more children’s activities. Among others, the drone workshop for children will be repeated and the drone exhibition will be expanded, activities that last year were very well received by visitors.
The fair will not interfere with the activity of the airport itself, so the flight to Palma de Mallorca will be maintained on Friday and Sunday.
