Chief of Air Force has praised the support of Air Force personnel who have driven a hugely successful 16th Australian International Airshow. Personnel from across the ADF have showcased our people and platforms to more than 200,000 people.
The Australian International Airshow at Avalon, Victoria, which ran from March 25-30, is the fourth-largest airshow in the world and the biggest in the Southern hemisphere. It combines a public display, industry exhibition and key leadership engagement activities for Defence leaders.
Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, thanked international partners, allies, industry and organisers, as well as Australian Defence personnel.
“I want to say a huge thank you to our aviators, our soldiers and sailors down here at the Australian International Airshow,” Air Marshal Chappell said.
“I’d like to also thank our industry partners for coming here in such numbers, and providing such a diversity of capability to showcase.”
The airshow featured 902 exhibitors from 28 nations over industry and public days, showcasing approximately 350 aircraft both on the ground and in the air.
Over the course of the airshow Air Marshal Chappell met a number of visiting international counterparts and senior armed forces representatives.
“I had the pleasure of meeting with Chiefs of Defence Forces and Air Force counterparts from our region and beyond, as part of the Australian International Airshow 2025.
‘I want to say a huge thank you to our aviators, our soldiers and sailors down here at the Australian International Airshow.’
“I greatly appreciate so many international senior Defence leaders attending the Australian International Airshow. It is testament to the deep connections Australia shares with allies and partners and the strength of our relationships.”
Director General Australian International Airshow, Air Commodore Scott Winchester, was proud of what has been achieved by Defence personnel throughout the busy week.
“The airshow provides an ideal opportunity for Defence to show the Australian public what we do and it’s tremendous to see our aviators talking about their role and function [within Defence] with their community,” Air Commodore Winchester said.
Huge crowds of aviation enthusiasts were treated to displays from fast jet fighters, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, large air mobility aircraft, heritage aircraft such as the CAC CA-18 Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII, helicopters, and the crowd favourite, the Roulettes.
Partner nation aircraft also featured, with aerial displays from the United States Air Force F-22 Raptor and F-16 Fighting Falcon, Republic of Singapore aircraft and a German Air Force A-400M transport.
On the ground, the public interacted with static displays, featuring crowd favourites such as the F-35A Lightning II, E/A-18G Growler, F/A-18F Super Hornet, P-8A Poseidon, C-17A Globemaster III, C-27J Spartan, E-7A Wedgetail and MQ-28 Ghost Bat. Also well received were Army displays of the CH-47 Chinook, UH-60M Black Hawk and from Navy the MH-60R Romeo.
The Australian International Airshow remains a pivotal event for Defence, providing a platform to demonstrate its capabilities and engage with the public, industry, and international partners.
