Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) has launched a new finance event to help aviation firms unlock the  capital investment they need to drive growth.

The Aerospace Global Forum: Finance Summit will bring together top-tier financial institutions with global aerospace leaders to explore opportunities for R&D, product development and scaling.

It will be hosted by Baroness Patience Wheatcroft, ex-editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe and The Sunday Telegraph.

The announcement follows the signing of Barclays as a Farnborough International Airshow 2026 Strategic Partner.

Gareth Rogers, chief executive of Farnborough International, said: “The launch of the Aerospace Global Forum: Finance Summit marks an important evolution for Farnborough International Airshow.

“As the aerospace, defence and space sectors continue to transform, access to capital and strategic investment has never been more critical to driving innovation, resilience and sustainable growth.

“We are excited to work alongside Barclays as a Strategic Partner for the airshow, whose global reach and expertise will play a key role in connecting businesses with the financial pathways needed to scale. Baroness Wheatcroft will be an outstanding host, and we very much look forward to her contributions”.

Matt Hammerstein, Barclays UK Corporate Bank chief executive, added: “Farnborough International Airshow brings together the global aerospace and defence ecosystem at a time when access to capital and coordination across the sector have never been more important.

“Working closely with government and UK defence innovation bodies, we are focused on improving alignment between public and private capital and helping businesses engage with defence customers at the right stage of growth.

“Farnborough 2026 reflects the expanding role of finance in the sector, and Barclays is proud to support a platform that connects capital with capability at global scale.”