In 2017, the Portugal Air Summit took to the skies of Ponte de Sor for the first time, reinforcing the strategic position of regional development in Alentejo.
The event featured a conference program focused on the global future of the aviation, aeronautics, space, and defense sectors, workshops, more than 60 exhibitors, an air show, a national drone championship race, and ballooning sessions.
In the 2018 edition, the summit once again brought together the most relevant industry personalities with a conference program that focused especially on the sector’s sustainability.
The ARC (Air Race Championship) was the major novelty of this edition, featuring 8 aircraft piloted by the world’s elite pilots, who competed in a unique race.
In the third edition of the Portugal Air Summit, human capacities, the labor market, and advanced training were part of the central theme of the conference program.
More than 80 speakers and over 100 exhibitors participated. The ARC once again thrilled thousands with the speed of the 8 racing planes, the air shows brought excitement to the skies, and the Portuguese Air Force participated with its F16s. All of this took place under the second-largest tent in the world and the largest in Europe, measuring 270 meters in length.
In the 2020 edition, the event became hybrid, with only the physical presence of speakers and a few guests. Broadcast as a television program in live streaming, the event went global, reaching more than 60 countries.
Simultaneously, the first university rocket competition in Europe, the EUROC (European Rocketry Challenge), was held, where students from various European countries built and launched their rockets into the skies of Ponte de Sor.
The 5th edition of the Portugal Air Summit attracted 12,000 visitors, standing out as one of the leading events in Europe and the largest in the Iberian Peninsula.
It once again brought together all the key players in the aerospace industry to discuss the latest technological innovations and the most pressing issues in the sector.
With the theme ‘Flying for a World of Opportunities,’ Ponte de Sor continued its path of innovation and affirmation as a key part of the national effort to develop capabilities in the aerospace sector. The focus of this edition was on investment opportunities expected to drive a remarkable recovery by 2030.
In the 2022 edition, history was made with the first-ever landing of an A320 in Alto Alentejo! SATA’s A320 landed at the Municipal Aerodrome of Ponte de Sor, leaving a unique and lasting mark on the region.
