In 2017 the Portugal Air Summit reached the skies of Ponte de Sor for the 1st time, reinforcing the strategic position of the Alentejo regional development. The event featured a conference program focused on the global future of aviation, aeronautics, space and defense sectors, workshops, more than 60 exhibitors, an air show, a national drone championship, and ballooning sessions.
2018
Flying For a Sustainable Future
In the 2018 edition, the summit once again gathered the most relevant personalities in the industry with a conference program with a focus on the sector’s sustainability. The ARC (Air Race Championship) was the great novelty of this edition, with eight aircraft piloted by the world’s elite pilots who faced off in a unique race.
2019
Powering Human Capital
In the third edition of the Portugal Air Summit, human capabilities, labor market, and advanced training were part of the central theme of the conference program. More than 80 speakers and more than 100 exhibitors were present. The ARC once again made thousands vibrate with the speed of the eight airplanes racing. The air shows and Air Force F16 once again rocked the skies. All of this, hosted in the world’s second-largest tent, and the largest in Europe, with 270m in length.
2020
Powering Human Capital
In the 2020 edition, the event became hybrid, with only the physical presence of speakers and a few guests. With live streaming, the event became global, reaching more than 60 countries. In parallel, the first university rocket competition in Europe took place, the EUROC (European Rocketry Challenge), where students from several European countries built and launched their rockets into the skies of Ponte de Sor.