EBACE Geneva: European Business Aviation Convention Guide

What is EBACE and who runs it?

EBACE is the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, co-hosted annually by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and the U.S. National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). It is the largest business aviation event in Europe and the second-largest globally after NBAA-BACE. The show has run in Geneva since 2001 and functions as the continent's anchor gathering for OEMs, operators, brokers, FBOs, financiers, and regulators.

The format is a three-day exhibition at Palexpo combined with a static aircraft display on the adjacent Geneva Airport (LSGG) ramp. Sessions cover sustainability mandates, SAF supply, EU regulatory pressure on private aviation, fleet outlook, and increasingly, the geopolitics of operating in and out of Europe.

When and where does EBACE take place?

EBACE is held annually in late May at Palexpo, the Geneva exhibition center directly adjacent to Geneva Airport (LSGG/GVA). The 2024 edition ran May 28–30; the 2025 edition ran May 20–22. Expect a similar Tuesday–Thursday window in subsequent years, occasionally shifting to accommodate Geneva hotel availability and avoiding the Cannes Film Festival overlap that drives regional charter demand.

Palexpo is connected to the airport terminal by a covered walkway, and the static display sits on a dedicated ramp area accessible directly from the show floor. This is the only major business aviation show in the world where attendees walk from the booths onto the aircraft without leaving the venue.

Who attends EBACE?

EBACE typically draws 12,000 to 15,000 attendees from roughly 100 countries, with 350+ exhibiting companies and 50 to 60 aircraft on static display. Attendance peaked above 13,000 pre-pandemic, dipped in 2022, and has rebuilt to the 12,000–13,000 range in recent editions.

The attendee mix skews more operator- and broker-heavy than NBAA-BACE, with a strong European charter contingent — Vista, Luxaviation, NetJets Europe, Flexjet, GlobeAir, Air Hamburg, and the major Part-NCC flight departments. OEMs send senior delegations: Bombardier, Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer, Textron, Pilatus, Airbus Corporate Jets, and Boeing Business Jets all maintain significant chalet and static presence. Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and the major MRO networks anchor the engine and maintenance side.

Family offices and end-user buyers attend in smaller numbers than at NBAA-BACE, but the broker and consultant population is dense. Regulators from EASA and national CAAs participate in panel sessions, and Brussels-based policy staff treat EBACE as the year's primary industry touchpoint.

What are the LSGG arrival logistics for EBACE week?

Geneva Airport (LSGG) implements a dedicated EBACE slot and parking coordination procedure each year, managed through the airport's General Aviation Center (GAC) and published via NOTAM roughly 60 days before the show. Slots are mandatory for all business aviation movements during the show window, and parking at LSGG is fully allocated well before the event.

LSGG parking sells out 4 to 8 weeks in advance for EBACE week. Operators that miss the window are routed to alternates: Sion (LSGS) at roughly 90 minutes by ground, Annecy (LFLP) in France at 45 minutes, Bern (LSZB) at 90 minutes, Grenoble (LFLS) at two hours, and Lyon-Bron (LFLY) at roughly two hours. Chambéry (LFLB) and Geneva's own Lausanne (LSGL) also absorb spillover. Several operators routinely drop passengers at LSGG and reposition empty to LSGS or LFLP for the duration.

Handling at LSGG runs through three providers: Jet Aviation, Signature (formerly TAG Aviation handling), and the airport's own General Aviation Center. All three quote EBACE premiums — handling fees during show week typically run 30–50% above baseline, with landing and parking surcharges layered on top. Book handling at the same time as the slot request; walk-up handling during the show is not available.

What does it cost to charter into Geneva for EBACE?

Charter pricing into LSGG during EBACE week runs 20–40% above baseline European rates, driven less by demand than by repositioning costs and parking constraints. A light jet from London to Geneva that prices at €9,000–€11,000 in a normal week runs €12,000–€15,000 during EBACE. Midsize from Paris or Frankfurt sits in the €14,000–€20,000 range. Heavy jet transatlantic positioning into LSGG for show week is heavily booked by OEMs and large operators — availability for ad-hoc charter on a G650 or Global 6000 disappears 3 to 4 weeks out.

The cleaner play for attendees not tied to private travel is commercial into GVA and a Palexpo walk-in, or rail from Zurich, Paris, or Milan — Geneva's TGV connections are direct and the station sits under the airport terminal.

How does EBACE compare to NBAA-BACE and MEBAA?

EBACE is roughly one-third the size of NBAA-BACE by attendance and exhibitor count but carries equivalent weight for European fleet announcements, SAF policy, and EASA regulatory signaling. NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas or Orlando draws 25,000+ attendees and 1,000+ exhibitors each October; MEBAA in Dubai runs biennially in December with roughly 8,000–10,000 attendees and a heavy Gulf-operator focus.

For an operator or broker building a European book, EBACE is non-negotiable. For OEMs, it is the primary European order announcement venue — Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Dassault routinely time European fleet deals to the show. For policy watchers, EBACE is where EASA's annual posture on emissions, SAF mandates, and operating restrictions becomes clear.

What should first-time attendees know?

Book Geneva hotels by January for a May show — the city has limited inventory and rates double during EBACE week. Properties in the airport corridor (Crowne Plaza, NH, Mövenpick) sell out first; central Geneva (Beau-Rivage, Mandarin, Four Seasons des Bergues) holds longer but at €800–€1,500 per night during the show.

Register for the exhibition through ebace.aero; standard delegate badges are issued in advance, and the static display requires a separate ramp pass coordinated through the registration system. Chalet invitations from OEMs and major operators carry the real networking value — the show floor is functional, but deals close in the chalets and at the evening receptions hosted across central Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.