ILA Berlin: history, the Schönefeld grounds and tips for spotters

Two days a year, and only every other year at that: then it is not leisure airliners rolling along the southern edge of BER, but Eurofighters, attack helicopters and transports in front of the crowd. ILA Berlin is Germany’s most important aerospace trade show and, alongside Paris and Farnborough, one of Europe’s big industry shows. For spotters it is above all one thing: the rare chance to see types that otherwise vanish behind air base fences up close and in flight. This guide explains how the show came about, how the grounds in Schönefeld work and how to plan the public days so that you do not end up with nothing but the backs of heads on your memory card.

ILA Berlin: the short answer

ILA (the International Aerospace Exhibition, Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung) takes place every two years in even years, organized by the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) and Messe Berlin. The venue is the Berlin ExpoCenter Airport in Selchow, right on the south runway of BER Airport. The first days of the show are reserved for trade visitors, and on the weekend the grounds are open to everyone. The next edition is announced for May 17 to 21, 2028, with public days on May 20 and 21.

From airships to drones: the history of ILA

ILA’s roots reach back further than those of almost any other aviation show. In 1909 Frankfurt am Main invited visitors to the International Airship Exhibition (Internationale Luftschiffahrt-Ausstellung) – a show that ran for several months and in which airships still played the leading role. If you are interested in that era, the article on the history of the zeppelins provides the right background. In 1912 a general aircraft exhibition followed in Berlin, where airplanes already outnumbered airships. In 1928 a large international aviation exhibition then took place in the exhibition halls at the Berlin Funkturm (radio tower).

After the Second World War a new chapter began in Hanover. From 1957 an aircraft show was part of the industrial fair there, in 1959 it became independent, and from 1960 it ran every two years. Since 1978 it has again been called the International Aerospace Exhibition – the abbreviation ILA goes back to 1909 anyway. When space at Hanover Airport ran short and reunification opened up new prospects, the decision to move was made: in 1990 the last ILA took place in Hanover.

In 1992 the show returned to Berlin, to the southern grounds of what was then Schönefeld Airport. In the following years it grew strongly, at times with over 1,000 exhibitors and visitor numbers well beyond 200,000. In 2010 the BDLI decided on a new, permanent location right at the emerging capital airport – against bids from several other German regions. Since 2012, ILA has been running at the purpose-built ExpoCenter Airport.

Period	Place	What defines this phase
1909	Frankfurt am Main	First International Airship Exhibition, airships at the center
1912 to 1932	Berlin	Airplanes overtake airships, big shows at the Funkturm
1957 to 1990	Hanover	Restart after the war, from 1978 again as the International Aerospace Exhibition
1992 to 2010	Berlin-Schönefeld, southern grounds	Return to Berlin, growth into a world-class show
since 2012	Berlin ExpoCenter Airport, Selchow	Permanent location on BER’s south runway

Moments spotters still talk about

Some editions have burned themselves into collective memory. In 2006 the Airbus A380 appeared at ILA for the first time, in 2018 the Antonov An-225 stood in the static display for the entire show – a type that no longer exists since its destruction in the war in Ukraine (more on this in the profile of the An-225). In 2012 a B-52 flew a farewell lap on the last day of the show. In 2000 the Patrouille de France became the first military aerobatic team to perform again since the 1988 disaster; why that pause was so long is explained in the article on the Ramstein air show disaster.

In 2020 the in-person show was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic and held only digitally. In 2022 ILA came back with a reduced footprint, limited daily capacity and without aerobatic teams and piston-engine vintage aircraft, which were dropped for sustainability reasons. Since then it has been growing again: 2024 drew around 95,000 visitors, 2026 about 110,000 according to the organizers.

The grounds: ExpoCenter Airport on the south runway

The Berlin ExpoCenter Airport is in the Selchow district of the municipality of Schönefeld, southeast of Berlin, on the western edge of the airport grounds and immediately next to BER’s south runway 06R/24L. A taxiway connects the grounds directly with the airport. That has a big advantage: even heavy aircraft such as an A380 can land at BER as normal and then taxi to the exhibition area. There are also three permanent halls and a large open area for the static display. According to the trade press, the show covered more than 200,000 square meters in total in 2026.

For the flying display the participants use the south runway, while BER’s regular scheduled traffic carries on. For you that means: the performances take place against the backdrop of a real commercial airport, and between displays you often get to see scheduled traffic as well. How the north and south runways work day to day and why they have been called 06/24 instead of 07/25 since October 2024 is explained in the guide Plane spotting at BER.

What you see at ILA

ILA is not a pure military air show like the events at air bases, but not a purely civil trade show either. Its segments range from commercial aviation and space to defense, drones and suppliers. In 2026, security and defense was the dominant area according to the trade press – and you could see that in the sky, too.

The flying display 2026

According to the published program, the following flew in 2026, among others:

• Airbus A350-1000 as a civil demonstration (more on the type at Airbus A350-1000)
• Airbus A400M, the German Air Force transport (profile: A400M)
• Eurofighters of the German Air Force and the Spanish Air Force (type profile: Eurofighter Typhoon)
• Panavia Tornado, which is gradually leaving service (Panavia Tornado)
• Tiger attack helicopters solo and in formation (Airbus Helicopters Tiger)
• Leonardo AW249, Airbus Helicopters’ high-speed demonstrator Racer and several unmanned systems
• Bundeswehr parachutists, who were picked up again by a CH-53, an A321 flypast for the 70th anniversary of the German Air Force and a closing air parade on Sunday

Important for spotters: the program on the public days was not identical to that on the trade visitor days. The A400M, for instance, was listed in 2026 according to the flight schedule only on trade visitor days. On Saturday the program was canceled from 5 p.m. because of the weather. So do not plan around a single program item, but around the weekend as a whole.

Static display

In the static exhibition in 2026, according to the trade press, there were an A380 of Emirates, an Airbus Beluga, an A320neo in a special livery for the 100th anniversary of Lufthansa, the first Do 228 NXT, a Boeing P-8A Poseidon and Boeing’s unmanned MQ-28 Ghost Bat. Special liveries and first appearances in particular make the static display a treasure trove for your hangar. The overview Recognizing fighter jets in Europe and Recognizing military transports help you tell types apart cleanly.

Planning your visit: tickets, getting there and rules

The biggest mistake with an ILA visit happens months earlier: thinking of tickets too late. In 2026, admission tickets and parking tickets were available online only, and there was no box office on site. According to the trade press, the weekend tickets sold out early despite an increased allocation. Re-entry was not possible with private visitor tickets – if you leave the grounds, you do not get back in the same day.

What is allowed – and what is not

The ILA 2026 visitor information is refreshingly clear for photographers. Cameras, telephoto lenses and binoculars were allowed for private, noncommercial use. What matters is the use: professional film and photo equipment is not permitted without a permit. Drones are prohibited on the grounds.

Further points from the 2026 house rules that affect spotters:

• Bags up to roughly A3 size are allowed, and suitcases go into baggage tents at the east and west entrances.
• Camping and folding chairs as well as tables are prohibited – bitter for long hours at the show line, so plan breaks.
• Knives of any kind are off limits. Keep that in mind if your camera backpack contains a tool with a blade.
• Glass bottles are prohibited, plastic and metal bottles allowed. You may bring food and drink in normal amounts.
• Umbrellas are allowed up to a limited size, large umbrellas and tents are not; sunscreen in tubes or bottles, but not as a spray with propellant.
• There were no ATMs on site; payment was in cash or by card.

The rules may change for 2028 – read the organizer’s FAQ once more before your visit. What generally applies to photographing around military equipment is summarized in the article Photography at military airfields.

Photographing at ILA: how to get more out of it

An air show at a trade fair follows different rules from the airport fence. The show line is fixed, the aircraft fly tight turns in front of the crowd, and you share the best spots with tens of thousands of others. A few principles help:

• Early at the show line: The front row at the barrier fence fills up fast. If you are there at opening, you can pick your spot.
• Keep focal length flexible: For Eurofighters and Tornados on a pass you need a telephoto, for helicopter formations or large transports in a turn often considerably less is enough. A zoom between roughly 100 and 500 millimeters covers most of it.
• Shutter speed with propellers and rotors: With the A400M, Tiger or CH-53, times that are too short freeze propellers and rotor blades, and the picture looks like a static model. Slightly longer times with clean panning show motion.
• Static display at the edges of the day: In the morning and late afternoon there are fewer people in front of the exhibited aircraft. At midday visitors are constantly in the frame.
• Factor in heat shimmer: Over concrete and asphalt the air shimmers strongly on warm days. Takeoff-roll shots over long distances suffer especially, as the article Avoiding heat shimmer explains.

You will find detailed instructions on exposure, panning and composition in Photographing air shows, and the matching packing list in the Air show day checklist.

Around the show: combining BER and Berlin

An ILA trip does not end at the show gate. Because exhibition aircraft land and take off at BER, the days before and after the show at the fence are worthwhile. The official observation deck at BER is the easiest way in; for takeoffs and landings on the south runway you get closer on dirt tracks south of the runway – details in the guide Plane spotting at BER. Stick to public paths and respect barriers; what the law says is in Is plane spotting allowed?.

A must-visit for military fans is the Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow Airfield in the west of the city. On the former airfield, numerous aircraft stand outdoors, making the spot at Gatow a good complement to ILA: what stands there as a museum piece, you may have seen in active service shortly before. For history buffs, the article on Tempelhof Airport carries Berlin’s aviation history further.

ILA, Paris or Farnborough?

The big European aviation shows take turns: Paris-Le Bourget in odd years, Farnborough and ILA in even ones. If you want to see a big show every year, you can combine them.

Criterion	ILA Berlin	Paris Air Show	Farnborough
Rhythm	even years, May/June	odd years, June	even years, July
Public days	weekend after the trade days	Friday to Sunday	offer for private visitors varies by edition, check in advance
Recent focus	Defense, space, drones	Big civil orders and novelties	Civil and military industry
Getting there from Germany	Domestic, no flight needed	Flight or train to Paris	Flight to London

You will find more details on the other shows in Paris Air Show at Le Bourget and Farnborough International Airshow. The overview Air shows in Europe puts all the big dates in context, and if you want more military flying program, take a look at Bundeswehr Day and Air Force open days.

Conclusion

ILA Berlin combines over a hundred years of trade show history with a modern location right at the capital’s airport. For spotters it is less an aerobatic spectacle than a compact stage for military types, helicopters, drones and industry novelties – with good light at the south runway and the chance to combine the weekend with BER spotting and Gatow. The crux is planning: secure tickets early, know the house rules, read the flight schedule.