VAI Spotlights Vertical Aviation Success and Innovation at VERTICON 2026

VERTICON 2026 took place last week from March 9-12 at the Georgia World Congress Center, welcoming 12,852 attendees to celebrate and learn about vertical aviation innovations.

Key aims of this year’s VERTICON were to highlight safety, develop skills, bolster the workforce and discover ways to collaborate on the future of vertical aviation.

Vertical Aviation International (VAI) hosted the event, which involved:

• 684 exhibitors
• 64 aircraft on display
• 280,000 feet of exhibition space

The show floor featured space for hands-on demonstrations and engaging presentations, including a drone cage that enabled live indoor demonstrations.

For educational sessions and technical programming, VERTICON 2026 included:

• Elevation Courses: 24 courses taught by industry experts
• Foundation Sessions:  66 short education sessions led by volunteers (many eligible for FAA WINGS and AMT credits)
• IA Renewal:  34 opportunities to earn credit toward inspection authorization (IA) certificate renewal
• Tech Briefings: Key info about maintenance and products from 30 OEMs and other organizations

There were also opportunities for workforce development, such as the Mil2Civ Workshop that offered support for military professionals transitioning to a civilian career in aviation.

The VAI Career Fair was another option, which allowed 30+ companies to connect with potential new hires and enabled job seekers to get feedback on their resumes.

The Aerospace Maintenance Council’s 2026 Competition @ VERTICON was another highlight, providing events for 22 teams of aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) to compete in and show their skills.

Attendees included parties from across the vertical aviation sector, including:

• Operators
• Manufacturers
• Suppliers
• Regulators
• Professionals
• Senior leaders

On Tuesday, March 10, president and CEO of VAI François Lassale held a fireside chat with EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.  This conversation focused on topics like:

• Maintaining trust and safety during innovation
• Enhancing industry collaborations
• Optimizing the growth of low-altitude airspace
• Analyzing data to identify risk
• Improving international alignment
• Measuring long-term success through safety outcomes

As the first international leader of VAI, Lassale stressed to the audience that the industry must grow and adapt to an increasingly complex and busy airspace.

“We will define this critical point in vertical aviation by uniting the industry and using shared data and disciplined strategy to guide decisions and policy engagement,” said Lassale.

He added, “The result will be stronger safety performance, a sustainable workforce, measurable industry growth, and a more credible voice for aviation.”

VERTICON also featured speakers like:

• Mike Allen, co-founder of Axios
• Merry Tengesdal, U.S. Air Force Colonel (retired)

 “VERTICON is where the vertical aviation community meets to do business, sharpen skills, and advance safety,” said Lassale.

“This year’s turnout, aircraft presence, and depth of education reinforced the strength of our industry and our shared focus on professional excellence,” he concluded.

VAI has already announced plans for next year’s VERTICON 2027, taking place March 15-18, 2026, in Anaheim, California.