2026 Sacheon Airshow Continued Industry Exchanges Despite Rain

Held at Sacheon Airfield and around Samcheonpo Stadium
130 Domestic and International Companies and Organizations Take Part... Expanding Aerospace and Defense Industry Exchanges
Weekend Rain Cancels Flight Performances... Industry Exhibitions and Educational and Hands-On Programs Continue

The 2026 Sacheon Airshow wrapped up its four-day schedule, with domestic and international companies and organizations in the aerospace and defense industries taking part. However, rain on the final two days of the event led to the cancellation of major flight performances and a decline in attendance, disrupting operations due to weather conditions.

On October 26, Sacheon City, South Gyeongsang Province, said a total of 243,000 visitors attended the 2026 Sacheon Airshow, held from October 22 to 25 at Sacheon Airfield and around Samcheonpo Stadium.

[Photo courtesy of Sacheon City] Visitors explore aerospace and defense technologies and products from participating companies at the aerospace and defense exhibition hall of the 2026 Sacheon Airshow.

Attendance by day was 80,000 on October 22, the opening day; 100,000 on October 23; 33,000 on October 24; and 30,000 on October 25, the closing day.

About 74% of all visitors, or 180,000 people, attended during the first two days. However, attendance fell sharply on October 24 and 25, the weekend, after rain forced the cancellation of scheduled flight performances.

Among the performances that could not go ahead were those by the Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team, which had drawn considerable interest, as well as aircraft demonstration flights and aerobatic displays.

The Sacheon Airshow Organizing Committee canceled the flight performances in consideration of weather conditions and visitor safety. Aerospace and defense exhibitions, along with educational and hands-on programs, were operated according to on-site conditions.

This year's event was notable for expanding aerospace and defense exhibitions and business networking programs, in addition to the usual aircraft flight performances and public participation programs.

A total of 130 domestic and international companies and organizations took part in the industry exhibition, including Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Hanwha Aerospace, LIG D&A and Hyundai Rotem, as well as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Rolls-Royce.

The exhibition was held across three halls covering a total area of 7,200 square meters. Participating companies showcased aerospace and defense technologies and products.

Export consultations and business programs were also held to promote cooperation between companies and support entry into overseas markets. However, specific export consultation results are still being compiled, and the achievements of industry exchanges are expected to become clear once the final results are released.

International exchange programs were also organized.

Eighteen air force commanders from 17 countries, including the United States and Japan, visited the event. Programs included the World Air Force Commanders' Conference, the Air Force Chiefs of Staff Meeting, KAI DAY and a consultation event with global defense company MBDA during its visit to South Korea.

Through these programs, military officials and aerospace and defense companies from South Korea and abroad exchanged information on technology and industrial cooperation. Educational and hands-on events were also held for residents and young people.

A variety of competitions were organized, including the Korea Space Rover Challenge, the National Rocket Pitch Competition, a paper airplane competition and the National Model Aircraft Competition.

The program also featured special lectures by influencers in the aerospace sector, ground displays of aircraft and weapons systems, aviation-related simulations, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences.

To support event operations, the city expanded temporary parking lots, shuttle bus services and temporary dining facilities, and introduced one-way traffic on some congested roads.

However, weekend rain worsened the surface conditions at some temporary parking lots and parking areas inside the event grounds, making vehicle movement and parking operations difficult.

Sacheon City plans to review issues with traffic and parking operations during the event and incorporate the findings into plans for future events.

Sacheon Mayor Park Dong-sik said, "It is regrettable that the flight performances were canceled and attendance declined because of the weekend rain, but we prioritized safety while continuing the industry exhibitions, networking, and educational and hands-on programs. We will continue working to develop the Sacheon Airshow into a venue for aerospace and defense industry exchanges and public participation."

Sacheon City plans to analyze the results of this year's event and consider ways to improve its industry exhibitions, international exchanges, and educational and hands-on programs.

This year's Sacheon Airshow drew 130 domestic and international companies and organizations, shifting its focus beyond aircraft flight performances to strengthen its role in industry exhibitions and international exchanges.

However, the sharp decline in attendance after rain forced the cancellation of the weekend flight performances highlights the importance of having alternative programs for adverse weather and providing adequate visitor facilities.

In particular, assessing the tangible outcomes of the industry exhibition will require reviewing the export consultation results and cooperation outcomes between companies, which are expected to be announced later.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.