The ticket shop is now open for European Rotors 2023, the third edition of Europe's largest rotorcraft-only event, which is scheduled for 27-30 November in Madrid, Spain, with exhibits open 28-30 November.

The organisers of European Rotors are preparing for their biggest show yet, expanding on and learning from the two previous stellar events to make this third edition even better. For the first time, the event will be held at a venue other than Cologne, Germany, this time in Madrid, Spain.

Spanish helicopter association ATAIRE is strongly supporting the event this year, which will be held in Hall 9 of the IFEMA Madrid Convention Centre, approximately 10 minutes from the Adolfo Suárez Madrid Airport (LEMD). European Rotors is organised by the European Helicopter Association (EHA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and produced by Helicopter Association International (HAI).

“The attendees and exhibitors from the first two shows taught us that we need to think bigger,” says Christian Müller, EHA chairman. “In addition to providing exceptional business opportunities, the purpose of European Rotors is to bring the community together to exchange knowledge, learn from one another and debate with one shared goal: to improve safety in vertical aviation operations.”

European Rotors continues to cover all aspects of the rotorcraft industry: its many stakeholders; new technologies, innovations and methodologies; and all mission types, including air ambulance services and search-and-rescue (SAR), police and public safety, aerial work and disaster relief, passenger transport and advanced air mobility (AAM).

The first day of the show, Monday, 27 November, focuses solely on safety, with the EASA Rotorcraft and VTOL Symposium as a stand-alone event. Admission to the symposium requires a separate ticket.

The EASA Rotorcraft and VTOL Symposium serves as the flagship of the European Rotors comprehensive conference programme, featuring the latest rotorcraft and VTOL developments. The organisers, says Müller, paid attention to the feedback gathered from many visitors who said they preferred it to be a stand-alone event held in conjunction with European Rotors.

“EASA's primary focus is safe flight throughout the European Union,” states David Solar, head of the general aviation and VTOL Department at EASA. “This event allows us to work directly with the industry's manufacturers, suppliers, operators and individuals. We use this show to collaborate with everyone on developing the latest and smartest safety programmes.”

The 27 November symposium provides attendees with several networking opportunities, including two coffee breaks and a social event that evening. Organisers note that the facility for the EASA Rotorcraft and VTOL Symposium has a limited number of seats, and they encourage interested attendees to purchase their tickets soon.

Another show highlight is the Rotor Safety Zone, with enhanced static displays. This year, the Zone will be composed of three elements: an air ambulance helicopter for daily presentations and demos from the European Safety Promotion Network – Rotorcraft (ESPN-R) Hoist group; a general aviation training helicopter especially for pilots with a private pilot licence; and for the first timeؙ a rig organised by the ESPN-R Sling Load group to discuss topics around human cargo and aerial work. The displays underline the efforts of the organisers to provide hands-on training and safety promotion that cover almost all helicopter missions.

Safety will also be highlighted on the show's final day, 30 November, when the Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST), an international coalition of aviation-safety organisations focused on reducing global helicopter accident rates through collaboration, will hold a special session.

The educational programme at European Rotors 2023 offers three full days of learning on a broad range of topics, including all aspects of rotorcraft operations, challenges and research on future VTOL projects. Sessions will be conducted from three stages using silent conferencing. The adjoining conference centre will also be the location for training, workshops and customer briefings by the industry. In addition, EASA will contribute to other panels and workshops held at the conference centre and on the show floor. A dedicated Spanish Day will place Spanish companies in the spotlight, allowing them to showcase their unique competencies in helicopter missions, especially in air ambulance services, SAR and firefighting.

Acknowledging the continuing global shortage of VTOL pilots and aviation maintenance personnel, European Rotors will again host a career day, Thursday 30 November. The organisers will invite local school classes and university students to attend a special careers session to learn about opportunities to become a pilot or an engineer at one of the leading rotorcraft industry companies. In the afternoon, all participants in the career day will be offered guided tours.

Another educational programme, Rotorthon, challenges online and in-person student teams to innovate new solutions for pressing issues in the VTOL industry. Examples include developing concepts for the next generation of VTOL aircraft, increasing public acceptance of AAM, supporting disaster relief and planning joint use of drones and rotorcraft for the same mission. Information about Rotorthon 2023 will be available soon.

European Rotors benefits from the strong support of market-leading VTOL original equipment manufacturers Airbus, Bell, Leonardo and Safran. Robinson, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and others have already signed up as exhibitors.

Attendees can expect a dynamic show floor in Madrid. Last year's edition featured more than 211 exhibitors from 57 countries and nearly 4,000 attendees. The organisers of this year's show predict even greater participation in Madrid. “The show itself is selling extremely well, with a much larger number of booths already reserved by our previous participants,” adds Müller.

While the show floor is filling quickly, there is still time for companies to participate in this unique event. “Call us or email us for more information,” says Müller. “Any business involved in the VTOL industry in Europe should be a part of this special show. There is no other event in Europe where you will find all your customers and vendors in one location. We're doing our best to make it easier to reach your business goals.”

To better meet the complex needs of attendees, organisers are offering a variety of ticketing options, including special rates for businesses located in Spain. There are single-day passes either for attendees of the EASA Rotorcraft and VTOL Symposium (28 November) or for those who wish to visit the show floor but who have only a single day. There are also multiple-day ticket plans for people wishing to visit both the EASA Rotorcraft and VTOL Symposium and the European Rotors 2023 show floor or all three days that the exhibit floor is open.