FTL reflects on a successful Farnborough International Airshow 2026

Farnborough International Airshow 2026 has officially come to a close, marking an incredibly successful week for Friction Technology Ltd and our first time exhibiting at the show.

After months of preparation, Farnborough provided an invaluable opportunity to meet with aerospace manufacturers, engineering teams, procurement professionals and supply-chain leaders from across the industry.

The number of conversations, introductions and new connections we established throughout the week exceeded our expectations. We would like to thank everyone who visited the FTL stand, shared their experiences and took the time to learn more about our friction-material and motion-control capabilities.

A growing challenge around legacy and obsolete components

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the week was the increasing difficulty aerospace businesses face when sourcing support for legacy components.

Many established aircraft platforms remain operational long after the original component manufacturer, material specification or approved supply route has disappeared. In other cases, suppliers have withdrawn from lower-volume programmes, materials have become obsolete or historic technical information is no longer readily available.

This can leave operators, maintainers and engineering teams with very limited options for components that remain essential to the continued operation of an aircraft.

Throughout Farnborough, we spoke with organisations looking for support with components that had become difficult to source, uneconomical for larger suppliers to manufacture or unsupported by their existing supply chains.

These conversations reinforced the importance of maintaining specialist manufacturing capabilities for legacy aerospace applications.

FTL can support customers through material selection, reverse engineering, component development, bonding, machining, assembly and inspection. By bringing these capabilities together, we can help assess legacy components and develop a practical route towards replacement or continued supply.

Limited options for specialist brake and motion-control components

Another recurring point was the limited number of specialist suppliers available for brake pads, friction components and wider motion-control parts within the aerospace sector.

These components may represent a relatively small part of a complete aircraft or system, but they often perform a critical function. Their performance can depend on the interaction between the friction material, mating surface, operating temperature, pressure, wear characteristics and surrounding mechanical assembly.

As a result, sourcing a friction component is rarely as simple as replacing one material with another.

Customers increasingly need suppliers that understand both the friction material and the complete component. They also need a single point of accountability capable of supporting the product from initial assessment through to finished manufacture.

FTL's vertically integrated approach allows us to formulate and manufacture friction materials while also providing machining, bonding, finishing, assembly and inspection under one roof.

This helps customers simplify fragmented supply chains, improve traceability and reduce the number of separate suppliers involved in producing a finished component.

Shared insight from across the aerospace industry

Farnborough was not simply an opportunity to present our own capabilities. It also gave our team the chance to listen.

The insight shared by visitors throughout the week provided a valuable view of the challenges currently affecting aerospace supply chains. These included material obsolescence, ageing aircraft platforms, low-volume production requirements, long lead times, fragmented supplier networks and the loss of specialist manufacturing knowledge.

Many of the conversations demonstrated that companies are not necessarily searching for another catalogue supplier. They are looking for responsive engineering partners willing to investigate difficult applications, understand the wider system and develop a sustainable long-term solution.

These discussions will help shape how FTL continues to invest in its technical, manufacturing and testing capabilities.

Building new relationships

The level of engagement throughout the week was overwhelming.

We established connections with aircraft manufacturers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, maintenance organisations, engineering consultancies and businesses developing the next generation of aerospace platforms.

Some conversations focused on immediate sourcing challenges, while others explored longer-term programmes that remain at an early stage of development. Both are equally important to FTL.

Developing specialist friction components can require close collaboration, testing and qualification. Beginning those conversations early allows materials, manufacturing methods and supply-chain requirements to be considered before a design becomes fixed.

We look forward to continuing the discussions started at Farnborough and exploring how FTL can support both existing aircraft and future aerospace programmes.

Looking ahead to Farnborough 2028

Our first Farnborough International Airshow as an exhibitor confirmed that there is a clear need for the specialist capabilities FTL provides.

The week demonstrated the value of supporting legacy and obsolete components, developing bespoke friction solutions and offering customers a more integrated approach to brake and motion-control component supply.

Thank you again to everyone who visited our stand, introduced us to new contacts or shared their knowledge and experience with our team.

We now look forward to turning those conversations into long-term partnerships, and returning to Farnborough in 2028.