Wings India 2026 takes off amid sombre mood after Maharashtra plane crash

Wings India 2026, South Asia’s largest civil aviation event, began in Hyderabad on Wednesday amid a sombre atmosphere following the Maharashtra plane crash. The four-day event brings together global aircraft makers, airlines and policymakers to showcase innovation, manufacturing and sustainability in aviation.

Hyderabad: Wings India 2026, the largest civil aviation event in South Asia, commenced here on Wednesday under the shadows of the plane crash in Baramati in Maharashtra that claimed the life of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and several others.

Organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and FICCI, the four-day event is providing a comprehensive aviation platform in the country—spanning design to deployment, manufacturing to maintenance, exclusivity to innovation, and safety to sustainability.

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A total of 131 companies, including aircraft manufacturing companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Airlines such as Air India, Indigo, are participating in the event.

Participating in the event, Union Minister for Civil Aviation K Rammohan Naidu said the efforts were on to improve the manufacturing ecosystem that would help India become a global exporter of aviation components and products.

“India has become a global trusted partner in aviation also… aviation is going to be a strong vertical in the country,” the Civil Aviation Minister told media persons at the Begumpet airport here.

Naidu who launched the stand having a static display of aircraft emphasised the need to improve the manufacturing ecosystem in the country to cater to the domestic demand that is going to grow in the next 10 to 20 years.

The aviation companies displayed their aircraft, including Hindustan 228 aircraft, Dhruv ALH-NG helicopter, and LUH civil helicopter by HAL, Falcon 6X by Dassault Aviation, H125, H160 ACH, A321 Neo and A220 by Airbus, E175 and E2195 Profit Hunter by Embraer. Business visitors and delegates who turned up for the event have first hand experience of the aircraft.

In addition to the aircraft display, air shows featuring international and Indian aerobatic teams have also been scheduled during the day. The globally acclaimed global stars aerobatic team, led by world-renowned aviator Mark Jefferies, will deliver breathtaking formation and solo displays with the high-performance Extra 330SC aircraft.

Complementing this will be the iconic Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the Indian Air Force—Asia’s only nine-aircraft aerobatic team—flying the indigenously manufactured Hawk Mk-132 jets.

The four-day mega event is expected to attract over 1 lakh general visitors, more than 7,500 business visitors, 2,000 business delegates, and over 200 foreign delegates.