The UAE’s national aerobatic team, Al Fursan al-Emarat, made its Farnborough Airshow debut in July 2026 with a custom flying routine over Hampshire, using five Hongdu L-15 Falcon advanced trainers instead of its usual seven-aircraft formation. The appearance marked the first formation display team aerobatic routine at Farnborough in 12 years and showcased the team’s adaptation to the airshow’s confined airspace.
Fursan al-Emarat, meaning the Knights of the Emirates, is the UAE’s official display team and flies L-15 Falcons powered by AI-222 engines. The Farnborough performance added a high-profile aerobatic element to an airshow otherwise dominated by aircraft orders, product launches and defence programmes.
The team’s reduced formation size reflected the limits of the venue and the need to tailor the display to the available airspace. The debut also placed the UAE among the international participants using the show to demonstrate operational capability and national aviation presence at one of the industry’s most closely watched events.