Covilhã, Portugal, May 11, 2026 (Lusa) – The air festival organised for nearly three decades by aeronautics students at the University of Beira Interior (UBI) will return "home" this year on 17 May with the Covilhã Airshow.
The AEROUBI & AS Covilhã — the UBI Aeronautical Engineering Student Nucleus, founded in 1993, organised the event, which begins with the National Aeronautics Meeting (ENA). This meeting includes a series of lectures (Covilhã Aeronautical Conferences) and runs alongside an Opportunities Fair.
The fair features leading companies in the sector, the university itself, and other educational institutions offering aeronautics courses.
Aerial acrobatics complement these activities. Camilo Benito, the Spanish Aerobatic Flight champion, will headline the Covilhã Airshow 2026.
Pilots Luís Garção, Hélder Guerreiro, and Pedro Cunha, along with the Patrulha Fantasma, are also confirmed.
AEROUBI President Tomás Silva said that this edition "breaks traditional moulds because the air festival abandons isolated airfields and brings planes and acrobatics to the heart of the city."
Between 1996 and 2019, university students organised the event entirely, an achievement the organisation believes is unparalleled worldwide.
The festival was suspended from 2020 to 2022 due to the pandemic.
Following the 2011 decommissioning and demolition of the Covilhã airfield to house the PT Data Centre, the festival moved to the Castelo Branco airfield.
The organisation’s main objective remains "to bring Aeronautics students closer to the sector's business fabric, to better prepare them for future projects," according to Silva.
This year, students have partnered with the Municipality of Covilhã, aiming to "elevate the Air Festival to a new level, bringing it closer to the community."
Beyond the aerial displays, the venue will feature a technological hub, flight simulators, and short talks on the future of mobility and aviation safety.
A return to the Beiras Airshow next year remains uncertain. "We have no protocol with Castelo Branco. We have immense respect for Castelo Branco City Council, but everything depends on how the Covilhã Airshow goes. If it serves as a catapult for the return of aviation to Covilhã, it will continue here," he said.
In addition to business and institutional exhibitors, the Covilhã Sports Complex will host a food court, aeromodelling activities, and a display of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS/Drones) and rocket development, both of which are part of the degree's curriculum.
As Covilhã lacks an airfield, aircraft will conduct take-offs, landings, and refuelling at the neighbouring Castelo Branco or Viseu airfields. The National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), officially the event's largest sponsor, agreed to this operational plan.
LYB/RYOL // ADB.
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