Aero India 2019 – Show timings, tickets and everything you need to know about the air show

Disclaimer: This is not an official blog of Aero India and I have no connection with Aero India. I have written this post to help people who are planning to go for Aero India 2019 because we could not find any relevant information online when we went to Aero India 2017. Hope this helps. Please do not hold me responsible if there is any change this year!!

Aero India 2019 is just round the corner. It is to be held at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru between 20th to 24th February 2019. Air Display Visitors will be allowed to only visit the Air display area (ADVA) during afternoon of 20th and 21st Feb 2019 and full day on 22nd -24th Feb 2019.

We thoroughly enjoyed the acrobatics and were enthralled by the display at the air show in Aero India 2017. Because of the lack of information about the air show online, I decided to quickly jot down a few points for those who are headed there.

My aviation enthusiast husband wanted to show my crazy-about-planes kiddo air show in Bangalore and we registered for the Aero India 2017 as a general visitor to the ADVA (air display viewing area). We would have ideally wanted to see the exhibition too, but that would mean going on a crowded weekend. Given we were travelling from Hyderabad only for the show, we did not want to do that. I and my husband have been to the air show almost a decade back and knew how crazy the weekend crowd is.

How to book the tickets?

You can register for the air show on their website aeroindia.in. General Visitor registration for ADVA can be done at https://aeroindia.gov.in/General-Visitor-ADVA-Registration.  Registration for exhibition area can be done at https://aeroindia.gov.in/General-Visitor-Registration

What are the prices of the tickets?

ADVA pass is for 600 INR. The exhibition pass is for 1800 INR. The prices for foreign nationals is 25 USD for ADVA and 35 USD for the exhibition.

What are the show timings?

You can check the schedule of the event on https://aeroindia.gov.in/General-Information

Air display is on the afternoon of 20th Feb 2019 and full day on 21st -24 th Feb 2019. On 21.02.19, ‘Drone Olympics’ will be held in Forenoon and ‘Flying display’ in the Afternoon session. ADVA tickets get you access to both.

Morning slot: 10 am to 12 noon

Afternoon slot: 2 pm to 5 pm

You can go in anytime and stay as long as you want. However, you are not allowed in after you exit.

Exception to this: On 21.02.19, ‘Drone Olympics’ will be held in Forenoon and ‘Flying display’ in the Afternoon session. ADVA Visitors will to be allowed to visit both the events with the single ticket with double entry allowed on this day.

Are kids allowed in aero India 2019?

Yes, kids are allowed in the air show (ADVA) and static display area. Kids below 5 years do not need to register. Registration process for kids above 5 years is the same as adults. They can enter their parents ID cards along with their school ID for entry. Kids below 15 years are however not permitted in the business display area.

Is the online registration enough or one needs to redeem this pass?

Once you register, you get a confirmation mail. This can be shown at the counter at Yelahanka airbase (where the show is being held) to get the ticket. You need to carry your photo ID proof to get the pass.

We were in the queue for 20 min when we reached at 10:40 am. There are some 6 counters issuing the tickets/ passes.

This is how the pass looked like for ADVA 2017:

Visitor’s name is also printed on the pass. However, the printer was not working when we reached and we got a general pass with no name on it.

Are eatables allowed inside?

Eatables are strictly not allowed inside. A bottle of water may be taken.

Is food available inside?

There was a food court inside which has various food stalls. A2B, pizza hut, dominos, Burger King, Nandini are some of the branded stalls. Other than that, biryani, pav bhaji, chole bhatura, chaat stalls were also available. Cafe coffee day guys sell sandwiches and beverages at various places in the viewing area itself. Anil and kwality ice creams are available too. Water is available for purchase. Food is priced higher than the prices in the outlets in the city though. Carry lots and lots of change though, they refuse to give change.

Is there place to sit?

There are few chairs which are high in demand. Otherwise you can just sit on the grass and watch the show.

What should I carry?

Carry caps/ hats, umbrella, sunscreen lotion, something to sit on and a good camera if you have one. We preferred to enjoy the show rather than keep clicking pictures. Other than that, if you have kids, carry some things for them to do time-pass during lunch.

What is the best time to reach?

The gates open at 9 am. Before that, you will need to collect the pass. The show can be seen from the ticketing area too, but there is nothing like viewing it from the ADVA area. It would be best to reach the airbase by 9 am so you are done with ticketing and security check before you reach the air display viewing area.

Which aircrafts are performing at the air show?

(This information is based on Aero Show 2017)

72 aircrafts performed at the air show 2017, most of them Indian and some from UK, US, Sweden. The famous Surya Kiran acrobatics team stole the show along with Sarang Team (Indian Air Force), the Scandinavian Air Show Team (Sweden) and the Yakovlevs Aerobatic Team (UK). The UK based AeroSuperBatics wingwalker team was one of the most popular shows. The show was a delight to watch and travelling from Hyderabad was totally worth it 🙂

Is there enough parking? How does one reach the airbase?

Click here for the Aero India 2019 map.

There is parking inside Gate No. 8. There was adequate parking space for a weekday, but would not be sufficient on the weekend. Some of the BIS buses going to the airport were stopping on the main road near the airbase.  The gate is some 2 km walk from the main road. Autos are available in plenty, but they are charging atrociously high (charged us Rs.80 from the gate to the main road on a weekday, and was trying to accommodate more passengers in the front seat too).

If you are headed to Aero India 2019 and have any quick questions, post them in the comment and I will try to revert as soon as I can. If you think someone can use this post to plan a quick trip, do share the post.