Rotorcraft
Lassale: Verticon Opens as Industry Is at ‘Inflection Point’
New VAI chief heads for first Verticon as CEO and president
François Lassale
Vertical Aviation International president and CEO François Lassale flew this Bell 412 EPX to Verticon. © VAI

François Lassale heads into his first Verticon as the president and CEO of Vertical Aviation International (VAI) as the event is gaining momentum. The show—in its second edition as Verticon and building off the 35 years held as Heli-Expo—has 15,000-plus registrations, more than 650 exhibitors, 280,000 sq ft of exhibit space filled, and some 60 aircraft on static display.

“It’s shaping up to be a really good one,” he told AIN ahead of this week’s event. “We're ahead of the drag curve, which is great for me. The team’s been working tirelessly for this.”