A total of 11,045 industry professionals—marking a 57% increase from the 2022 edition, with international attendance soaring by 80%—gathered for the 15th edition of the International Bus and Coach Trade Show, FIAA 2024. The event hosted 100 companies, including manufacturers of complete vehicles, bodybuilders, chassis makers, and firms specializing in technology, safety, and auxiliary industries. This strong turnout highlights the revival of the strategic passenger road transport sector, with the show held from October 22 to 25, unveiling the latest innovations and solutions for the industry. FIAA reinforced its position as Southern Europe’s premier event for the sector, benefiting from robust institutional support at all levels and the backing of all major industry associations. More than 400 professionals attended the Grand FIAA 2024 Gala held on October 21, the evening before the show opened.
FIAA continues to expand its international reach, with 16% of attendees hailing from abroad—a rise of 80% compared to 2022—and 20 additional countries represented, bringing the total to 48. Professionals from Germany, France, Italy, China, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, and Morocco were especially notable, along with attendees from all over Spain.
Professional profile of attendees
Fleet operators accounted for 40% of the attendees, followed by manufacturers, auxiliary industry representatives, and public administration officials.
These figures, together with the 34% growth in business participation, with a hundred exhibitors – representing 85% of the national market share – and the increase in exhibition space (38,700 m2 , 79% more than two years ago, occupying Halls 8 and 10), are the best testimony to the definitive recovery of the bus and coach industry, which once again found its greatest commercial showcase at FIAA.
This year’s offerings were once again organized across key industry segments, including Complete Vehicles, Chassis, Bodies, Components, Accessories, and Technology, Maintenance, Transport Infrastructure, and Associations and Services.
International awards
For this special edition, the FIAA Gala was held on October 21 at the “Malinche” auditorium at IFEMA MADRID, where FIAA presented its prestigious international awards, including Minibus of the Year and the Sustainable Bus Awards, which recognize the industry’s commitment to innovation.
The Minibus of the Year award went to the City 75 Electric, developed by German company Tremonia Mobility. The Sustainable Bus Awards honored Solaris Bus & Coach’s Urbino 12 Electric model in the “Urban” category, MAN Truck & Bus’s Lion’s City 12 ELE in the “Interurban” category, and Scania Group’s Touring GNL / LBG HD in the “Coach” category.
Organized by IFEMA MADRID, FIAA 2024 was inaugurated on October 22 by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, joined by the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, and the Community of Madrid’s Minister of Housing, Transport, and Infrastructure, Jorge Rodrigo, among other authorities.
This institutional presence was further reinforced by the attendance of officials from nine regional governments: Aragón, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia, and Valencia.
FIAA also enjoyed support from the entire sector, with active participation from all national industry associations, as well as representatives from several international associations with markets of interest to Spain’s bus and coach sector. Present at FIAA 2024 were the Spanish Confederation of Bus Transport (CONFEBUS), the National Association of Coach Transport Companies (ANETRA), the National Association of Bus and Coach Body Manufacturers (ASCABUS), the Association of Urban and Metropolitan Public Transport (ATUC), and the Coach Companies Association (DIREBUS), as well as international organizations such as Portugal’s National Passenger Transport Association (ANTROP), the Belgian Federation of Bus and Coach Operators, and Morocco’s Association of Bodybuilders.
Activities
On October 22 and 23, a Press Day was organized, featuring presentations at several major exhibitor booths, where journalists previewed the latest industry innovations.
The FIAA’s parallel event program featured a round table hosted by Madrid’s Regional Transport Consortium, the Municipal Transport Company of Madrid (EMT), and CONFEBUS, focusing on the future of bus transport in Madrid. FIAA’s Director, David Moneo, was also honored by DIREBUS for his dedication to the sector. Additional activities included a bus rescue simulation conducted throughout the four-day event by ED-RESCUE with the collaboration of Madrid’s Fire Department.
Meanwhile, Carrilbus organized a series of talks in Hall 8’s Auditorium, where representatives from various regional governments discussed topics such as urban and metropolitan mobility, the current state of intercity and rural mobility, technologies, vehicles, payment systems, and government mobility improvement plans for these regions.
This auditorium was also available for exhibiting companies to present new products and developments.
Following this successful edition, IFEMA MADRID has begun preparations for the 16th International Bus and Coach Trade Show, FIAA, scheduled to take place from September 22 to 25, 2026.