Singapore Airshow: Reviving aviation excitement at the premier air event

And when it opens to the public over the Feb 24 and 25 weekend, more than 60,000 visitors are expected to throng the Changi showgrounds. The 2018 edition before the pandemic drew nearly 80,000 public visitors.

Many of them will be setting their sights skywards as pilots put military and commercial planes through their paces in the show’s highly anticipated flying displays. The 2024 edition will feature five foreign flying teams, the most in the air show’s history.

More than 1,000 companies from over 50 countries are set to take part, marking a return to 2018 levels. In 2020, there were 930 participating firms, and in 2022, fewer than 600.

Organiser Experia Events said participating companies come under the umbrella of exhibiting firms. As of Jan 30, about 590 exhibitors had been confirmed for the 2024 show.

In comparison, the Dubai Airshow in November 2023 attracted more than 1,400 exhibitors and 135,000 visitors.

While other air shows have overtaken the Singapore event in terms of scale, the full-scale return of the Singapore Airshow after six years is to be welcomed. 

The last two editions of the biennial event were shadows of its former bustling self. 

In 2020, Experia Events slashed the number of public tickets sold by more than half as the coronavirus emerged. In 2022, amid strict pandemic controls, the show was pruned to a four-day affair – instead of the usual six days – and it was closed to public visitors, who had to make do with livestreams of the flying displays.

In 2024, several exhibitors will make the show one keenly watched by trade and public visitors alike. Among them is Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac.

Making its debut here is its C919 single-aisle passenger jet, which will take to the skies as part of the flying display and be exhibited on the ground. 

The C919 is China’s first home-grown commercial jet built to loosen the Airbus-Boeing stranglehold on the market. It is pitched as an alternative to Boeing’s 737 Max planes, which have been bedevilled by fresh safety concerns, as well as Airbus’ A320neo jets, which face delivery hold-ups.

With the issues confronting Boeing and Airbus, Comac knows it has an opportunity through the Singapore Airshow to get more attention than it would otherwise have, said independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie of Sobie Aviation.

The long wait for a Boeing or Airbus plane, as demand outstrips supply, is also not helping Comac’s competitors.

Joshua Ng, director of Alton Aviation Consultancy, said operators eyeing an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 have to wait until the early 2030s to get one from the manufacturers. 

That said, the C919 has yet to be certified by major Western regulators. Ng said conversations on whether it is a viable option to augment fleets dominated by Western aircraft manufacturers are still in “very early stages”, and the air show will be a good forum to start the ball rolling on these discussions. 

Indeed, the quality of the meetings and networking opportunities available is a key factor for the success of any air show. This is particularly critical, given the supply chain problems still plaguing the industry. 

Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor at aviation publication FlightGlobal, said talking to suppliers is always a major part of an air show. 

“People are going to be talking to their existing suppliers and perhaps to potential new suppliers (at the Singapore Airshow),” he added. 

An air show’s significance also lies in its ability to attract the who’s who of the aviation world.

Airbus, for instance, is fielding four of its top executives at the show.  The chief executives of its commercial aircraft and defence and space businesses, as well as its chief sustainability officer and chief technology officer, will be present. 

In comparison, Boeing’s entourage is more modest. It told The Straits Times its senior leaders attending the show include vice presidents from its defence, space and security division.

While the gap with the Dubai Airshow in the Middle East has widened in the last several years, Mr Sobie said the Singapore Airshow still occupies a niche as the leading show in Asia.

The Singapore Airshow organiser said the yardsticks by which it measures the success of the event include the volume of trade attendees. 

“However, what is as important are the intangible ones such as the quality of exhibitors and visitors, networking opportunities, exchanging ideas, and collaborations,” said Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events. 

The air show also serves as a meeting place for people who share a love of aviation at a time when the industry is feverishly restoring capacity and in great need of staff.

In Singapore, the authorities expect the air transport sector to fully rebuild its workforce in 2024. At present, it is at more than 95% of pre-pandemic levels.

Ng, the aviation consultancy director, said the air show’s role in bringing aviation closer to the community “helps to underscore the importance of aviation to Singapore and beyond, and will have a positive influence across all age groups in recognising aviation as a viable career”.

For aviation enthusiasts, the appeal of the air show comes down to access, the array of aircraft on display and the chance to get up close with the jets. 

One thing is clear: The Singapore Airshow is many things to many people, depending on whom you ask.

While catching up with bigger air shows may be a tall order on the global stage, the Singapore Airshow’s full-scale comeback in 2024 ought to be celebrated for its potential to spark conversations and help the aviation industry in Asia soar again. 

Kenneth Cheng

The Straits Times

Asia News Network