Singapore kicked off Asia’s biggest aviation gathering yesterday as the industry looks to meet ambitious regional growth targets despite widespread supply chain shortages that have delayed many aircraft deliveries.
More than 1,000 companies are participating in the 10th edition of the biennial Singapore Airshow, from industry giants like Airbus and Boeing to local champion ST Engineering and a new wave of drone-focused defence firms like Anduril Industries and Shield AI.
Close to 60,000 people attended the four trade days of the prior show in 2024, and organisers have said they are expecting even better numbers this year after the debut of an accompanying space summit where Singapore said on Monday it would launch its own space agency.
The Asia-Pacific region is the world’s fastest-growing region for air travel, propelled by China and India, with passenger traffic growth of 7.3 per cent projected for 2026, but plane makers and engine manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand for fleet expansions.
Boeing announced a deal with Air Cambodia for 10 of its 737 MAX jets, while Chinese planemaker COMAC is among those vying for attention with its homegrown C919 passenger jet, which is making its second appearance at the show this year after dominating headlines two years ago.
The Singapore Airshow has accounted for just 5pc of global air show orders since 2012, according to calculations by Jefferies analysts, lagging far behind Paris, Farnborough and Dubai, which are held later in the year.
The show’s reach has extended to the Middle East, with Qatar and Saudi Arabia sending civil aviation delegations to the city-state, where home carrier Singapore Airlines announced on Monday it would launch four weekly flights to Riyadh from June.
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