Author: Julie Zhu and Jun Yuan Yong
SINGAPORE, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Singapore kicked off Asia’s biggest aviation event on Tuesday 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, ranging from industry giants such as Airbus and Boeing to local champion ST Engineering and a new wave of drone-focused defense companies such as Anduril Industries and Shield AI.
Nearly 60,000 people attended the four trading days of the last edition of the show in 2024, and organizers said they expected better numbers this year following the debut of the accompanying Space Summit, which Singapore said on Monday it would launch.
Driven by China and India, the Asia-Pacific region is the fastest growing region in global air travel, with passenger traffic expected to rise 7.3% in 2026, but aircraft manufacturers and engine manufacturers are struggling to meet the demand for fleet expansion.
“As the aviation market continues to grow, there is a mismatch between supply and demand,” said Jeffrey Lam, president of the commercial aviation division of ST Engineering, the world’s largest provider of airframe maintenance and repair services.
“I think the sentiment (at the show) reflected that both airlines and flight passengers have a lot of expectations for how the industry can continue to recover to meet market demand.”
Boeing announced a deal with Cambodia Airways to buy 10 737 MAX jets, while Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC was among the companies vying for attention with its domestically produced C919 airliner, making its second appearance at the show this year after grabbing headlines two years ago.
Earlier on Tuesday, China’s Shanxi Shengli General Aviation signed a letter of intent to purchase six firefighting aircraft, with the Chinese company’s smaller C909 regional model receiving its first aircraft order at the show.
The passenger version of the C909 has begun to gain some traction in Southeast Asia, with Indonesia’s TransNusa, Lao Airlines and Vietnam’s VietJet Aviation already operating the aircraft on more than 20 routes, carrying more than 700,000 passengers, according to COMAC.
key meeting points
Jefferies analysts calculate that the Singapore air show has accounted for just 5% of global air show orders since 2012, lagging far behind Paris, Farnborough and Dubai due later this year.
