Organisers of the biennial Singapore Airshow expect trade attendee numbers this year to recover close to pre-pandemic levels, as the first “full-scale” edition of the event in six years begins.
Experia Events managing director Leck Chet Lam says over 50,000 trade visitors are expected at this year’s show – compared to a record figure of 54,000 attendees during the 2018 edition.
“We are very excited for this upcoming show, because we are back to where we were before, as far as having a full-scale air show is concerned,” he says.
This year’s show is the first edition since the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted visitor numbers and resulted in no-shows from several exhibitors.
He adds: “We are back to pre-Covid numbers… [and it] shows the recovery of not just the aviation industry, but we are seeing the mirror of it in the air show. I think we are close to the best [visitor numbers] that we ever had.”
In 2020, around 30,000 visitors came to the show, while pandemic restrictions in Singapore meant only around 13,000 trade attendees were present in 2022. That year also saw the cancellation of public days – traditionally held over the weekend – in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19.
Experia says there are more than 1,000 companies taking part in this year’s show – almost twice the number of exhibitors in 2022 – representing the top 90% of global aerospace firms. Key exhibitors include Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, RTX, as well as Singapore-based ST Engineering.
This year also sees greater participation from Chinese aerospace firms, most of whom were absent two years ago due to pandemic restrictions in Mainland China. Companies include AVIC and Comac, whose C919 narrowbody jet will be making its international air show debut.
Comac’s C919, as well as the ARJ21 regional jet, will be on static display as well as in the daily flying display. AVIC will also be displaying its Z-10 attack helicopter on static for the first time at the show.
Leck says the flying display is “the most international we have ever had” in the show’s history, with participation from air forces in India, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, as well as the USA.
Leck was speaking at the show’s opening press conference on 18 February; the event runs from 20-25 February.
