Singapore Airshow successfully concluded its ninth edition, held 20 – 25 February 2024 at Changi Exhibition Centre. The biennial show prides itself as “Asia’s Most Influential Aerospace and Defence Event” and sought to ride on the renewed optimism and recovery of the aerospace industry post-pandemic, returning with the first full-scale show since 2018. It saw a record attendance of close to 60,000 trade attendees for the trade show on 20-23 February, a 10% increase compared to the previous high in 2018. At the same time, the show also welcomed the return of public days, also known as “Weekend@Airshow” on 24-25 February. Tickets were sold out, attracting close to 60,000 visitors who were enthusiastic to get up close and personal with the latest aircraft and witness world-class aerobatic displays.
Trade Exhibition
This year, the 40,000 sqm indoor exhibition hall played host to over 1,000 companies from more than 50 countries and regions. This included 16 country pavilions, of which first-timers were China, Czech Republic, and Korea. The show also welcomed 265 VIP trade delegations.
There was a positive note carried throughout. During the opening ceremony on 19 February, Mr Ravinder Singh, Chairman, Experia Events, organiser of the Singapore Airshow, pointed the strong presence is a sign of the “promising” and “vibrant” aviation industry despite the conflicts and political uncertainties the world is currently grappling with. Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, Mr Heng Swee Keat, reiterated Singapore’s commitment to invest to drive the next step of growth, and is confident that the aviation and aerospace industry will “create good jobs, and connect people and geographies in the coming years”.
This is backed with demand forecasts: Airbus predicts 46% of 40,850 new aircraft deliveries from 2023 to 2042 will take place in Asia Pacific, the region will account for 44% of the services market by 2042. Boeing estimates a global fleet size of 48,000 aircraft in 2042, close to double in 20 years, translating to an annual growth rate of 3.9% in the commercial services market.
However, as major aircraft deals were signed during the show, there were still broader industry concerns over supply chain constraints causing bottlenecks in deliveries. Carried over from the pandemic and evident with the current geopolitical climate, parts resiliency, parts quality, talent re-acquisition were on the minds of many.
On the other hand, the Singapore Airshow was also an avenue for companies to establish themselves and break the status quo. In the spotlight since day 1 was China’s diverse showcase of products, many making their debut on the global stage; COMAC’s C919, CAIC’s Z-10ME and United Aircraft’s Q20 to name a few.
Envisioning the future of the aviation industry and working towards IATA’s net-zero goal by 2050, the show spotlighted innovation and sustainability. The Asia-Pacific debut of Embraer’s spinoff Eve Air Mobility showcases a cabin mock-up and VR flight experience of their eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) air taxi, adding to the rapidly increasing list of companies committed to making UAM (Urban Air Mobility) a reality. The launch of the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint aims to tackle regulatory challenges and maintain delicate balance between decarbonization and competitiveness. Other strategic conversations on the topics of aviation leadership, sustainable aviation, advanced air mobility and China-Singapore bilateral aviation were presented in AeroForum. Last, building a pipeline of talent closes the loop for a sustainable growth. Recognising this, aerospace companies showed strong support by organising STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) workshops, challenges and student ambassador programmes as part of AeroCampus.
Overall, the overwhelming response for Singapore Airshow signalled a reaffirmation of its “role as a catalytic platform for industry sector professionals worldwide in the global arena to convene and draw up tomorrow’s agenda”. Here are some notable news, events and announcements across four productive trade days.
Key Happenings:
- Airbus
- Starlux’s firm order for 5 A350F and 3 more A330neo widebodies (A330-900)
- VietJet Air signed MoU (memorandum of understanding) for purchase of 20 A330neo widebodies (A330-900)
- Demonstration of 35% SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) blend for A350-1000 flight display
- Singapore Airshow debut of ACH130 Aston Martin Edition, of which production is limited to 30 units
- Adoption of Skywise Predictive Maintenance solution for Qantas’s A330, Jetstar Airways’ A320 and Korean Air’s entire Airbus fleet.
- Airbus Academic Partnership (AAP) agreement with National University of Singapore (NUS)
- Boeing
- Thai Airways’ firm order for 45 787s, to be split between -9 and -10 variants, with GEnx engines
- Brunei Airlines’ firm order for 4 787-9s
- CAAS
- Facelift of Singapore Aviation Academy to increase capacity by 20% completed by 2026, along with a progressive curriculum refresh from April
- COMAC
- Tibet Airlines’ order for 40 C919, 10 ARJ21, “plateau” variants customised for high altitude operations
- Henan Civil Aviation Development & Investment Group’s agreement for 6 ARJ21 derived models, including firefighting, medical service and emergency management variants
- International airshow debut of C919 and ARJ21
- Dassault
- Singapore Airshow debut of Falcon 6X
- Embraer
- Singapore Airshow debut of C-390 Millennium military transport, Praetor 600 business jet and Eve Air Mobility concept
- Scoot’s delivery of first of nine E190-E2s leased from Azorra in April 2024
- Gulfstream
- Singapore Airshow debut of G700
- JTC
- JTC aeroSpace Four, a 11,000 sqm expansion of Seletar Aerospace Park by 2027
- OMNIPOL Group
- Singapore Airshow debut of Aircraft Industries L 410 NG (New Generation)
- RTX’s Pratt & Whitney
- Eagles Services Asia Facility 48,000 square-foot expansion, growing GTF (geared turbofan) capability by two-thirds
- Cebu Pacific Air selects GTF engines for an addtional 10 A321neo and 5 A320neo
- JetSMART selects GTF engines for an additional 35 Airbus A320neo family, inclusive 9 A321XLR, with maintenance support
- VietJet Air selects GTF engines exercising options for additional 19 A321neo, inclusive maintenance support
- SAESL
- MoU with Singapore Economic Development Board and JTC Corporation for US$180 million, 50,000 sqm expansion set to increase MRO capacity by 40% from 2026
- ST Engineering
- Setup of Singapore MRO hub for C295 in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space
- MoU with Embraer for engineering, maintenance and support service activities for C-390 Millennium
- AirX’s LOI (letter of intent) with Eurasia Mobility Solutions for 10 AirFish Wing-in-Ground (WIG) craft, options for 10 more
- Debut of Next Generation SAR (Singapore Assault Rifle), Terrex s5 infantry fighting vehicle capable of hybrid electric operation
Static Display
Visitors were in for treat, with 40 aircraft from 17 manufacturers in attendance. Several were first time participants to Singapore Airshow, drawing curious visitors and potential customers for an up-close look at the intricate details of the these aircraft.
List of Static Display Aircraft:
| Manufacturer | Aircraft | Operator/Owner | Registration |
| Airbus | A330 MRTT | Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 765 |
| Airbus | A330neo (A330-941) | Starlux | B-58303 |
| Airbus | A400M | German Air Force | 54+03 |
| Airbus Helicopters | ACH130 Aston Martin Edition | John-Paul Thorbjornsen | VH-BTC |
| Airbus Helicopters | H145M | Airbus Helicopters | mockup |
| Airbus Helicopters | H225M | Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 215 |
| Aircraft Industries | L 410 NG | Aircraft Industries | OK-JRP |
| Bell | 429 GlobalRanger | Bell Textron Canada | C-GFNP |
| Bell | 505 Jet Ranger X | Systematic Aviation Services | 9M-RCI |
| Boeing | AH-64D | Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 2060 |
| Boeing | AH-64E | United States Air Force (USAF) | 20-03311 |
| Boeing | C-17A | United States Air Force (USAF) | 98-0057 |
| Boeing | CH-47F | Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 88172 |
| Boeing | F-15SG | Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 8308 |
| Boeing | KC-135T | United States Air Force (USAF) | 60-0342 |
| Boeing | P-8A | United States Navy (USN) | 169336 |
| Bombardier | Global 7500 | Jet Concierge Club | G-HNEY |
| CAIC | Z-10ME | Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) | Z-10ME-02 |
| COMAC | ARJ21-700 | TransNusa | PK-TJB |
| COMAC | ARJ21-700(F) | China Central Longhao Airlines | B-3388 |
| COMAC | C919-100ER | China Eastern Airlines | B-919A |
| Dassault | Falcon 2000LXS | Jet Aviation | T7-58GG |
| Dassault | Falcon 6X | Dassault Aviation | F-HSUP |
| Embraer | C-390 Millennium | Embraer (Brazilian Air Force) | PT-ZNG |
| Embraer | E195-E2 | Embraer | PR-ZIQ |
| Embraer | Praetor 600 | Embraer Executive Aircraft | N776EE |
| Gulfstream | G600 | Thrive Aviation | N715VM |
| Gulfstream | G700 | Gulfstream | N706GD |
| Honda | HondaJet Elite S | Pongchai Amatanon | HS-IPA |
| Lockheed Martin | F-16D | Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 632 |
| Lockheed Martin | F-16D+ | Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 665 |
| Lockheed Martin | F-35A | United States Air Force (USAF) | 20-5625 |
| Lockheed Martin | F-35A | United States Air Force (USAF) | 22-5694 |
| Pilatus | PC-24 | Pilatus Flugzeugwerke | HB-VVM |
| Saab | JAS-39C | Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) | 70106 |
| Sukhoi | Su-30MKM | Royal Malaysia Air Force (TUDM) | M52-04 |
| Textron Aviation | Beechcraft King Air 360 | Sky Yard Aviation | RP-C8484 |
| Textron Aviation | CitationJet M2 | Universal Techmax | N69HY |
| Textron Aviation | Citation CJ4 Gen 2 | Okayama Air Service | JA01RC |
| Textron Aviation | Citation Latitude | PhilJets | RP-C118 |
Flying Display
Singapore Airshow 2024 was proud to host 5 flying teams, the largest since its inception. On the commercial front, maiden international airshow flights were conducted by COMAC. On the aerobatics front, the Roulettes were making their first international performance with the newly acquired PC-21s, the Sarang Helicopter Team was also making their debut under the Singapore Airshow banner. More photos of the flying display segment can be found in our previous article.
List of Flying Display Participants:
| Operator | Team Name/Squadron | Aircraft | Performance Type |
| Airbus | – | A350-1000 | Civil Demonstration |
| COMAC | – | ARJ21-700 | Civil Demonstration |
| COMAC | – | C919-100ER | Civil Demonstration |
| Indian Air Force (IAF) | Sarang Display Team (No. 151 Helicopter Unit) | 4x HAL Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) | Aerobatic Display |
| Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) | Jupiter Aerobatic Team (Training Squadron 102) | 6x KAI KT-1B Woong-Bi | Aerobatic Display |
| Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) | Black Eagles (53rd Air Demonstration Group) | 8x KAI T-50B Golden Eagle | Aerobatic Display |
| Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) | 120 Squadron, 149 Squadron | 1x AH-64D, 1x F-15SG | Integrated Display |
| Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) | Roulettes | 6x PC-21 | Aerobatic Display |
| United States Air Force (USAF) | 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron | 2x B-52H Stratofortress | Fly-past (22 Feb) |
Weekend@Airshow
Weekend@Airshow featured a host of activities for families, young and old. Apart from the exhilarating flying displays and the diverse static display, members of the public were also treated to pilot autograph sessions, live performances and mascot appearances.
Singapore Airshow 2026
The Singapore Airshow 2026, celebrating its 10th edition, will be held 3-8 February 2026. The countdown begins and we look forward to another unforgettable show.