The Singapore Airshow, the world's largest air show, was held from 20 to 25 February at the Changi Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 1,000 companies and about 50,000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and regions participated. This is also the first time in six years that the Singapore Airshow has returned to its pre-pandemic scale, attracting 90% of the world's top 20 airlines. At this air show, 2 C919 aircraft and 3 ARJ21 aircraft of COMAC made their debut at overseas air shows, becoming one of the biggest highlights.
With the theme of "Hand in Hand for a Better Future", COMAC's booth showcased the latest painted 1:20 scale C919, ARJ21 and C929 basic aircraft models, as well as 1:32 scale ARJ21 business jets, medical aircraft, emergency rescue command aircraft, fire extinguishers, cargo aircraft, C919 shortened high prototype and extended aircraft models. Inside and outside the exhibition hall, China Eastern Airlines' C919 passenger aircraft, Indonesia's Lingya Airlines' ARJ21 passenger aircraft and Zhongyuan Longhao Airlines' ARJ21 cargo aircraft gathered together, attracting enterprises and the public from all over the world to visit. In addition, one C919 aircraft and one ARJ21 aircraft participated in the air show. At this air show, China's commercial aircraft are favored by international buyers. Captain Kang Yingcai said that the C919 aircraft has excellent flight performance and passenger carrying capacity, and will definitely become a popular aircraft in the future. Supia was impressed by the interior design of the ARJ21 aircraft and believed that the aircraft would be profitable in the market.
At the Singapore Air Show, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) made an appearance with the theme of "Working Together to Create Value". The booth displayed 7 categories of military and civilian aircraft, including fighter jets, training aircraft, advanced UAVs, transport aircraft, special aircraft, and emergency rescue equipment, as well as supporting high-performance sensors, advanced defense systems, and advanced defense systems. A series of "20 family" equipment on the booth also became the focus of attention. In particular, the appearance of the FC-31 "Falcon Eagle" stealth fighter attracted the attention of many visitors. This fighter is the world's leading multi-role fighter developed by China's aviation industry, with a normal layout, equipped with an embedded cabin, and excellent comprehensive combat efficiency, which has further enhanced the international influence of China's aviation industry.
In addition to the unveiling of commercial aircraft and military equipment, the Singapore Airshow also featured a spectacular performance by the multinational air force aerobatic teams. The flight show of China's C919 aircraft and ARJ21 aircraft became a highlight, and the air force air show teams from Singapore, India, Australia, Indonesia, and South Korea also brought wonderful performances. The Singapore Air Force (SAF) sent F-15SG fighters and AH-64D Apache*** to perform 12 sets of difficult aerial stunts, including a special design that symbolizes "double happiness". Four aircraft of the Indian Air Force's Peacock Aerobatic Team performed handstand wine glasses, the letter "i" representing India, and a diamond formation. The Royal Australian Air Force "Roulette" air show team brought six Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft, which was also the first appearance of this type of training aircraft in Southeast Asia. The Indonesian Air Force "Jupiter" air show team presented different visual enjoyment to the audience through a variety of wonderful actions. The South Korean Air Force's "Black Hawk" air show team consisted of eight T-50 trainer planes and performed cool maneuvers including "tornado landing".
Liu Chang, a reporter from China Central Station in Singapore, observed the above wonderful scenes at the air show and made a summary of the air show. The success of this air show is of positive significance for promoting the development of China's commercial aircraft and military and civilian aviation industries, and further demonstrates the strength and international influence of China's aviation industry. At the same time, the performance of the multinational air show team at the air show also enriched the content of the whole event and brought a visual feast to the audience.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Singapore Airshow and Voice of China).