Singapore Airshow is Asia's most influential international aerospace and defence exhibition. This biennial gathering brings together government, military, and industry leaders from across the globe to forge strategic partnerships, exchange ideas, and shape the future of aviation. Hosted in the leading aerospace hub of Asia since 2008, Singapore Airshow acts as a strategic gateway to a wealth of opportunities in the region.
The Singapore Airshow begins with four trade days exclusively for industry and networking events. Highlights include the AeroForum, a series of thought leadership conferences; AeroCampus, a platform to share education and career opportunities for aviators of tomorrow; and What’s Next, showcases of nascent start-ups with groundbreaking technologies. Doors are then opened to the public for Weekend@Airshow, with a line-up of exciting activities including flying displays and meet-the-pilot sessions.
A runway for sustainable transformation
During his address at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat pinpointed sustainability as one of the key focus areas for aviation transformation. He highlighted Singapore’s status as an aviation hub brimming with innovation, sound infrastructure, and talent. This makes Singapore an ideal launchpad for ideas and partnerships that will pave the way to meeting Singapore’s net-zero emissions targets for the aviation industry by 2050.
“With a combination of government-led effort and industry-driven transformation, I am confident that Singapore can serve as a leading example of sustainable aviation growth and provide useful ideas that others can adopt in their own sustainability journeys,” said Mr Heng.
This commitment was keenly demonstrated at the co-located Changi Aviation Summit on the eve of the Singapore Airshow, which saw senior government officials and leaders exchanging views on key issues faced by the aviation industry. At the event, Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat launched the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint, which sets out the country’s action plan for decarbonising the aviation sector. Under the Blueprint, Singapore plans for all flights departing the country to use sustainable aviation fuel from 2026.
The announcement sparked spirited discussions that spilled over into the Sustainable Aviation Forum, presented as part of Singapore Airshow’s AeroForum Series. Global experts, such as business leads from Airbus, Boeing, Cathay Pacific, and Neste, shared their views on decarbonisation strategies, alternative jet fuels, and other hot button sustainability issues. Attendees left with cutting-edge insights and strategies to navigate the path to net-zero emissions.
Singapore Airshow was also the stage for major green announcements and sustainable solutions in action. Airbus announced a strategic alliance with TotalEnergies to supply sustainable aviation fuel for more than half its needs in Europe, and committed to fly a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035. Singapore Airshow itself underscored its commitment to sustainable growth through a partnership with CarbonClick, which allowed attendees to offset their flight emissions from travelling to the event via a convenient and transparent platform.
Spurring business deals and partnerships
With leading exhibitors and high-level decision makers at the Singapore Airshow, opportunities abounded for attendees to discover cutting-edge products and services and to ink deals to put their business in good stead for the future.
A significant announcement that emerged from the show came from global aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, which unveiled a massive expansion of its Eagle Services Asia engine facility in Singapore. On the sidelines of the show, Singapore Aero Engine Services, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Singapore Airlines Engineering Company, inked a S$242 million expansion here. GE Aerospace also committed S$15 million to transform its Singapore-based engine repair facility into a Smart Factory that will revolutionise engine repair.
Reflecting the region’s enthusiasm for aviation’s rebound, Singapore Airshow also saw a slew of aircraft orders by Asia-based airlines, such as Starlux Airlines, Thai Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Vietjet Air, and Tibet Airlines, which made a 50-plane deal with China’s Commercial Aircraft Corp China (COMAC).
