More than 1,000 firms to take part in Singapore Airshow 2018

Singapore

OVER 1,000 companies from some 50 countries are set to participate in the sixth edition of the Singapore Airshow, which returns from Feb 6-11, 2018.

As Asia's largest airshow, the biennial event - which typically draws over 65 of the top 100 global aerospace companies - serves as a gateway to the region's flourishing aviation and aerospace industry.

This comes as the fast-growing Asia-Pacific is expected to account for some 40 per cent of new aircraft deliveries by 2036, planemakers Airbus and Boeing estimate.

On display will be the latest products and services in areas such as cybersecurity, unmanned aviation systems, avionics, predictive maintenance, additive manufacturing and aircraft health monitoring. Returning exhibitors include industry stalwarts such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Rolls-Royce and ST Engineering. New participants include Boom Supersonic and Honda Aircraft Company. About 70 per cent of the companies that have signed up are returning exhibitors.

The event is also known for bringing in high-level defence and government delegations which enables networking among key officials as well as senior commercial executives.

Meanwhile, the airshow's conference and co-located events will focus on the key themes and issues facing the industry today. These include the Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit 2018 (Feb 4-5), the Singapore Aerospace Technology and Engineering Conference (SATEC 2018), the A*Star Aerospace Technology Leadership Forum, and a variety of business forums.

Other mainstay events include the static display of commercial aircraft, business jets and military fighter jets as well as aerobatic displays. The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X will be showcased in public for the first time in Asia.

And initiatives such as Education Day, startup showcase What's Next@Singapore Airshow and the Singapore Airshow Aero Campus (SAAC) aim to help build up talent and capabilities.

Leck Chet Lam, managing director of organiser Experia Events, said: "As technology innovation and digitalisation continue to disrupt the industry, (we) are focused on curating the latest technologies, products and innovations to feature at the airshow. This ensures that it remains not only relevant, but also addresses the key challenges and trends of tomorrow."

The 2016 Singapore Airshow saw about 1,040 participating firms, 286 VIP delegations as well as over 48,200 trade attendees from different countries and regions.

The number of deals signed during that edition of the Singapore Airshow totalled 50, of which many were for undisclosed amounts. The 11 disclosed deals were worth a combined US$12.7 billion.