Airshow organisers confident of 'even better' conversations despite Covid curbs

UNFAZED by the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, organisers of the Singapore Airshow 2022 are confident that this week's event will be a platform for "even better" conversations among industry players as the aviation sector makes its nascent recovery.

At a press conference on Sunday (Feb 13), Airshow organiser Experia's managing director Leck Chet Lam said the event is expecting more than 13,000 trade attendees who will participate physically over 4 days from Feb 15. There will also be nearly 600 participating companies from some 39 countries and regions.

This is far less than the 2018 edition, which welcomed 54,000 trade attendees and 1,062 companies from 50 countries and regions.

At the last Airshow, held in the early stages of the pandemic in February 2020, the biennial event took a hit with about 30,000 trade visitors and 930 companies from 45 countries.

"We all know in this current environment, yes, the attendance will surely be lower... but as far as the quality is concerned, I'm not worried about that because here, we have assembled a high quality set of exhibitors. More than 70 per cent of the top 20 global aerospace companies are here," Leck told reporters.

He added that government officials, VIP delegations as well as military and commercial buyers are among the event's "high quality trade visitors".

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"The congregation of the right people are here - our industry players and decision makers - the conversations will be just as good, if not even better," he said.

This comes at a time when the industry is starting to see "green shoots" with rising passenger travel numbers and flight frequencies amid the pent-up demand for travel, said Leck.

He gave an overview of the growth potential of the Asia-Pacific region, which is set to see the highest projected passenger growth from 2019 to 2040 at a compound annual growth rate of 4.5 per cent, compared with other regions.

The region will also be receiving the highest number of new deliveries, accounting for more than 40 per cent of them.

Citing data by plane maker Boeing, Leck said the region is projected to require aftermarket services valued at US$3.7 trillion over the next 20 years.

"The level of optimism is high, the growth potential is good, and I think we need to use this opportunity really to capitalise on this growth," he said, explaining the Airshow's raison d'etre.

The event will feature several high-level forums such as the Aviation CEO Forum on Feb 15 as well as the Sustainable Aviation Forum on Feb 16-17.

On Feb 18, the virtual AeroCampus will return for the 4th time, reaching out to the younger generation to foster their interest in the aerospace sector.

While this year's Airshow will not be open to public visitors, members of the public can still watch a livestream of the aerial display on all days of the event.

Lim Tse Yong, vice-president and head of capital goods at the Singapore Economic Development Board, said the significance of the Singapore Airshow as the "top airshow" in the region has not changed despite the pandemic.

"Many of our business clients have been telling us how much they are looking forward to the Airshow. There are only so much Zoom calls people can take, and they are really looking forward to the face-to-face interactions," Lim said.

While Singapore's aerospace industry was deeply affected by Covid-19 in 2020, Lim said the industry began to see year-on-year growth since April 2021, albeit due to the low base, with December hitting growth of nearly 60 per cent.

At the same time, companies are hiring again with more than 1,000 jobs available in the next 2 years. This includes roles like engineers and technicians with experience in advanced manufacturing, robotics, automation and data analytics, he said.

Despite the recovery, Lim said Singapore must continue to press on with its transformation efforts in the area of digitalisation and sustainable fuel options. He added that the government will also continue to work with schools and companies to engage the younger generation and excite them about the aerospace industry and its opportunities.