Singapore Airshow: a much-valued platform

THE biennial Singapore Airshow, which kicks off this weekend, is one of the few multi-faceted events in the region that combines both military and commercial aviation in one strategic location. Thus it brings together the largest number of high-level military and government delegations and leading industry players from across the world.

And it consistently attracts more than 1,000 companies, including 60 of the top 100 aerospace companies from across the global aviation spectrum, seeking to forge partnerships and do business in this thriving market. The show also features a series of strategic conferences dedicated to commercial aviation, defence and aerospace technology.

This year's airshow comes barely three months after the Dubai Airshow in November last year. Anyone who witnessed the record orderflows at that gathering can safely bet that orderflows in Singapore will likely be comparatively muted. By the end of that eventful week in Dubai in mid-November, orders had hit almost US$200 billion, thanks largely to the cash-rich Gulf carriers.