China exhibits off its COMAC C919 jet on the Singapore Airshow in problem to Boeing’s troubled 737 Max

It’s the primary time Singapore has opened the occasion to the general public since 2020, when a scaled-down model went forward because the COVID-19 pandemic was simply beginning.

The biennial present comes as Asia’s aviation sector is taking off following the onerous years of the pandemic, when many international locations within the area closed their borders to most worldwide journey.

Subhas Menon, director normal of the Affiliation of Asia Pacific Airways, stated that this yr’s present was “back in full swing” with over 1,000 exhibitors.

“The Singapore Airshow is a good opportunity for exhibitors to show off the direction they’re going, in terms of technology like autonomous vehicles and so forth,” Menon stated in an interview Tuesday.

He stated passenger hundreds within the area are practically again to pre-COVID ranges, and that Asia Pacific is predicted to account for 50% of the expansion in air journey demand this yr.

However even because the aviation sector bounces again, the business faces a broader provide chain crunch, with elements and aircraft shortages and shortages of personnel, from air crews to pilots.

“Supply chain issues are definitely affecting the timely delivery of aircraft and spares, and that’s one of the reasons why capacity growth is lagging behind traffic growth,” Menon stated.

“We do not know when this will ease as it’s related to trade tensions and geopolitical problems that are happening around the world,” he stated.

On Tuesday, China’s Tibet Airways finalized an order for 40 C919 passenger jets and 10 ARJ21 regional jets from the Industrial Plane Firm of China (COMAC). The 2 firms signed the deal on the sidelines of the airshow.

COMAC’s C919 is a narrow-body airliner, much like the Airbus A320neo and Boeing’s 737 Max jets. COMAC designed most of the C919’s elements however a few of its key elements, together with its engine, are nonetheless sourced from the West.

The orders come as COMAC makes an attempt to place itself as a viable choice for single-aisle jets, as firms like Boeing and Airbus grapple with a backlog of orders.

The corporate has obtained over 1,000 orders for its C919, in accordance with Chinese language media, though the aircraft is at the moment solely licensed in mainland China. 4 C919s are at the moment operational with China Japanese Airways.

The C919’s debut on the present is the primary time the jet has made a visit exterior Chinese language territory, although the plane carried out a fly-past in Hong Kong in December in its first foray exterior of mainland China.

The flying show — a spotlight of the biennial air present — noticed Singapore’s air pressure carry out an aerial show with a F-15SG fighter jet and an AH-64D Apache helicopter. COMAC’s C919 and Airbus’ widebody A350-1000 plane additionally carried out fly-pasts.

The Indian air pressure’s Sarang helicopter group confirmed off an array of aerial acrobatics, whereas the Indonesian air pressure’s Jupiter and the Australian air pressure’s Roulettes carried out acrobatic maneuvers, together with crossovers and drawing big hearts within the sky.

The South Korean air pressure’s Black Eagles, flying of their acrobatic plane T-50B, have been the finale of Tuesday’s aerial show, performing maneuvers together with the drawing of the Taegeuk — the yin-yang circle discovered on the South Korean flag — through the jets’ smoke system.

The U.S. Air Pressure’s B-52 Stratofortress is predicted to make a fly-past on Thursday.

U.S. plane producer Boeing is not going to be that includes any passenger jets on the present. The agency is beneath scrutiny after a midflight blowout of a fuselage panel on one in all its 737 Max 9 jets final month.

This yr’s airshow can also be anticipated to highlight sustainable aviation, with Airbus utilizing a mix of sustainable aviation gas made from feedstock from cooking oil and tallow, along with typical jet gas for the A350-1000 plane in its aerial show.

Hyundai’s U.S.-based Supernal unit, which makes a speciality of superior mobility plane reminiscent of air taxis, can also be an exhibitor on this yr’s airshow.

The occasion, which runs from Feb. 20 to 25, is predicted to attract greater than 50,000 guests. Greater than 1,000 firms from over 50 international locations are taking part.