Author: Tsang Soo
Associated Press
SINGAPORE (AP) – Singapore’s biennial airshow opened Feb. 15 on a smaller scale than it was before the pandemic, even as the airline industry braces for a recovery two years after the coronavirus outbreak nearly crippled air travel.
The general public was not allowed to enter, but about 600 exhibitors displayed their products and services. That’s down from 930 during the last show in February 2020, when coronavirus cases were just starting to rise.
Despite the recent wave of infections driven by omicron, the aviation market is poised to recover as defense spending increases and commercial aviation grows, experts say.
Attendees at the show must follow strict coronavirus protocols, including regular COVID-19 testing and quarantining of those found to be infected with the coronavirus.
The air show, which started in 2008, usually attracts top corporate executives from airlines and delegations from countries around the world. About 13,000 people are expected to attend this year’s show, less than half of the 30,000 visitors in 2020.
Many Southeast Asian countries have kept borders closed or imposed strict restrictions and quarantine and testing requirements in an attempt to contain the outbreak that has ravaged most countries.
Some people are now slowly relaxing these precautions.
Brendan Sobie, an independent aerospace analyst, said: “The airshow comes at an opportune time as the Southeast Asian market is finally starting to recover after nearly two years of severe impact on air travel, especially internationally. up.” in Singapore.
Many Chinese companies did not attend this year’s show, likely because Beijing’s “zero-coronavirus” policy involved prolonged quarantines.
Key exhibitors at this year’s show include Boeing, Airbus and Lockheed Martin. Boeing’s newest wide-body jet, the 777X, made its Asian debut at this year’s airshow, demonstrating aerial maneuvers during a daily air show.
Darren Hulst, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the 777X is about 20 percent more fuel efficient than the plane it replaces. Singapore Airlines is one of Boeing’s customers planning to add the new jet to its fleet.
“The number one trend we’re seeing is the elasticity of demand for aviation and the importance of people being connected,” Hurst said. He noted that in regions like the U.S., where short-haul flights have resumed quickly, high gasoline prices are preventing people from traveling by car.
“As we see the industry recover more and more, with more and more restrictions on long-distance travel, we will see the market continue to recover and we think the industry will return to 2019 sometime in late 2023. level or early 2024,” Hurst said.
Soapy said China’s absence leaves a big gap. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Chinese tourists are usually the largest consumer group in the world, spending as much as $254.6 billion on overseas travel in 2019.
“It’s not about them not necessarily going to the show. It’s about them not being involved in the recovery of the international aviation industry,” he said.
“China is a very important market in Asia, and Southeast Asia in particular is very dependent on China,” he said. “So this is an extremely important market that has to recover for the overall market to fully recover.”
While the civil aviation industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, defense innovation and spending have been less affected, apart from supply chain disruptions that have plagued many industries around the world, experts said.
