China's C919 to Make Int'l Debut at Singapore Airshow
A C919 passenger jet, China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport on Saturday and is preparing to make its international debut at the Singapore Airshow later this month.
China’s C919 jetliner showcased at Singapore Airshow
China’s C919 jetliner is envisaged as a rival to Airbus's A320 and Boeing's 737 MAX [File: Vincent Thian/AP] © Provided by Al Jazeera
China’s C919 jetliner is being showcased at Asia’s biggest airshow, as its Beijing-backed manufacturer seeks buyers for the country’s first homegrown passenger jet. Chinese state-run aerospace firm COMAC has touted the C919 as a challenger to the A320 and the 737 MAX, manufactured, respectively, by long-standing industry leaders Airbus and Boeing.
The C919 made its inaugural flight outside China on Sunday at a media event ahead of the Singapore Airshow, which opened to the public for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. China’s Tibet Airlines said on the sidelines of the show on Tuesday that it had finalised an order for 40 of the narrow-body jets, which are designed to carry up to 192 passengers and travel up to 3,500 miles (5,644km). The C919, which has been flying commercially in China since May, has so far only been authorised to fly in its home country.
The biennial air show, which has more than 1,000 companies from some 50 countries in attendance this year, comes as Asia’s aviation sector is bouncing back from several years of dire business conditions due to the pandemic.
Tibet Airlines finalises orders for 40 C919, 10 ARJ21 jets from China's COMAC at Singapore Airshow
A COMAC C919 is displayed at the Changi Exhibition Centre on Feb 20, 2024, during the Singapore Airshow. (Photo: Reuters/Edgar Su)
China's Tibet Airlines on Tuesday (Feb 20) finalised an order for 40 C919 narrow-body jets and 10 ARJ21 regional jets from COMAC designed to be suitable for high-altitude plateaus, becoming the launch customer for a new variant the Chinese state-owned planemaker is developing. The two companies signed the deal at a ceremony on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow.
The announcement came after Tibet Airlines and COMAC in December announced that they would jointly research a shortened variant of the C919 that will seat 140 to 160 passengers and can take off and land at high-altitude airports. The Chinese state-backed Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Group on Tuesday also signed an agreement with COMAC for six planes derived from the smaller ARJ21 specialised for firefighting, medical services and emergency management.
COMAC's C919 is on its first trip outside Chinese territory in Singapore, and the Chinese planemaker is positioning the jet as a viable alternative to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle jet families, as they struggle to meet demand for new planes, and Boeing grapples with a string of crises. The plane is only certified within China and the first of now four C919s began flying with China Eastern Airlines last year. COMAC has received more than 1,000 C919 orders so far, state media reported last September, mostly from Chinese airlines and lessors.
Made-in-China airliner seeks buyers at Singapore Airshow
A China Comac C919 aircraft during a preview of the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, Feb 18, 2024. Beijing wants to challenge the decades-long dominance of top plane-makers Airbus and Boeing while reducing its reliance on foreign technology. PHOTO: AFP
CHINA’S first domestically produced passenger jet was presented at Asia’s biggest airshow, which opened in Singapore on Tuesday, as Beijing seeks to woo international buyers. With its C919 aircraft, Beijing wants to challenge the decades-long dominance of top plane-makers Airbus and Boeing while reducing its reliance on foreign technology.
The single-aisle model from COMAC is a potential competitor to the market-leading A320, made by Europe’s Airbus, and the 737 MAX from US-based Boeing - which will keep a low profile at the Singapore Airshow following a recent safety crisis. At a media preview in the city-state on Sunday, the C919 made its maiden flight outside China, sporting a functional white, green and navy-blue livery.
It will take part in daily flying displays at the six-day event, and features among the static exhibits at a sprawling convention centre near Changi Airport. A C919 plane in the China Eastern livery was among dozens of commercial and military aircraft on the ground. Beside it were two ARJ21s, smaller commercial jets also made by state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).
Airbus says competition from China’s Comac C919 is ‘not going to rock the boat’
A commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac) C919 aircraft operated by China Eastern Airlines during the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Comac C919 is “not going to rock the boat in particular,” Christian Scherer, chief executive officer of Airbus’s aircraft commercial business, said at a media roundtable on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow.
“It looks a bit like an Airbus narrow body,” Scherer said, tongue in cheek, noting that the C919 is “not very different” from what Airbus and Boeing already have in the market. Scherer acknowledged that the C919 was a “legitimate effort” by China — but “the market is large enough for competition, we welcome the competition.”
China's first homegrown passenger jet C919 makes international debut in Singapore
The C919 was one of two commercial planemakers flying their planes off Singapore's coast alongside Airbus at a Sunday preview for Asia's biggest air show. Boeing will not display a commercial aircraft this year.
COMAC has two passenger products: the ARJ21 regional jet and the larger C919 twin-engine narrow-body airliner with 158-192 seats, which competes with the established Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8 models. The C919 made its first flight outside mainland China in December to Hong Kong. ARJ21s are in use by Indonesia's TransNusa Air.
Many inside the industry caution that only four C919s are in service in China; the plane is only certified by Chinese regulators and the C919 relies international supply chains. However the aviation industry-wide supply crunch, which is testing an expected full return and then growth of civil capacity in Asia, is garnering COMAC more attention. "We have also seen a growing trend where clients are including the C919 option in their fleet evaluation," said Adam Cowburn of Alton Aviation Consultancy.
China's first homegrown airliner makes international debut in Singapore
A Comac C919 flies past during an aerial flying display ahead of the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore February 18, 2024
China's challenger to Airbus and Boeing's passenger jets, the narrow-body C919 manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), has made its first trip outside Chinese territory, staging a fly-by at the Singapore Airshow on Sunday.
China has invested heavily in its attempt to break the hold of the dominant two Western planemakers on the global passenger market. China has indicated a push this year to advance the C919 and COMAC's footprint domestically and internationally. The plane is only certified within China and the first of now four C919s began flying with China Eastern Airlines last year.
The C919 was one of two commercial planemakers flying their planes off Singapore's coast alongside Airbus at a Sunday preview for Asia's biggest air show. Boeing will not display a commercial aircraft this year. COMAC has two passenger products: the ARJ21 regional jet and the larger C919 twin-engine narrow-body airliner with 158-192 seats, which competes with the established Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8 models.
China’s first home-grown airliner makes international debut in Singapore
The C919 made its first trip outside Chinese territory, staging a fly-by at the Singapore Airshow on Feb 18
China’s challenger to Airbus and Boeing’s passenger jets, the narrow-body C919 manufactured by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), has made its first trip outside Chinese territory, staging a fly-by at the Singapore Airshow on Feb 18.
China has invested heavily in its attempt to break the hold of the dominant two Western plane-makers in the global passenger market. The country has indicated a push in 2024 to advance the C919 and Comac’s footprint domestically and internationally. The plane is certified only within China. The first of now four C919s began flying with China Eastern Airlines in 2023.
Comac was one of two commercial plane-makers flying their planes off Singapore’s coast – the other was Airbus – at a preview on Feb 18 for Asia’s biggest air show. Boeing will not display a commercial aircraft this year.
China will showcase its domestic jetliner at the Singapore Airshow - Here’s what else to expect
A model of Comac’s C919 aircraft at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 6, 2018
China is gearing up to showcase its narrow-body passenger jet to a global audience for the first time at the Singapore Airshow.
Touted as a competitor to Boeing’s 737 and the Airbus 320, the Comac C919 is quickly turning out to be one of the most anticipated features at this year’s event. The commercial aircraft was developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or Comac, and certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in September 2022.
“Flying for the first time at the Singapore Airshow, is the C919, a narrow-body airliner developed by Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac,” Singapore Airshow organizer and manager Experia Events said in a statement. The air show, held from Feb. 20 to 25 this year, is typically attended by tens of thousands, including military delegations and aviation enthusiasts, and will be open to the public.
Singapore Airshow
The Singapore Airshow 2024 will feature a spectacular line-up of flying displays that will take your breath away! Expect to be awed by the mesmerising manoeuvres by the flying display teams from various countries.
Singapore Airshow 2024
WHERE AVIATION'S FINEST MEET 20 - 25 FEBRUARY 2024
The Singapore Airshow is to go forward from 20 - 25 February 2024, although public days will be omitted from the show's programme. Show organiser Experia Events states that participating exhibitors will include Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, and others.
Singapore Airshow is one of the few multi-faceted events in the region that combines both military and commercial aviation in one strategic location. The event has consistently been very successful in connecting exhibitors with high-level military delegations, leading industry players from national airlines and airport operators, as well as top government officials from the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Every two years, high-level government and military delegations, as well as senior corporate executives around the world attend the Singapore Airshow to forge partnerships and seal deals in this region. As Asia's most influential airshow, this is the place to be for leading aerospace companies and budding players eager to make their mark in the international aerospace and defence market!
The event offers a unique platform for industry thought leadership through its high-level conference, forums and co-located events. Leading industry players, government and military chiefs gather here bi-annually to contribute to dialogues, exchange ideas and seek solutions and strategies to advance the interests of the global aerospace and defence sector.
Singapore Airshow
The Singapore Airshow is a biennial aerospace event held in Singapore, debuted in 2008. It hosts high-level government and military delegations, as well as senior corporate executives around the world, while serving as a global event for leading aerospace companies and budding players (including start-ups) to make their mark in the international aerospace and defence market.
Formerly known as Changi International Airshow, the Singapore Airshow was launched as a partnership between Singaporean agencies Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the Defence Science and Technology Agency after the relocation of Asian Aerospace from Singapore. The event offers a unique platform for industry thought leadership through its high-level conferences, forums and co-located events. Leading industry players, government and military chiefs gather here bi-annually to contribute to dialogues, exchange ideas and seek solutions and strategies to advance the interests of the global aerospace and defence sector. It is cited to be the third largest air show in the world after Le Bourget and Farnborough, as well as Asia's largest air show, although this is disputed by the Dubai Air Show.
The selected venue for the permanent site of the Singapore Airshow is situated on a plot of land just beyond the northern edge perimeter fencing of Changi Air Base, which was itself located due east of the nearby Singapore Changi Airport. In 2006, a contract worth S$60 million was awarded to Eng Lim Construction to begin the building of the new exhibition site to replace the Changi International Exhibition and Convention Centre, including a main exhibition hall with 40,000 square metres of space. When completed in September 2007, the New Changi Exhibition Centre boasted a 40,000 square metres of fully air-conditioned exhibition hall, 2,000 parking lots for trade visitors and motorists as well as 100,000 square metres of outdoor space for exhibitions and functions. Upon its completion, the hall was promptly named as the Changi Exhibition Centre to set it apart from the Changi International Exhibition and Convention Centre which had been in use by the Asian Aerospace exhibitions from 1988 to 2006. The old site is a good 2 kilometres due west of the current one.
Singapore Airshow to be open to public again; tickets on sale from Jan 2
The ninth edition of the biennial aerospace and defence exhibition will take place from Feb 20 to Feb 25, 2024. PHOTO: ST FILE
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the public will once again be able to attend the Singapore Airshow to view aerial performances by local and visiting air force teams and get up close with aircraft on display.
The ninth edition of the biennial aerospace and defence exhibition will take place from Feb 20 to Feb 25, 2024. Tickets allowing the public to enter the event grounds at Changi Exhibition Centre on Feb 24 and Feb 25 will go on sale from Jan 2. It will cost $34 each for adults and $17 for children aged three to 12 to attend what will be called Weekend@Airshow. A group package at $240 includes four tickets and a carpark label.
Organiser Experia Events said more details on what to expect over the two public days will be announced in the new year. More than 60,000 public visitors are expected over the weekend. The first four days of the airshow, billed as Asia’s most influential aviation event, are usually reserved for trade visitors, and the two days after that are usually ticketed events open to the public.
China’s Answer To AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter Makes 1st Appearance At Singapore Air Show
Z-10ME at the Singapore Air Show
China is displaying the export version of its domestically developed attack helicopter, the Z-10ME, for the first time at the Singapore Air Show, which will be held between February 20 and 25.
In service with the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aviation units, it has extensively been seen in exercises and drills and featured frequently in official publicity material. The medium-class attack helicopter is seen flying in large formations during training maneuvers on both China’s eastern and western fronts – Taiwan and India. The helicopter is also set to be inducted by the Pakistan military, which was supposed to begin receiving deliveries of the Z-10ME in late 2023.
Interestingly, China is also displaying its first indigenously developed narrow-body commercial airliner, the COMAC C919, for the first time outside the mainland. The plane would also perform a flying display for spectators, among the eight others that also includes an aerial performance by the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sarang helicopter aerobatic team. The Chinese passenger plane’s entry into the global civilian aviation market comes at a time when leading airline manufacturers Boeing and Airbus are “struggling to ramp up production and meet demand for new planes, and Boeing struggling with a string of crises,” Reuters said.
RSAF to perform at Singapore Airshow with F-15SG fighter jet and Apache AH-64D helicopter
An RSAF F-15SG fighter jet and AH-64D helicopter performing a new manoeuvre, slingshot, during a media preview of Singapore Airshow 2024. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
he Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will be deploying an F-15SG fighter jet and an AH-64D Apache helicopter for its aerial display at Singapore Airshow 2024. As part of the ninth edition of the biennial aerospace and defence exhibition, RSAF will execute two new integrated manoeuvres.
These are part of 12 manoeuvres that will be performed – four will be performed solely by an F-15SG, another four by an AH-64D, and four more with integrated moves from both the fighter jet and helicopter – in an 11-minute display. In 2022, RSAF’s aerial display featured an F-16C and two AH-64Ds, with five new manoeuvres being performed. Both aircraft performed together at the Singapore Airshow for the first time in 2016.
This year’s aerial display will be performed every day from Feb 20 to 22, and on Feb 24 and 25. The sessions at 12.20pm on Feb 20 and 11.20am on Feb 24 will be live-streamed online for the public. The slingshot is one of two new manoeuvres that will be introduced in the airshow, featuring the AH-64D advancing towards the show centre before pulling into a steep climb to the highest point and then executing a tight turn back. At the same time, the F-15SG will enter from the right and circle 360 degrees around the AH-64D at high levels of acceleration, while releasing flares.
Singapore Airshow returns with public days, new stunts for RSAF F-15 fighter jet and Apache helicopter
An RSAF F-15SG fighter jet and Apache helicopter perform during a preview of the Singapore Airshow on Feb 18, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
The Singapore Airshow returns next weekend with public visiting days for the first time in four years and new stunts by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). The biennial event was closed to the public during its last edition in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the trade show will be held at the Changi Exhibition Centre from Feb 20 to Feb 23, with public visiting days on Feb 24 and 25. The aerial displays will also be streamed live on Feb 20 and 24. The RSAF’s presentation is among this year’s eight aerial displays from six air forces and two commercial companies, which will also see the airshow debut of China’s C919 airliner.
A total of 12 stunts will be performed by an RSAF F-15SG fighter jet and an AH-64D Apache helicopter – four solo stunts each, and four “integrated” stunts interweaving both aircraft. The RSAF’s aerial display team will debut two new integrated stunts dubbed the “double helix” and “slingshot”.
China's C919 Jet to rival Boeing & Airbus
China’s C919 Takes Maiden Commercial Flight
China's first homegrown passenger jet C919 took off from Shanghai to Beijing on its maiden commercial flight on Sunday 28 May 2023.
After a 16-year development program plagued by delays, China’s homegrown C919 passenger jet made its long-awaited maiden commercial flight Sunday, marking a small but symbolic first challenge to Boeing and Airbus in one of their most important markets.
Despite backing from top leaders and a ready-made market for its planes, manufacturer Comac faces a steep path to success.
Singapore Airshow 2016
Singapore Airshow is Asia's largest and one of the most important aerospace and defence exhibitions in the world. A truly global exhibition where the latest state-of-the-art systems and equipment, together with their related technologies and developments, are displayed by top aerospace companies around the world.
The event the Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit, which attracts an unprecedented network of international senior commercial & government delegations. The other two strategic conferences that will be held during the week of the show are the A*STAR Aerospace Technology Leadership Forum and the Singapore Aerospace Technology and Engineering Conference.
In 2016, the event will also be featuring three special zones within the exhibition site namely the Aerospace Emerging Technologies Zone, the Business Aviation Zone and the Training & Simulation Zone
