TIM ROBINSON FRAeS and STEPHEN BRIDGEWATER provide a look at some of the most exciting news and highlights from the first day at the Singapore Airshow 2024.
The first day of the show saw a slow start in terms of aviation news, but news and announcements soon began to flow as the time went on. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.
Singapore Airshow 2024 – officially open
Guests of Honour Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, Mr Chee Hong Tat, and Senior Minister of State for Defence, Mr Heng Chee How, at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of Singapore Airshow 2024, held at the Changi Exhibition Centre. (via Singapore Airshow)
COMAC kicks off the show orders
Media scrum on the COMAC stand. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)
In perhaps a sign of things to come, the first order of the show came from China’s COMAC, which announced that Tibet Airlines would become the launch customer for its high altitude ‘plateau’ versions of the C919 and ARJ21, with the airline finalising orders for 40 C919s and 10 ARJ21s respectively.
Both aircraft are the Plateau variant, which are optimised for high-altitude operations. The C919 Plateau has a shortened fuselage capable of seating 140-160 passengers subject to configuration and COMAC says it can operate from “all high-altitude airports in China.” Meanwhile, the ARJ21 Plateau has a maximum take-off altitude of 14,500ft.
The aircraft manufacturer also announced the sale of six ARJ21 special mission variants to the Henan Civil Aviation Department & Investment Group. These include examples of the ARJ21 aerial firefighting jet, the medical service variant and the emergency management version. The latter can be used for field patrol, emergency support, airspace command and establishing temporary communications networks in disaster areas.
New RSAF chief
Kelvin replaces Kelvin as RSAF chief. (Singapore MoD)
Brig Gen Kelvin Fan has been announced as the new chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). He takes over from Maj Gen Kelvin Khong on 22 March and is the first non-aircrew member of the RSAF to lead the organisation.
He has served with the RSAF since 1998 and including periods as the officerer commanding 163 Sqn, Director of the Defence Policy Office and Commander of Air Defence and Operations Command. He has also served as Chief of Staff for the Air Staff and Chief of Staff for the Joint Staff and was most recently Deputy Secretary of Policy with Singapore’s Ministry of Defence.
Airbus to launch Singapore Sustainable Aviation Hub
The MoU was signed by (left to right): Wouter van Wersch, EVP International at Airbus, Anand Stanley, President Asia Pacific at Airbus, Sabine Klauke, Chief Technology Officer at Airbus, Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director at Economic Development Board of Singapore, Lim Tse Yong, SVP Mobility and Industrial Solutions at EDB and Cindy Koh, EVP Advanced Manufacturing at EDB. (Airbus)
Airbus has signed an MoU with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) to establish a Sustainable Aviation Hub with a specific focus on technology, research and innovation. “This will bring together aerospace professionals, researchers and innovators to create a collaborative environment that promotes research and development aimed at building a robust and environmentally sustainable aviation ecosystem,” says Airbus.
The Sustainable Aviation Hub will be hosted within Airbus’ Singapore Campus in Seletar Aerospace Park and will focus on the following key areas of development:
Decarbonising Aviation: Focusing on research and analysis of the SAF supply chain and hydrogen-based technologies.
Maintenance, Services, and Operations: Looking at ways to leverage cutting-edge technologies and best practices to advance maintenance, services and operations within the aerospace industry.
Air Traffic Management and Uncrewed Air Traffic Management: The Hub will work on projects aimed at modernising and improving ATM systems, as well as the emerging field of UTM.
Multimission drone in a box
Box-fresh (Tim Robinson/RAeS)
Making the global news this morning outside the show was this SkyRanger R70 multimission quadcopter from Teledyne Ryan – with Ukraine set to receive some 800 of these UAVs from Canada in a $70m arms donation package.
Also appearing at the show with the SkyRanger was a new product in development, the autonomous launch and recovery system (ALRS) which allows operators to remotely launch and land a UAV in a deployable container. The ALRS also features a stabilised landing pad, allowing the drone to take-off and land from ships and even vehicles moving at speed.
On the record, with Supernal’s Jaiwon Shin
Supernal’s S-A2 was unveiled at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. (Supernal)
Before the doors opened on the first full day of the show, AEROSPACE sat down with Jaiwon Shin, President of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal to discuss its recently revealed S-A2 eVTOL concept.
The S-A2 was unveiled at CES 2024 in Las Vegas in January and Shin explained that his rationale for choosing a tech event rather than an airshow such as Singapore to debut the vehicle was motivated by “the buzz” of the show. “Airshows are very important to us,” he explained, “but we also need to reach out to the non-aerospace general public. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is a brand new form of transportation and public acceptance is vital.”
The five-seat Supernal S-A2 (pilot plus four passengers) builds on the company’s vision concept, S-A1, which it debuted at CES 2020 and brought together the innovative aerospace engineering and Hyundai Motor Group’s automotive aesthetic design. It is hoped that in due course, Hyundai’s mass production skillset will also aid the rapid scaling up of vehicles, enabling affordable manufacturing of its vehicles as it prepares to enter the market in 2028.
S-A2 boasts eight tilting rotors, which Shin described as “the sweet spot.” Whereas other companies have opted for differing numbers of rotors, Supernal’s system ensures that “no single part is resting at any phase of flight, which ensures optimum efficiency. Also, as the thrust is always pointed in the direction of travel the S-A2 will offer the most comfortable ride.”
When pressed on the biggest challenges facing the fledgling AAM sector, Shin explained that public perception is top of the list. “In the 1920s, at the start of commercial aviation, risks were acceptable and some innovators were killed in pursuit of their dream. Today, we expect air travel to be seamless and safe, so we need to ensure that AAM follows suit. The public will not adopt eVTOLs if there is even a shred of doubt over safety. It is non-negotiable and if we cannot demonstrate the same safety levels as commercial aviation this market will not open up.”
There is, therefore, an argument that the entire sector needs to collaborate before it starts to compete, a theory that Shin (who used to be NASA’s associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington) buys into. “While I was at NASA I saw the drone delivery industry spring up,” he explained. “I watched Google and Amazon compete with each other for drone deliveries but their mindset was to develop fast and then adjust quickly when the customer told them something wasn’t right. Aviation doesn’t work in a fast-moving environment like that, we work with people and assets. Unfortunately, the early days of eVTOLs also saw rapid advances and strong promises; it heated up too fast. Even today there are so many ‘solutions’ to the battery problem, but almost everybody is using lithium-ion. So we’re already using just one vendor, and that vendor is scratching its head asking for some uniformity and unified alignment in what the sector needs.”
Although all eyes are on Singapore this week, Shin feels that the countries most likely to become successful adopters of AAM technology are the US and UK. “I coined the term ‘most developed countries syndrome’, which I think sums this up. Just look at the UK and the turmoil involved in getting an extra runway at Heathrow; you have to go through applications and community discussions. However, the upside of this is that regulation and acceptance lead to a safer, more viable product. So, whereas some other countries might be first to adopt AAM, I feel the UK and US are the most likely to make it viable.”
Shin confirmed to AEROSPACE that the S-A2 mock-up would be on display at Farnborough in July.
Boeing bags 49 Dreamliner orders
Boeing gets going with a Thai deal. (Boeing)
Although the US manufacturer is not exhibiting any aircraft at this year’s Singapore Airshow, Boeing still has a presence at the event, and on the first day, it announced orders for 49 787 Dreamliners.
Royal Brunei Airlines, which was the first Dreamliner operator in Southeast Asia, has added orders for four 787-9 airframes to renew its widebody fleet. These will join the five 787-8 airframes that it has operated for the last decade.
Meanwhile, Thai Airways announced an order for 45 Dreamliners as it aims to grow both its fleet and international network. Once again, it is the 787-9 variant that has been ordered, all of which will be powered by GEnx engines. The order was finalised in December 2023 and was listed as unidentified on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries list.
Recovery plan complete says Embraer
The Brazilian airframer has delivered 8,000+ aircraft to date. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)
Giving a high-level overview of Embraer’s corporate strategy to the media was CEO Francisco Gomes Neto who noted that the company, celebrating its 55 anniversary this year, had completed its financial turnaround that it started in 2019, with the goal of reaching $10bn in revenue by 2030. Despite being more than half a century old, Neto drew attention to the young age of its product family, with the first E-Jet flying in 2002 as well as the company’s “world-class engineering”. Meanwhile, in eVTOLs, its Eve Air Mobility arm has the largest backlog of all the air taxi developers, with commitments for 2,815 of the aircraft.
L410NG completes long haul to make Singapore debut
Winging its way from the Czech Republic. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
The prototype L410NG departed the Czech Republic on 11 February, making a five-day/7,000-mile journey to Singapore that took eight stops in seven countries.
The NG is the latest model of the 1960s Let 410 Turbolet aircraft and entered production in 2018. The redesigned wing, with an integrated fuel tank, provides increased fuel capacity, allowing for longer range and endurance. It also allows an increase in MTOW and payload, resulting in the ability to carry an extra 500kg of cargo, with increased volume provided by the nose extension. The aircraft is also equipped with the more powerful GE H85-200 engine and AV 725 propeller as well as a Garmin 3000 touchscreen glass integrated avionics system. The aircraft has now been certified by EASA, the FAA and the Russian Federation.
ADS flies the flag for Britain
The UK Pavilion in Singapore – Land of hope and glory. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
ADS in partnership with UK Defence and Security Exports (UKDSE) and supported by the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade is hosting the UK Pavilion here at the show, highlighting eleven British companies and giving trade mission delegates the opportunity to meet with representatives from across UK Government.
The Asia-Pacific region is a key partner for the UK aerospace industry, producing wings, engines and aircraft interiors as well as providing a vibrant MRO market. Exhibitors in the UK Pavilion include ALA, Aero Metals Alliance, BAE Systems, Clarion Defence & Security, Cranfield University, Farsound Aviation, FAUN Trackway, Independent Forgings and Alloys, Leki Aviation and Smart Audio Technologies.
First Embraer E2 simulator now available in Asia-Pacific
Embraer’s latest Tech Eagle E Jet at Singapore. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
Embraer and CAE have announced the inauguration of the first E-Jets E2 full flight simulator (FFS) in Asia-Pacific, in the Singapore-CAE Flight Training Centre in Singapore. The FFS is a 7000XR Series simulator with the CAE Tropos 6000XR visual system. Pilots of Singapore Airlines’ low-cost arm Scoot, will be among the first to train on the sim, with its new E190-E2 fleet to enter service later this year in May.
Pratt & Whitney expands Singapore engine centre
There are lots of P&W fans in Singapore this week. (RTX)
Pratt & Whitney has officially announced a 48,000ft2 expansion of its Singapore-based engine centre. It says the Eagle Services Asia (ESA) facility, which is a joint venture with SIA Engineering, will grow its GTF overhaul capacity by two-thirds this year.
Since ESA opened in 2019, the MRO facility has already completed over 500 GTF engine overhauls.
The extended facility includes technologies that integrate robotics, automation and machine learning to increase efficiency, lower stress on machine operators and increase safety for key MRO processes. Innovations include fully automated high-pressure compressor (HPC) rotor stacking, a Receive-in-Check Cobot that augments the work done by human inspectors and a robotic arm to install and remove HPC bearing sleeves.
On the opening morning of the airshow, Pratt & Whitney also announced a further $20m investment to grow its manufacturing capacity in Singapore for the production of GTF engine high-pressure turbine (HPT) disks. The capacity expansion is expected to increase the facility’s workforce by more than 10% over the next two years and increase the current production rate of 2,400 disks annually by approximately 45% by January 2026.
Indonesian eVTOL unveiled
Another eVTOL breaks cover. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)
Over at Digantara Indonesia, the company revealed it was working on Indonesia’s first indigenously developed eVTOL, Vela Alpha, a one-pilot and six-passenger lift and cruise design. The aircraft is aimed to be adaptable to either pure electric or hybrid-electric propulsion – with the latter providing extra range (400km) compared to the pure electric 100km.
The company also had on its stand, a model of an amphibian version of its N219 utility aircraft currently in development. With Indonesia’s island geography and the fact that seaplane bases only cost 20% of the price of an airport, the company had spotted an opportunity to improve regional connectivity and tourism.
Singapore launches ‘Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint’
Flight from Singapore are set to rise following the announcement. (SIA)
During Monday’s Changi Aviation Summit, the country’s Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, Mr Chee Hong Tat, launched the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint (SSAHB).
The Blueprint, which was developed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in consultation with industry and other stakeholders, sets out the nation’s action plan for the decarbonisation of its aviation sector and will be submitted to ICAO later this month.
Based on 12 initiatives and five enablers that Singapore hopes will not just decarbonise the sector but also support sustainable growth, the CAAS aims to reduce domestic aviation emissions from airport operations by 20% from 2019 levels in 2030 and achieve net zero domestic and international aviation emissions by 2050.
However, controversy surrounds one particular element of the Blueprint, which requires the use of SAF for flights departing Singapore and introduces a SAF levy for the purchase of the fuel. From 2026, 1% of fuel uplift will need to be SAF, with the figure rising to between 3-5% by 2030, subject to global developments and the wider availability and adoption of SAF.
The Minister explained that overly ambitious sustainability goals would “hurt our air hub and our economy, and raise the cost of travel for passengers.”
While similar, more stringent, targets exist within the EU, the decision over whether to absorb the costs or pass them onto the passenger is left down to the individual airline. Conversely, the Singaporean levy will be payable by every passenger and vary according to the distance of the flight and the travel class. It is expected that long-haul economy flights (such as Singapore to London) would rise by around S$16 (around £9.50) in 2026.
Speaking here in Singapore, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said: “There will be a cost associated with transitioning to net zero. And ultimately that cost will have to be reflected in the ticket prices that we charge our customers, which will have a dampening effect on the level of growth. It has got to be a conversation: economics and viability, and environment sustainability.”
Countering this, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, Director General of Airports Council International, said it was the government’s responsibility to invest in new SAF refineries to help reduce costs. “The solution is not capacity restrictions, the solution is not taxation; the solution is finding ways that you can work together to increase production that will then be used by the airlines in the system,” he said.
Click here to read the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint in full:
https://www-caas-gov-sg-admin.cwp.sg/docs/default-source/docs—so/singapore-sustainable-air-hub-blueprint.pdf
Eve Air Mobility sets sights on Japan
SkyScape and Eve – Big in Japan? (Eve)
Embraer’s advanced air mobility spin-off, Eve, has announced an agreement with SkyScape – a Japanese eVTOL vertiport developer – to use Eve’s Urban ATM software as part of its plan to showcase AAM operations in Japan. Skyscape, the first Urban ATM customer in Japan, becomes the 13th customer for this software, which features UAM flight coordination, vertiport support and airspace flow management.
ARJ21 PtF conversion
COMAC AJR21 duo on display at Singapore. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
Although somewhat overshadowed by the international debut of its new brother, the C919, COMAC’s ARJ21 is also turning heads in the Singapore static park.
The first of the twin-engined, t-tailed airliners flew in 2008 but it would be 2016 before the type finally entered service with Chengdu Airlines. Around 125 have so far been delivered and in 2020, work began on a Passenger to Freighter (PtF) conversion programme. The resulting aircraft has a maximum payload capacity of 10 tonnes and was certified in China by the CAAC in January 2023 and the first two machines were delivered in October of last year. One of these (B-3388) is on display at Singapore in the markings of Zhengzhou-based Air Central. It previously served with Chengdu Airlines from 2018 until 2021. According to COMAC, its new operator uses the jet primarily for transporting cargo and mail on domestic routes within China.
Joining B-3388 in Singapore is passenger configured ARJ21-700 PK-TJB. This belongs to Indonesian carrier Transnusa, which is so far the only non-Chinese carrier to fly the type.
Lilium wins order from Philippines bizjet operator
PhilJets plans to operate the Lilium Jet in the Philippines. (Lilium)
The first day of the show was packed with eVTOL news, as Lilium announced an MoU with Philippine bizjet operator PhilJets for intent to purchase ten electric Lilium Jets – and a future strategic collaboration to roll out AAM services across the Philippines and other South East Asia countries, including Cambodia.
For the freighter good
First flight of the A350F is set for 2025. (Airbus)
Over at Airbus, Head of Freighter Marketing, Crawford Hamilton told media that the entry of the freighter version of the A350F on the global cargo market was ‘utterly perfect timing’ – with the airframer forecasting demand for around 400 of these widebodies in the Asia-Pacific over the next 20 years.
He also revealed that the payload of this freighter, (now officially designated the A350-1000F), had now increased to 111tonnes – up 2t from the previous 109tonnes.
Jupiter shines bright
Jupiter is among the stars at Singapore. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
Among the plethora of international display teams appearing at this year’s airshow, one standout ‘act’ is the Indonesian Air Force’s Jupiter Aerobatic Team. Complete with the seemingly obligative over-excited commentator/announcer, the team has been impressing crowds with its six KAI KT-1B Wongbee turboprop aircraft. Interestingly, the team is made up of volunteer instructor pilots from the Skadik 102 Training Squadron at Adisucipto International Airport, Yogyakarta, who perform and practice in their spare time. The team gets its name from the ‘Jupiter’ call-sign used by Indonesian Air Force instructors.
High flyers in aviation journalism honoured
Recognising the best in aviation journalism in Asia. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
The first official day of the air show also saw the Aerospace Media Awards Asia take place – recognising the best aviation journalists based and working in Asia-Pacific – and reflecting that this is truly a global industry. Organised by industry veteran Peter Bradfield and taking place in a ceremony in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, the categories this year included ‘Best New Asian Journalist,’ ’Best Advanced Air Mobility submission’ and ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ – with RAeS President 2023-24 Kerissa Khan in attendance to hand over an award to Tony Harrington for ‘Best Commercial Aviation in Asia Pacific’ story (for The Frying Kangaroo).
For a full list of winners, see https://www.aerospacemediaawardsasia.com/
EngineStands24 introduces PW1100 engine stands
Making a stand. The highly anticipated PW1100 product debuts. (EngineStands24)
In a strategic move to meet the local demand within the Asia-Pacific region, EngineStands24, a member of Magnetic Group, has announced the launch of its latest product line – the highly anticipated PW1100 engine stands. This launch is not just an expansion but a direct response to the growing need for specialized equipment necessitated by the widespread inspections required for PW1100G-Powered A320neo family aircraft engines.
EngineStands24’s Daiva Žemaitė emphasises the significance of this decision, explaining that: “The current engine stand market state has been affected by PW1100G-powered engines requiring checks and, hence, a lot of them are or will be out of service between now and 2026. While all the needed checks will be completed, the location plays a key role. It’s important to note that more than half of these A320neo engines reside in the APAC region. To adapt to the ever-increasing need for PW1100 stands, we allocated them to our recently opened hub in Singapore. Based on our year-over-year comparison, the number of clients’ inquiries for PW1100 types of stands has increased nine times compared to 2022 demand.”
Chinese sim maker eyes eVTOL market
eVTOL pilots will still need simulators to train in. (Tim Robinson/RAeS)
While its main business is building Airbus and Boeing narrowbody full flight simulators, (FFS), Tianjin-based ACCEL, was at the show with a training simulator concept for the eVTOL market. The simulator, similar to a FTD, uses twin control sticks, mixed-reality goggles and five screens. ACCEL believes that while 90% of eVTOL flights will be highly automated with minimal pilot interaction, there will still be a need for emergency tasks to be trained in a simulator.
Still king of the air at 60
Still nifty at sixty. The King Air is now six decades old. (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
The basic design may be six decades old but thanks to ongoing development and innovation, the Beechcraft King Air on static display at Singapore remains as valid and popular as when the first example flew in January 1964.
Since then, nearly 7,800 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world, making it the world’s best-selling business turboprop family. The worldwide fleet has surpassed 62 million flight hours, serving roles in all branches of the U.S. military and flying both commercial and special mission roles around the world.
Textron (which has owned Beechcraft since 2014) is exhibiting the very latest King Air 360 variant at Changi. Introduced in 2020, the latest version of the King Air benefits from upgraded avionics and autothrottles, as well as digital pressurisation which automatically schedules cabin pressurisation during both climb and descent, reducing pilot workload and increasing overall passenger comfort.
The 100th King Air 360 was delivered in October 2023 and is now in service with Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Centre (CBCC), a pioneer in global cancer care including cutting-edge cancer clinical trials that have led to new drug developments in cancer care.
And finally…
With the 2020 and 2022 editions of the Singapore Airshow badly affected by the Covid 19 pandemic, some folk just can’t get out of the habit of wearing a mask… (Stephen Bridgewater/RAeS)
Stay ahead of all the news!
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Editor-in-Chief Tim Robinson @RAeSTimR
Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater @RAeSSteveB