Landing in Changi Airport in the early hours of Feb 17, the Comac C919 passenger jet slowly made its way to Changi Exhibition Centre after its maiden flight outside Chinese territory.
Adorned in China Eastern Airlines livery, the China-made single-aisle jet was part of a procession of about 10 aircraft being towed to the site of the Singapore Airshow, where it is now on display from Feb 20 to Feb 25.
The towing of aircraft took place over four nights last week.
It was a short journey from the airport to the show grounds, but the precise plans needed to ensure the plane can make its international debut here were months in the making.
“We have to start to prepare at least nine months before,” said flight operations manager Matthew Raj (below), whose job is to look after the 43 warplanes, business jets and commercial airliners on static display, as well as the aircraft performing gravity-defying stunts in the sky.
Another C919 jet will stage fly-bys during the show.
The 2024 edition of the air show features five foreign flying teams, the most in the event’s history, and Mr Raj plays a key role in making sure everything goes without a hitch.
For a start, the 65-year-old, who previously spent 34 years in the Republic of Singapore Air Force as an officer specialising in air operations and air traffic control, had to make sure the necessary documentation for air show participants was in order and up-to-date.
The permits for the aerial displays and road closures also had to be secured early.
Another key part of his job was to organise how the various aircraft would be towed to the event site. Mr Raj said he used to plot the position of each plane and their movements on a big physical board, but he now uses online software.
This is his seventh air show since his first in 2010.
Mr Raj said he had only between about 11pm and 5am each night to get the aircraft from the airport to the display area, as this was when Changi Airport was least busy.
Meanwhile, inside the 40,000 sq m hangar-like exhibition hall in Changi North, an army of workers helped put together display booths for the more than 500 exhibitors in the days leading up to Feb 20.
More than 50 specially built hospitality chalets and 16 country pavilions were also set up at Changi Exhibition Centre for the trade show.
In all, more than 16,000 people were involved in putting the air show together in 2024.
For this edition, organiser Experia Events streamlined the way it managed exhibitors and contractors and made it easier for visitors to register, collect their passes and book shuttle services to and from the event.
Operations manager Cindy Kwek (below), 43, said planning for the 2024 edition began as soon as the 2022 show (which was not open to the public due to the pandemic) ended, with a thorough review of where the firm succeeded and where it did not fare as well.
“Nothing remains the same in events. Requirements change, and solutions and processes evolve too,” she said.
Looking ahead, Mr Raj said the expansion of Changi Airport may create complications for future air shows as it could mean less space for participating aircraft to manoeuvre on the ground and in the air.
But this is a challenge that Mr Raj, who is hired on a contractual basis, would relish if he decides to return in 2026 and beyond.
He added: “I always say this is my last air show. I have been saying that since 2020. But somehow or other, I always end up coming back.”
For more information on Singapore Airshow 2024, visit https://www.singaporeairshow.com