Optimism palpable at Singapore Airshow

Four days, 13,000 visitors, 600 companies from 39 countries and regions.

Compared with previous editions, this year's Singapore Airshow had less impressive numbers.

Pitted against the 2020 edition, when many big names pulled out because of the Covid-19 outbreak, visitor numbers were down by some 17,000, while the number of exhibitors fell 400 short.

Unlike in past years, the trade show held from Tuesday to yesterday was not open to the public.

All of this, combined with the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on the aviation sector, led Mr Leck Chet Lam, managing director of organiser Experia, to call on observers to look more at the intangibles, instead of the value of new contracts signed.

Four key themes stood out at this year's air show.

Mr Darren Hulst, vice-president for commercial marketing at Boeing, expects aviation to rebound by the end of 2023 or early 2024 - a prediction shared by executives of other aerospace companies.

Though the multibillion-dollar deals of past years may not have materialised at this year's air show, the optimism was palpable.

Companies such as jet engine maker Rolls-Royce (including its joint venture partner SIA Engineering) and Pratt & Whitney said they will hire more than 200 staff each in Singapore in the coming years.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) confirmed its order of seven Airbus A350 freight planes, and its additional order of 22 engines to power its fleet of Boeing 777-9 passenger aircraft.

This is a far cry from the last two years when companies rushed to cut costs and airlines like Virgin Australia went bankrupt.

Even though Asia and South-east Asia have so far lagged behind Europe and America in air travel recovery, the worst impact of Covid-19 seems to be over.

For the last four days, sustainable aviation fuels was the talk of the town. In fact, it gained its own acronym - SAF.

In the absence of contracts and orders for hardware, countless deals were struck to explore, supply and use fuels that can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent.

"Everybody's talking about SAF," said Mr Thorsten Lange, vice-president for renewable aviation at Neste, a leading global supplier of sustainable aviation fuels.

Like many other industries, the aviation sector has come under pressure to decarbonise.

It accounts for about 2 per cent of human-induced carbon emissions worldwide, and the International Air Transport Association has set a target for all member airlines to achieve net-zero emissions from their operations by 2050.

SIA said that from the third quarter of this year, all its flights will use sustainable aviation fuel blended by ExxonMobil and supplied by Neste.

Brazilian aerospace company Embraer said it is partnering Norwegian airline Wideroe and Rolls-Royce to go further, looking to other potential solutions including electric aircraft and hydrogen fuel cells.

Here, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said a blueprint will be ready by next year to help cut emissions, with goals set for 2030 and 2050.

Amid talk of conventional aviation was a curious subsection at the air show: electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, which can be used as air taxis to ferry people or deliver goods.

Exhibitors pitched these as a solution to urban traffic congestion, while being fully electric to reduce carbon footprint.

In Brazil, for instance, Embraer spin-off Eve Urban Air Mobility has completed a month-long simulation of air taxi flights, with a helicopter standing in for the air taxi to gauge demand.

German aviation company Volocopter is the closest so far to bringing its eVTOL - resembling a helicopter with multiple rotor blades - onto the market.

Come 2024, Singapore could be one of the first in the world to see such an air taxi service, with Volocopter saying that it wants to begin services in Sentosa and Marina Bay then.

Mr David Rottblatt, vice-president of Eve Urban Air Mobility's business development department, said there could be more than 200 air taxis making 3,000 flights a day over Singapore in the coming years.

Developments have captured the authorities' attention. The Economic Development Board and developer JTC Corporation identified Seletar Aerospace Park as a possible "advanced air mobility hub".

Air taxi terminals, hangars and even pilot training facilities could be set up there, they said.

It has been a tough two years for Changi Airport, which sunk into the red for the first time for the financial year ended March 31 last year.

Despite Singapore's slower recovery, international presence at the air show remained strong, with overseas participants keen to re-establish contacts with key partners here. Participants of the air show said Singapore continues to be seen as a front runner in technological development and a link to access the region.

The French delegation, led by French aerospace industry association Gifas, returned with 26 companies, more than double its 2020 presence. Gifas managing director Pierre Bourlot said attending the Singapore Airshow was a "no brainer", as it is one of the few air shows with both defence and civil elements.

Meanwhile, the United States contingent continued to be the largest international exhibitor. US Air Force General Kenneth S. Wilsbach, who leads the delegation, said this signified continued US commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. Mutual interest is the foundation of this relationship, he said.

The same can be said for the 600 companies from 39 countries here.

Barring further major disruptions, the next air show could see a return close to normality for an industry that has been one of the most heavily battered by Covid-19.