Singapore Airshow Takes Flight Without Boeing as Airbus and Comac Seize the Spotlight

The biennial Singapore Airshow has taken flight but is missing a notable attendee. Boeing has not displayed any commercial aircraft at the event, opening the door for competitors Airbus and now Comac to steal much of the spotlight.

Boeing

Boeing will not be bringing any commercial aircraft to the 2024 Singapore Airshow. These include the Boeing 737 MAX and 777X, which have been guests at earlier airshows, including the Paris and Dubai Air Shows in 2023. Boeing's absence at the Singapore Airshow comes in light of a significant decline in aircraft orders and deliveries. This decline stems partially from the door plug blowout on Alaska Airlines 1282 in January, a flight operated by a brand-new 737 MAX 9.

In light of the door plug incident, more questions have emerged regarding Boeing and its linked company's manufacturing processes behind various aircraft parts. While Boeing is not displaying any passenger aircraft in Singapore this year, that does not mean the manufacturer is missing the airshow completely.

It should be noted that Boeing will still display a cabin mockup of the Boeing 777X. The 777X, claimed to be the world's largest twinjet, has been plagued with delays due to various factors. Boeing is now expected to deliver the first 777X to Emirates in 2025.

Airbus and Comac

Boeing's smaller presence at the 2024 Singapore Airshow has given a green light for its competitors to steal much of the spotlight. Airbus will be flying its A350-1000 in aerial displays. This widebody giant has seen many previous instances doing so at airshows, including Dubai and Farnborough, among others.

This year's A350-1000 aerial display will use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a massive development in commercial aviation. Airbus will have static displays of other aircraft, including helicopters and another commercial jet, the A330neo.

Another guest garnering attention at this airshow is the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). The company is preparing to showcase its C919 narrowbody aircraft, including an aerial display, at the airshow. This will mark the first time the C919 will fly for an international audience.

The C919 has only been ordered by Chinese carriers and is meant to be a competitor for the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. As the show progresses, many are interested to see if Comac can garner its first international orders for its C919 aircraft.

Singapore Airshow

The Singapore Airshow, "where aviation's finest meet," occurs every other year. The event hosts high-level aviation companies along with military and government delegations. It launched in 2008 and can be considered the world's third-largest airshow, following Farnborough and Le Bourget. The Singapore Airshow is the largest aviation event in Asia alongside the Dubai Air Show.

The show occurs at the Changi Exhibition Centre, near Changi Air Base and Singapore's world-renowned Changi International Airport. When the inaugural Singapore Airshow was held in 2008, it had the pleasure of hosting the Airbus A380 as it performed flying displays. At this inaugural event, Korean Air placed an order for three A380s worth $906 million. Among other milestones, Garuda Indonesia converted an earlier Boeing 777-200 order to ten 777-300ERs, a deal worth $2 billion.