SINGAPORE Airshow News 2024 Day 2

SINGAPORE

AIRSHOW NEWS DAY 2

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SINGAPORE

AIRSHOW NEWS DAY 2

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

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ORDERS Chinese Airliners Comac racks up orders for short-body C919s and ARJ21s from Tibet and China | 02

AIRCRAFT Dassault 10X

DAVID McINTOSH

Falcon family of bizjets grows, but Falcon 10X production has slipped to 2027 | 04

The Royal Australian Air Force’s “Roulettes” show off PC-21 aerobatic maneuvers.

BOEING BAGS LANDMARK 787 ORDER

By David Donald Boeing on Tuesday revealed a pair of orders from Asian carriers for 49 of its 787 Dreamliner widebodies in the biggest deal of the Singapore Airshow’s first day. Thai Airways will take up to 45 aircraft, while Royal Brunei Airlines has committed to adding four of the model to its fleet.

The Thai Airways contract calls for the first 10 Dreamliners to be the 787-9 version powered by GE Aerospace’s GEnx engines. The contract includes options for 35 more aircraft and allows the flexibility to switch to the larger 787-10 model or even the 777X. The companies finalized the order in December but didn’t formally reveal its existence until the first day of this week’s show.

For Thai Airways, the influx of 787s will fuel a major increase in capacity to meet the growing demand for air travel in Southeast Asia. The carrier reached a type/engine selection decision in just 10 months, accelerating an evaluation process that had

hitherto taken three to four years. The airline adopted a total cost of ownership method to reach its decision. Plans call for delivery of the initial 45 aircraft between 2027 and 2033.

The carrier is no stranger to the Boeing 787, with six 787-8s and a pair of Dash 9s in its fleet, and one more of the latter on order. The average fleet age is just over nine years for the 7878s. Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s power the current aircraft but the airline’s president and CEO, Chai Eamsiri, said that the airline harbored no plans to drop the Rolls-engined aircraft from the fleet any time soon.

Eamsiri noted that the GEnx engines would help the airline—and nation—meet its carbon-neutral goals by 2050.

The 787 will reduce fuel use and emissions by 25 percent compared with the aircraft it is to replace.

On the same day as the Thai announcement, Boeing revealed an order for four 787-9s from Royal Brunei Airlines—the first Dreamliner operator in Southeast Asia. The airline celebrated 10 years of operations with the 787 last year. z

NAVIGATION GPS Spoofing Airbus to test GPS signal accuracy with A3501000 testbed departing Singapore Airshow | 06

UAM Air Traffic Management Vertiport specialist Skyscape taps Eve’s urban air traffic management system | 08 alerts

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By David Donald Comac formally signed two contracts in Singapore for C919 and ARJ21 airliners, which between them account for the launch orders for new derivatives. The larger of the two deals covers 40 short-body C919s and 10 ARJ21s for Tibet Airlines.

The carrier is headquartered at Lhasa Gonggar Airport in Tibet and operates a hub at Chengdu-Shuangliu. The current fleet consists of Airbus A320 family members and a few A330s for long-haul flights. It has been cooperating with Comac on developing airliners tailored to

DAVID McINTOSH

Comac racks up orders for C919 and ARJ21

high-altitude operations, resulting in the “Plateau” variants of both the ARJ21 and C919.

The latter is a shortened-fuselage version that will typically accommodate 140 passengers in a two-class cabin, with a maximum capacity of 160. Comac formally unveiled the version in November at the Shanghai Airshow, along with a stretched version that can seat up to 210 passengers. The standard-length C919—seen flying at Singapore—accommodates 158 to 174 passengers depending on configuration.

Meanwhile, the ARJ21-700 regional jet can operate from runways with elevations of up to 14,500 feet, which covers the majority of China’s airports. Able to seat 78 in a two-class layout or up to 97 in a single-class, high-density arrangement, the airplane’s design allows it to handle

Tibet Airlines ordered 40 C919s and 10 ARJ21s while investment group Henan is acquiring six ARJ21s for firefighting and other emergency services. crosswinds of up to 36 knots, a critical capability for operations from single-runway fields in mountainous areas. Comac markets both of the Plateau airliners to nations with high-elevation airfields such as Nepal and Mexico.

Comac’s second order came from the Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Group, which is acquiring six ARJ21s. The manufacturer will deliver them in three special mission configurations, consisting of a firefighter; medical services/evacuation aircraft; and an emergency management platform. The latter can provide a range of emergency support capabilities, including establishing temporary communications networks. Other ARJ21 derivatives include a business jet and freighter variants. z

DAVID McINTOSH

IAF Sarang helicopter team makes Singapore debut

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The Indian Air Force’s Sarang helicopter air display team is making its Singapore Airshow debut this week. Flying in formation with four modified HAL Dhruv helicopters, the Sarang team is conducting daily aerobatic performances during the aerial displays.

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Appearing alongside a Falcon 2000LXS (foreground), the 6X makes its Singapore Airshow debut.

Falcon family growing but 10X slips to 2027

By Kerry Lynch Dassault Aviation is moving forward on the assembly of its 19-passenger Falcon 10X as it marches toward certification toward the end of 2026 and deliveries in 2027.

The certification timeline has slipped to about one year behind the original plans for 2025. During EBACE 2023 in Geneva, Dassault CEO and chairman Éric Trappier indicated some skepticism about the 2025 timeline, pointing to vendor problems and the longerthan-anticipated effects of Covid.

However, Carlos Brana, executive v-p of civil aircraft for Dassault, told AIN that despite the schedule delay, “development is going smoothly” as plans to assemble the aircraft this year proceed. “We are starting to manufacture the parts,” Brana added. “Right now, everything is going according to plan, even if the schedule has slipped a tiny bit.”

Once certified, Dassault will bring to market its largest, longest-range Falcon yet, putting it into the realm of the Bombardier Global 7500 and Gulfstream G700.

Powered by Rolls-Royce 10X turbofans, the Mach 0.925 aircraft will have a cabin that is 9 feet, 1 inch wide and 6 feet, 8 inches tall, larger than any purpose-built business jet in service today.

With the longer range, the Falcon 10X opens

new city-pair options such as New York to Shanghai or Hong Kong, and Los Angeles to Sydney. The longer reach allows Dassault to cast a wider offering in the Asia-Pacific market.

“Asia-Pacific is part of the world where the growth is important,” Brana said. “There’s still big growth. With the level of industrialization that is coming, people will need specific transportation means for business, and business aviation is all about that.”

He noted the importance of the Singapore Airshow—the biggest in the Asia-Pacific region—to generate interest in the Falcon portfolio as the company looks to further build its base in the growing market.

Demo Tour Planned Dassault is using the Singapore Airshow as a springboard to launch a three-week demonstration tour throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand of its newest market entry, the Falcon 6X. Exhibiting at the static display alongside a Falcon 2000LXS, the 6X makes its Singapore Airshow debut some six months after it received EASA and U.S. FAA approvals and shortly after entering service.

The super-midsize Falcon 2000 has proved Dassault’s bestseller so far, with sales in countries such as Japan, Korea, and Indonesia. “It’s a platform that is enjoyed by our

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customers because of its customers because of its reliability and versatility,” said Brana.

While the LXS variant boasts a 4,000-nm range, Brana noted its growing portfolio will cast a wider net for operators in Asia with the 6X’s 5,500-nm range that can connect Europe to Asia.

As Dassault begins its ramp-up of the 6X, it continues to work on approvals such as steep approach and the head-up display, Brana said, as well as additional certifications in countries such as China, India, and Canada. With uncertainties surrounding the timeline for Chinese approval, Brana said, “We prefer to start early.”

At the same time, the French manufacturer continues to build the 6X backlog, which extends through 2025.

Dassault’s deliveries dipped to 26 Falcons in 2023, six fewer than in 2022, and short of the 35 units it had estimated in guidance issued earlier last year. The manufacturer pointed to supply chain issues for the hampered deliveries. It continues to work with suppliers to help them come “out of the woods…and to put things behind us,” Brana said. “Things are not easy, but they’re improving and hopefully at a quick pace.”

As it works toward expanding its portfolio, Dassault is growing its service network. The company plans to open its next 150,000-sq-ft center at the Kuala Lumpur facility in March.

That facility will replace its existing space in the Malaysian city and provide enough capacity to house 10 to 15 Falcon jets while accommodating its newest models. The Malaysian facility already has received FAA approval for line maintenance on the 6X. z

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The Airbus A350-1000 on display will investigate GPS spoofing during its flight back to Toulouse, France, after the Singapore Airshow.

A350-1000 will aid GPS spoofing investigations

By Kerry Lynch Following its week of demonstration flights with a 35 percent blend of sustainable aviation fuel during the air show, Airbus’s A350-1000 will become a testbed to check the accuracy of GPS signals as it flies back to Toulouse, France.

On its return flight, the testbed will cross regions where GPS spoofing has become an issue. “We want to be sure that the GPS signal that we receive inside the aircraft is a correct one,” said Airbus test flight engineer Gérard Maisonneuve.

The trial comes as GPS spoofing has become a global concern, with dozens of reports of such events shining a light on vulnerabilities in navigation. Security and operational specialist OpsGroup has detailed numerous reports of aircraft receiving false GPS signals that have caused them to fly miles off course and to lose anywhere from partial to full navigation capabilities. Most of the events have occurred over or near conflict regions.

International regulators have begun collaborating on possible safeguards, and numerous agencies and manufacturers have begun to issue warnings and procedures on what to do

in case a flight crew should encounter such an event. EASA and the International Air Transport Association held a workshop last month to share information and concluded that such events pose a significant challenge to aviation safety.

As part of its trial, Maisonneuve told AIN that the A350-1000 testbed will be equipped with a sensor to check the integrity of signal throughout the flight path as it passes near locations where spoofing has occurred on its return to Toulouse. “We want to be sure that according to the flight plan, we receive the right signal,” he explained.

Equipped with data collection mechanisms on board, the sensor will be able to monitor the effects of potential attempts to either jam or send false signals independently of the aircraft systems.

Airbus monitors GPS spoofing daily and continues to work with its customers to alert them of instances and areas where the GPS signal can deteriorate. “There have been plenty of reports” involving these events, Maisonneuve said. Additionally, Airbus has issued special procedures to operators on how to handle such situations. z

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Gulfstream has set another speed record with its new ultra-long-range jet, the G700— this time en route to the Singapore Airshow.

The U.S. jet maker recently snagged its 51st speed record during a 5,754-nautical-mile (10,656 km) trip from Nice to Singapore. During the carbon-neutral flight, which lasted 11 hours and 30 minutes, it achieved an average speed of Mach 0.9.

The twinjet previously earned its 50th speed record flying from Los Angeles to Nice in December, traveling 5,197 nm (9,625 km) in 10 hours and 13 minutes, also at an average speed of Mach 0.9.

“These latest records once again prove that the G700 can help our customers reach their destinations faster,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “We are excited to return to the Singapore Airshow as we continue to see impressive business growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Demand for Gulfstream’s high-performance capabilities has never been greater, and we look forward to showcasing our next-generation aircraft, which lead the industry in innovation, performance, and cabin comfort.”

The ultra-large twinjet is making its debut at the Singapore Airshow together with the ultra-long-range G600. The record-breaking flights came after the manufacturer set a city-pair record in December 2023, flying between Tokyo to Savannah at an average speed of Mach 0.91. The 6,365-nm (11,788 km) flight lasted 10 hours and 53 minutes.

J.M.

DAVID McINTOSH

KERRY LYNCH

Gulstream sets 51st G700 speed record

Gulfstream’s ultra-long-range G700 achieved an average speed of Mach 0.9.

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Skyscape plans to build a network of vertiports across the Asia-Pacific region, starting in Japan and South Korea.

Skyscape brings Urban ATM to Japan Japanese vertiport development and management company Skyscape has selected Eve Air Mobility to provide its Urban ATM (air traffic management) system for the advanced air mobility operations concept advanced by the Japanese government. Skyscape is the 13th customer for Eve’s Urban ATM system and its sixth vertiport customer.

Eve designed Urban ATM to provide scalable urban air mobility (UAM) services for air navigation service providers, urban authorities, fleet operators, and other stakeholders. Services include UAM flight coordination, vertiport automation, airside support, airspace flow management, and conformance management.

Under the agreement, Skyscape and Eve will collaborate on several fronts, including promoting UAM in Japan while testing the Urban ATM software. They aim to accelerate the adoption of eVTOL aircraft with a focus on vertiport design, operation certification, and future autonomous capabilities.

Skyscape uses a “building-block” approach to vertiport development with ready-made units to house various customizable elements for operations. The blocks use upcycled Conex containers and aluminum for quick setup and durability.

Eve noted that it designed the approach to support a high number of co-located services.

“This agreement represents a key milestone

for Eve as Skyscape becomes our first Urban ATM customer in Japan as we continue to grow our portfolio of vertiport customers around the world,” said David Rottblatt, v-p of sales and global affairs at Eve Air Mobility.

“Japan has been very proactive and is a global leader in pursuing urban air mobility.”

Skyscape CEO Asa Quesenberry added that the agreement with Eve brings the company one step closer to making advanced air mobility operations a reality. “Our team at Skyscape is focused on developments that move the needle forward and get us closer to launching real AAM services,” he concluded. z

DAVID McINTOSH

By Kerry Lynch

A Cut Above Singapore Airshow 2024 kicked off Tuesday morning with a cadre of dignitaries, including guests of honor Chee Hong Tat, the minister for transport and second minister for finance in Singapore, and Heng Chee How, senior minister of state for defense. The ribbon cutting marks the full return of the airshow, which had been curtailed over the past four years by the Covid pandemic.

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A Lufthansa Technik mechanic performs engine maintenance at the company’s main Asia MRO facility in Manila.

Strong MRO providers bolster Asian carriers

By Gregory Polek The Asia-Pacific market for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services would appear to favor well-resourced providers offering certainty to airlines averse to the risks they see in using smaller, independent outfits. Manufacturers have come to benefit in that environment, as have big MRO providers such as Lufthansa Technik (LHT), which has invested significantly to serve the region’s varying needs.

For the technical arm of the German flagcarrier, business opportunities depend on strong ties with governments in the region, especially China, where LHT controls 80 percent of a joint venture in Shenzhen with Beijing Kailan Aviation Technology Company.

While the Asia-Pacific region accounts for some 20 percent of LHT’s revenues, China theoretically presents a huge growth opportunity but also challenges to navigate its bureaucracies and develop relationships, according to LHT’s head of corporate strategy and market analytics Sven Taubert.

China ranks as the region’s biggest market and will remain so for at least another 10 years, he added, meaning no company doing

business in Asia can afford to discount it.

Other major MRO providers exhibiting at the Singapore Airshow this week include locallybased SIA Engineering and SR Technics.

“The uncertainty over Taiwan and the trade war with the U.S., we all know about that,” said Taubert. “Every company I guess is a little bit cautious about that, but no one is in the position to ignore China’s potential.

However, talking to my colleagues from the other companies about China, there is a lot of uncertainty on many faces.”

China’s gradual emergence from the Covid pandemic has many Western companies reevaluating their strategies for 2024, noted Taubert. Nevertheless, LHT will practice caution, preferring to focus on its existing facilities in Shenzhen. “That’s our strategy worldwide,” he explained. “We first start with our existing footprint, see where we can grow organically, and try to have more centers of excellence somewhere. This reduces complexity and is how we started in Hamburg.”

LHT Eyes India’s Potential Lufthansa Technik expects to apply a version of that model in Bangalore, India, where it operates an AOG desk. Although LHT has not

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yet established a workshop at the facility, it performs “a lot of digital stuff” there.

“I would say India is definitely a very, very interesting country for us,” Taubert noted.

LHT counts Air India Group and Vistara as major customers in the subcontinent, while it also works with IndiGo, the largest Airbus narrowbody customer in the world. He applauded Tata Group’s takeover of Air India as a significant move toward stability in a country that has struggled in that regard.

“You need political and economic stability,” Taubert stressed. “Some of the countries in Asia are not there yet.” He pointed to Japan as an example of a country whose stability tends to attract Western business. “It’s always easier for a Western company to step into these markets compared to, for example, emerging markets like Indonesia, which is still very vibrant and where a lot of airlines come and go.”

Another hurdle Western interests must clear to gain access to Asia is the inconsistent regulatory environment. Taubert explained that because most of the airline activity involves international flying, MRO in Asia-Pacific presents a unique challenge compared with North America and Europe. Due to tighter borders, “it is not always that easy to get parts from one country to another,” he said.

Fragmented MRO Market Andrei Grskovic, a partner with global consultancy Oliver Wyman, called the region’s regulatory framework “highly fragmented.”

“You don’t have the equivalent of an FAA covering the entire region,” Grskovic said.

“The licensing to even get [the equivalent of a] Part 145 shop, you have to do that in every single country to establish a greenfield. Then you do have places like China, where it’s extremely difficult to greenfield anything…But oftentimes it’s not attractive to do, just from an economic perspective.”

Asia hasn’t suffered from the shortage of skilled mechanics seen in North America and Europe, thanks to the region’s large pool of young professionals graduating from a comparatively ample number of technical schools, noted Grskovic. “In North America and Western Europe, you have a completely different labor force and, frankly, an aging labor force on top of that.” z

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The Shenyang J-35, China’s next-gen carrier-capable fighter, could enter service in Pakistan.

China’s fighter goals soar on dragon wings

By Reuben F. Johnson By 2011, China’s fighter design bureau and defense industrial firms earned a reputation for turning out two types of aircraft: adaptations of foreign designs subsequently modified by a Chinese design team and models that nearly mirrored the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30MK series. Though based on 1980s innovations, the aircraft and technology transfer that came with them nonetheless helped move the Chinese air power into the 21st century.

With the first flight of the Chengdu J-20 in January 2011, China—led by the Chengdu (CAC) and Shenyang (SAC) Aerospace Corporations—joined the ranks of nations manufacturing new-generation fighter aircraft.

Over the years, the Shenyang enterprise developed a reputation as the facility charged with developing reverse-engineered analogs of the Russian-made Su-27, Su-30MK, and the carrier-capable Su-33. Those designs became the different variants of Shenyang’s J-11B series, themselves versions of the J-16, and the J-15, which operate from the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) Liaoning-class skiramp carriers.

Now, the PLAN wants SAC to produce a new aircraft that would fit two specific mission profiles.

Needed: An F-35 Analog A carrier-capable fighter lighter than the J-15 is a key item on the wish list of the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLAN AF).

The J-15 weighs more than the Su-33 on which it is based, limiting it to 20 percent of its weapons load if taking off fully fueled. Chinese industry sources that have spoken to AIN on condition of anonymity maintained that even a catapult-equipped Liaoning carrier or CV-17 Shandong would have difficulties launching the aircraft while carrying a full set of weaponry.

The other need calls for a smaller, stealthy fighter to supplement the J-20 in the role the U.S.-made F-35 performs as the bottom half of the USAF’s high-low mix and supporting the larger, heavier F-22A. From China’s perspective, in a perfect world where aircraft would become an export product, Chinese industry could sell to nations that in past decades purchased previous-generation Chengdu J-7s (CAC’s reverse-engineered copy of the MiG-21).

For the PLAN AF carrier force and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the SAC J-35 fills that role. Previously known by several designators (F-60/J- 31/FC-31) and demonstrated as an early FC-31 prototype at the 2014 Airshow China in Zhuhai, the J-35 seen today differs from the FC-31 with a redesigned wing and an extended fuselage.

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Initial reactions from cursory examination of the aircraft often suggest a resemblance to a twin-engine F-35. Stacy Bostjanick, the director of the Pentagon’s cybersecurity effort designed to safeguard IT systems of its major contractors, credits an inadequate adherence to proper security procedures as a chief cause for that similarity.

“A lot of the time people [in the defense industry] didn’t understand what the requirements were,” Bostjanick said at an industry event two years ago. “Hence, the reason we have that J-31 over in China that looks very much like our F-35.”

Enter the Dragon The first supposedly “fifth-generation” fighter that has drawn the attention of nations that regard China as a threat has taken the form of the Chengdu J-20, the aircraft the Chinese refer to as Weilong, or Mighty Dragon. First flown in 2011, the J-20 has been in service since 2017, and its manufacturer has assembled more than 200 to date. As in the case of Shenyang’s J-35, U.S. intelligence indicates that data pilfered by Beijing from U.S. government computer networks inspired the J-20 design.

Chinese industry’s development of homegrown engine designs has made a major difference in the performance of both aircraft, however. Just four days after last year’s Paris Airshow a Chinese video appeared of a J-20 making the first public flight powered with two Xi’an-built Woshan-15 “Emei” engines.

The new engine replaces less capable, Russiandesigned AL-31F models and permit the aircraft to supercruise.

Similarly, the Guizhou engine enterprise has produced the new-generation WS-19 engine, with an increase to 12 tonnes-force over the nine tonnes produced by the earlier WS-13. It will allow the aircraft to supercruise and carry an increased weapons load.

The J-35 might also have inked its first export order. In January, Pakistani Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu reportedly stated that the Shenyang aircraft would enter service with the Pakistan Air Force soon. If finalized, the contract would make China only the second country after the U.S. to make a foreign sale of stealthy fighter aircraft. z

Pratt & Whitney grows its Singapore presence

By David Donald RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney is expanding its engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) and manufacturing operations in Singapore, as well as broadening its MRO offering with the addition of the PT6C-67C helicopter engine. The company says it is already seeing the benefits of the local technology accelerator it established in September 2022.

To support the growth in the GTF (geared turbofan) engine fleet, which powers members of the Airbus A220/A320neo and Embraer E2 families, P&W is expanding its GTF MRO capacity in Singapore by two-thirds. To that end, the company recently opened a 48,000sq-ft growth at its Eagle Services Asia (ESA) facilities, a joint venture between P&W and SIA Engineering. Located at two sites, ESA introduced GTF MRO capability in 2019 and has completed more than 500 engine overhauls.

ESA is one of 15 GTF MRO centers around the world, seven of which reside in the Asia-Pacific region. Other regional providers

include Korean Airlines, IHI, and MHIAL in Japan, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, Ameco in China, and China Airlines in Taiwan. The company plans to add three more GTF MRO shops globally by 2025.

As well as supporting the in-service GTF fleet, P&W also has a manufacturing operation in Singapore that achieved full operating capacity in June 2023. Currently, the P&W NGPF Manufacturing Company produces 2,400 high-pressure turbine disks for the GTF annually, but that figure is due to grow by 45 percent come January 2026. To facilitate the expansion, the company aims to expand that workforce by 10 percent over the next two years.

Pratt & Whitney Canada also maintains an MRO facility in Singapore that provides overhaul-level services for the PW100 turboprop that powers regional airliners, as well as related services for other P&WC engines and the A320’s APS3200 auxiliary power unit. The facility has grown to become the company’s central hub in the Asia-Pacific region, including in Australia and Singapore.

Hinterland brings SkyCourier to Australia Textron Aviation and regional airline Hinterland Aviation have entered into a purchase agreement for the first Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine 19-passenger variant in Australia, the companies said Monday. Based at Cairns Airport in Queensland, Hinterland operates both scheduled service and charter flights, including to Coen, Palm Island, and Kowanyama.

The deal will give a boost to Hinterland’s expansive fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans, providing a larger payload capacity along with increased passenger seating. With delivery slated for 2026, the turboprop will serve remote communities as well as tourism and business in Queensland, the company said.

“We are thrilled to announce our order of the new Cessna SkyCourier. The aircraft will be a valuable addition to our fleet, allowing us to better serve our clients’ individual needs with room for 19 passengers and access to remote runways,” said Hinterland Aviation CEO Andrew Clair. “The SkyCourier will serve as an important tool to help grow our business, and we will be proud to be the first airline customer in Australia to operate this aircraft.”

Powered by two wing-mounted Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turboprop engines, the SkyCourier features the McCauley Propeller C779 four-blade propeller, allowing for full

Pratt & Whitney is expanding its MRO capabilities in Singapore.

A new addition to the offering is an overhaul line for the PT6C-67C turboshaft, two of which P&W installed in the Leonardo AW139 medium helicopter. A test cell is also under construction, and both line and cell are due to become fully operational by next year.

Innovations P&W introduced at the four ESA/P&W MRO facilities include the Singapore technology accelerator program created in partnership with the Economic Development Board. New technologies focus on areas such as automation, digital twins, connected factories, and advanced inspection to streamline and enhance MRO shop performance. z

feathering with reversible pitch. The aircraft also comes equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and flies to a maximum cruise speed of 200 ktas and a range of 900 nm.

Textron’s freighter variant includes a large door and a flat-floor cabin to accommodate up to three LD3 shipping containers, offering 6,000 pounds of payload capability.

“The SkyCourier’s incredible performance makes it a reliable business tool for customers all over the world,” said Lannie O’Bannion, Textron’s senior vice president of global sales and flight operations. “With the ability to load, fly, unload, and repeat—along with low operating costs and maximum cabin flexibility—the SkyCourier is a game-changer in regional connectivity.”

J.M.

a i n o n l i n e . c o m • February 21, 2024 • S i n g a p o re A i rs h ow News 13

Bell 429 Designer cabin makes its Asian debut The Designer Series of the Bell 429 helicopter is making its debut in Southeast Asia at the Singapore Airshow this week, as the manufacturer looks to capitalize on what it views as strong demand throughout the region. Bell Textron also is exhibiting an example of its 505 single-engine rotorcraft and laying the groundwork for the upcoming 525 model.

Visitors will get to inspect the 429’s cabin features, including leather-covered seats, consoles, door accent panels, and headliners, as well as hardwood flooring and fresh paint schemes. With a flat floor, the 429 cabin can seat up to seven passengers.

Bell has delivered more than 450 examples of the light twin worldwide, including police forces in Indonesia, Thailand, and Australia. In applications including corporate transportation, law enforcement, and emergency medical services, the 429 fleet worldwide has logged over 602,000 flight hours.

The manufacturer recently delivered a highly customized example of the 429 to Sky Yard Aviation in the Philippines, where a dozen of the type reside. The machine featured a custom paint job and bespoke cabin interiors developed for the operator’s private clients.

According to Sameer Rehman, Bell’s managing director for Asia Pacific, it introduced the Designer Series to give customers a simpler way to get the cabin interior that suits them best. “The Designer Series, by incorporating high-quality materials and workmanship takes the passenger experience up several notches,” he said.

The U.S. manufacturer is expanding its customer base in the region with the announcement on Tuesday of three contracts for the Bell 505 signed with customers in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It has also

confirmed several deliveries of the Bell 407 model in this part of the world.

Malaysia’s Hammock Helicopter has ordered a pair of 505s in corporate configuration for delivery later this year. Bell also confirmed that an undisclosed operator in Indonesia and four corporate clients in the Philippines have each recently ordered one of the light singles in deals that will take the number of 505s in the region to more than 100.

Bell Sees Strong Demand in APAC Bell has just delivered a pair of 407GXi models to Meghna Aviation and Ginger Aviation in Bangladesh and Taiwan, respectively. They are the first commercial examples of the type in those countries, although the Bangladesh army already operates two of the aircraft.

Meghna Aviation now ranks as the largest commercial operator of Bell rotorcraft in Bangladesh. Ginger Aviation, which opened in 2022, aims to use the 407GXi to respond to the growing demand for powerline wash and inspection work.

In the Philippines, Aerobee Corporation has just taken delivery of its first 407GXi. The customer is an aircraft distributor and service provider active in the agricultural sector.

According to Rehman, market conditions in a vast and diverse territory extending from India to Japan and southwards to Australasia have presented strong opportunities to add to the approximately 1,400 aircraft Bell has delivered to the region. He reported to AIN increasing demand across multiple applications, including emergency medical flights and transportation for business leaders and offshore energy workers.

Rehman believes the 525 model will enhance Bell’s offering, with increased performance that includes a range of 500 nm and a speed of 170 knots. He emphasized safety features such as auto-stabilization and triple-redundant fly-by-wire controls, as well as the versatility

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PHOTOS: DAVID McINTOSH

By Charles Alcock

On display at the Textron Aviation exhibit during the Singapore Airshow, the Bell 429 Designer Series helicopter cabin features a luxurious interior with a flat hardwood floor and seven leather seats. provided by a quick-change cabin that operators can reconfigure between flights.

For Bell’s Asia-Pacific team, the regional market’s exceptional diversity presents plenty of opportunity—but also some challenges in terms of infrastructure and regulatory limitations. Rehman said the company wants to get involved in discussions about how helicopters can be put to better use in applications such as transporting doctors to patients in remote, underserved communities. He added that the industry’s push to make rotorcraft operations less damaging to the environment through increased use of sustainable aviation fuel should help reinforce that trend. z

Plans call for Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 to open in the mid-2030s

Changi Airport expands as Paya Lebar closes

By Chris Pocock For such a small island state, Singapore is thinking big about the expansion of Changi Airport.

A project to create a fifth passenger terminal and a third runway will cost an estimated $10 billion. Developers have prepared a total area of 1,080 hectares for the project. When completed, the Changi East development will boost the airport’s capacity by 50 million passengers per annum to a total 140 million.

Plans call for the two-phase development to become operational in the mid-2030s. Construction paused for two years during the pandemic, allowing for a design review, according to the government-owned Changi Airport Group (CAG). Design features include substantial employment of robotics, fixed ground power, and provision for sustainable aviation fuel. It could feature hydrogen fueling as well, as CAG has partnered with Airbus, the Civil Aviation of Singapore, and gas company Linde to study the subject.

The expansion will also include an industrial zone and a new cargo zone, bringing the airport’s total airfreight capacity to 5.4 million tonnes per annum from 3 million tonnes today.

Land reclamation for the expansion started in 2014. However, a third parallel runway already in place served a squadron of Republic

of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16s that has relocated to Tengah Air Base while crews extend the runway from 8,800 feet to 13,000 feet.

Although Changi East will primarily serve the airlines, plans call for a fourth parallel runway for military use. The RSAF’s fleet of six A330 MRTT air refueling tankers already sits on site in a big hangar. (The RSAF also has facilities on the west side of the airport, including hangars and an apron for its fleet of five Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft.)

Paya Lebar Air Base Prepares to Close In the meantime, there is a big upheaval pending in the RSAF’s real estate. In 2011, the Singapore government began planning the closure of Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB), which served as Singapore’s international airport until Changi opened in 1980, when the RSAF and Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering took over. The 800-hectare site would house 160,000 new dwellings, plus industrial units and parkland. Officials confirmed the plan two years later, around the same time that Changi East won approval.

Airpower observers expressed surprise at the decision since PLAB hosts the RSAF’s two F-15SG Strike Eagle squadrons and its C-130 Hercules squadron. The F-15s sit in hardened aircraft shelters built into a hillside. Tengah now is the only other air base that can house

the RSAF’s four F-16 fighter squadrons.

The RSAF has attempted to mitigate the risk of attack on Singapore’s airfields by creating emergency runways on straight stretches of road near Changi and Tengah. On the other hand, Paya Lebar is surrounded by housing and industrial buildings. Because the usual approach crosses the Marina Bay and part of the central business district, no structure can be more than 800 feet high. That restriction will lift when the base closes.

Meanwhile, a big expansion at Tengah is underway. It lies on the relatively unpopulated western side of Singapore, adjacent to the largest military training area on the island. Construction of a second runway will presumably happen along the Lim Chu Kang road, which already partly serves as an emergency runway. But the area also contains large Chinese and Muslim cemeteries covering 318 hectares. Their size will shrink by one-third; 80,000 graves are being exhumed and six farms will be demolished.

The other key occupant of PLAB—ST Engineering—does Boeing 767 overhauls and freighter conversions there. It is also where ST Engineering performs maintenance on most RSAF aircraft, and where the RSAF’s F-16s undergo upgrades to the F-16V configuration.

ST Engineering also overhauls foreign military aircraft here, mostly C-130s.

To offset its loss of hangarage at PLAB, the company broke ground on a new $125 million airframe maintenance facility at Changi last September. It is located at Changi Creek, not far from the threshold of Runway 20R. The 904,000 sq ft structure will include four bays for widebody aircraft servicing. z

a i n o n l i n e . c o m • February 21, 2024 • S i n g a p o re A i rs h ow News 15

Eve and Yugo unite on UAM in Southeast Asia

By David Donald Eve Air Mobility has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore-based private aviation network Yugo Global Industries to study the potential for urban air mobility (UAM) and electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Southeast Asia.

Under the MoU, the two companies will focus on analyzing potential infrastructure requirements for eVTOL operations in Southeast Asia, as well as examining regulatory aspects. The sizes and capabilities required for vertiports and service centers will be analyzed, as well as the requirements for ground handling and related aspects.

Eve Air Mobility is developing an eVTOL air taxi capable of carrying four passengers on trips of up to 100 kilometers. The Embraer-backed company aims to have the aircraft in service by 2026.

“We are looking forward to collaboratively working with Yugo to study and help define the UAM ecosystem in Singapore and Southeast Asia,” said Johann Bordais, Eve’s CEO. “Our goal is also to understand and define a business model that not only enables eVTOL flights in the region but also advances the overall mobility ecosystem.”

Eve, which is developing a four-passenger eVTOL aircraft with backing from Embraer, has been highly active in the effort to bring UAM to the Asia-Pacific region, and the company already works with several key

Pratt & Whitney wins engine support contract from South Korean military South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Procurement Agency has awarded Pratt & Whitney a performance-based logistics sustainment contract with a base value of $355 million. The contract covers ongoing maintenance of the F100 engines that power the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds and some of its Boeing F-15Ks. It is the third iteration of the sustainment program since

Korea awarded the first contract in 2012.

The ROKAF’s initial batch of 40 F-15K Slam Eagles, ordered in 2002 and first delivered in 2005, featured General Electric F110 engines, but a follow-on batch of 21 aircraft switched to the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW229EEP (engine enhancement package) powerplant. Pratt & Whitney engines have powered all of the 180 F-16s (Blocks 32 and 52) bought for the ROKAF since 1981. D.D.

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stakeholders. Incorporating future UAM operations into large airport developments stands as a key factor. Two airports in particular are under scrutiny: Manila International Airport in the Philippines and the Techo International Airport near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which is set to open in 2025. The modern, sustainable airports are exploring charging stations and flight routes for air taxis and other electric aircraft. Yugo partners PhilJets (Philippines) and Helistar (Cambodia) are important contributors to the studies and analyses.

As the primary technology innovator in the region, Singapore plays a significant role in the introduction of UAM and can provide a useful template for other ecosystem developers. As an example, the company that is constructing the Phnom Penh airport—the OCIC Group— has partnered with Changi Airport and Singapore Airline Engineering.

In the meantime, Eve is leading the field in terms of eVTOL sales, with 2,850 on order. The company plans to begin flight trials with the full-scale prototype of its lift-and-cruise design this year, with service entry slated for 2026. The vehicle, which features eight lift rotors and one for cruise thrust, flies to a range of around 60 miles (100 kilometers) and a maximum speed of around 100 knots. z

Airbus forecasts 20year freighter market Airbus aims to produce H130 (foreground) and H125 helicopters in India.

Airbus Helicopters displays twin, single innovations

By Charles Alcock Airbus has a pair of its helicopters on display at the Singapore Airshow this week: a VIP-configured ACH130 single and a mockup of the multi-mission H145 twin.

The European manufacturer reported strong demand for the H145 in 2023 with 186 orders, including 62 of the H145M military version.

Axel Humpert, senior v-p and program lead, told reporters last week that it was the most in-demand rotorcraft in the world last year.

There are now 1,676 H145s in service with 341 operators across 66 countries, and the Asia-Pacific region is home to 15 percent of them. The worldwide fleet has logged 7.6 million flight hours.

Collectively, military and emergency medical service applications account for just over two-thirds of all the H145s in operation. Airbus Helicopters also has customers for the aircraft involved in commercial charter flights, energy industry support, public services, and private aviation.

Over the past year, Airbus has certified several new features on the H145, such as the Helionix avionics update—including ADS-B In with a Lynx transponder, an automated flight control system that can handle assisted Cat A takeoffs from helipads, automatic hold height capability, and vortex warnings.

The manufacturer is working on several other new offerings, including a police mission system, a hoist, an RDR-7000 search and

weather radar, ILS for Cat 2 approaches, an RNP-AR 0.1 navigation system, rotor strike avoidance systems, HTAWS for offshore operations, TCAS II, and a flyable boarding step.

Humpert reported that Airbus has conducted flights with the H145 in sea state 6 conditions in the North Sea. With military versions, it has demonstrated how paired drones can be controlled from the helicopter.

The latest innovation for the H130 helicopter involves a three-axis autopilot under development by Garmin. The company anticipates certification in 2025, at which point the advanced autopilot will be available for retrofit under an STC and as an option for new aircraft.

The system will protect pilots throughout all stages of flight and, like most modern helicopter autopilots, includes a recovery mode.

According to Jérôme Ronssin, head of Airbus’s light helicopter program, the company continues to evaluate the possibility of making the H130 capable of flying in IFR conditions, a feature already available for its H125 sibling.

Starting in 2026, Airbus aims to start production of its H130 and H125 models at a new assembly line in India as agreed upon under the government-backed Made in India program. It has yet to announce the exact location.

Ronssin reported that 2023 saw Airbus’s largest number of light helicopter deliveries in the past 10 years. New business has included orders for the ACH VIP/business configuration, including one deal with Italy-based Air Corporate for 43 aircraft. z

Airbus predicts that the Asia-Pacific region will account for 25 percent of global demand for 1,490 widebody freight aircraft above the 40-tonne segment over the next 20 years. The company anticipates demand for 400 widebody freighters in the region, including newbuilds and conversions.

The Franco-German manufacturer believes it occupies a strong position to tap into the demand with its A350F, Crawford Hamilton, Airbus head of freighter marketing, said during the Singapore Airshow.

“As the world’s only all-new freighter, the A350F will be a step change in efficiency in competitive cargo markets,” he said. “It will bring a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40 percent compared with the previous generation 747F and is the first freighter offered today that will meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards in 2027.”

Capable of carrying a payload of up to 111 tonnes, the A350F can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles, capable of serving all major cargo markets including Hong Kong to Anchorage.

Airbus also pointed out that more than 70 percent of the airframe consists of advanced materials, providing a 46-tonne lighter takeoff weight than other comparable freighters.

Airbus expects to begin production on the first A350F fuselage sections in the coming months, with the freighter variant set to enter service in 2026. K.L.

The Airbus A350F can carry 111 tonnes of payload up to 4,700 nautical miles.

a i n o n l i n e . c o m • February 21, 2024 • S i n g a p o re A i rs h ow News 17

By Kerry Lynch More than 150 exhibitors from the U.S. have come to exhibit at the 2024 Singapore Airshow, making it the event’s largest contingent outside the host country. The number significantly surpasses the nation’s pre-pandemic participation of some 105 companies and organizations; this year’s airshow includes 38 first-time exhibitors from the U.S. and 27 companies that only recently joined the market.

Participants range from aerospace giants such as L3Harris Technologies, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin, to business jet and helicopter manufacturers Gulfstream and Bell, as well as tech startups such as JetZero.

In addition, 26 states are represented in the U.S. pavilion, including nine standalone

At least 26 states are represented at the USA Partnership Pavilion.

DAVID McINTOSH

U.S. pavilion draws record number of participants

exhibits from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, and Utah.

The USA Partnership Pavilion opening ceremony on Tuesday features several dignitaries, including U.S. ambassador to Singapore Jonathan Kaplan, Aerospace Industries Association president and CEO Eric Fanning, and Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics.

With an emphasis on sustainability at this year’s show, the U.S. participants crafted their displays using specific eco-friendly and recyclable building materials, eliminating single-use plastics in their cafés and hospitality

services. Graphics were printed on recycled paper, and an interactive digital directory replaces paper literature.

Among the activities planned at the U.S. pavilion is the award of a weeklong, all-expenses-paid, hands-on astronaut training experience to four high school students and one educator. Those selected will attend the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, through the Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship led by U.S. organizer Kallman.

The program honors the pilot of the Apollo 15 command module Endeavor. Worden had served as Kallman’s STEM ambassador at trade shows before he passed away in 2020. z

Uzbekistan’s Silk Avia receives first ATR 72-600 turboprop Silk Avia, a regional airline start-up in Uzbekistan, has taken delivery of the first of five ATR 72-600 turboprops under a contract signed in 2022. Leasing group Nordic Aviation Capital, which received the twin turboprop from ATR in December, delivered it on Friday.

NAC ordered two of the five ATR 72s and Silk Avia plans to acquire the other three units directly from the European manufacturer. ATR announced the agreement in November 2022 while Uzbekhistan’s president Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Paris.

Founded in 2021, Silk Avia is now part of Uzbekistan Airways and has already operated some pre-owned examples of the 70-seat aircraft.

It can operate on routes of up to 830 nm.

Uzbekistan Airways intends “to constantly expand the route network, increase the number of flights, and efficiently operate them with new ATR 72-600s,” said company chairman Shukhrat Khudaykulov.

“Moreover, our common goal, the goal of New Uzbekistan, is to make flights affordable and develop domestic tourism in the country.”

ATR delivered 36 aircraft in 2023, representing a 44 percent increase from the prior year. Sales rose by 53 percent from 2022 with 40 new aircraft sold, resulting in ATR achieving a book-to-bill greater than 1. The figures contributed to revenues last year of nearly $1.2 billion, including more than $400 million generated from services.

While Asia continues to reign as the manufacturer’s most dynamic customer base, ATR also enjoyed orders from Latin America and Europe. Despite robust growth, the company said, “lingering supply chain disruptions, with raw material and component shortages” curbed ambitions to “ramp up.”

ATR has earmarked India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil for future demand and fleet growth. The company projects new regulations arising from environmental pressure will spur further opportunities to capture a healthy chunk of the replacement market in Canada, Japan, and the U.S., as well as in Europe.

C.A.

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AIN logo: C 0 M 100 Y 63 B 12 Hex: D31245 RGB: R 211 G 18 B 69

Scoot awaits the delivery of nine E190-E2 aircraft from Embraer.

Scoot, Embraer Ink Spare Parts Deal

By Jennifer Meszaros Embraer and low-cost carrier Scoot inked an agreement on Tuesday at the Singapore Airshow for the Embraer Collaborative Inventory Planning (ECIP) program—a customized spare parts inventory management initiative tailored to lower customers’ operational costs by optimizing inventory levels.

The contract supports Scoot’s incoming fleet of nine E190-E2 commercial aircraft and accompanies Embraer’s pool program, which provides access to component exchanges and repair services for more than 300 parts. The pool program supports more than 60 airlines worldwide.

A unit of the Singapore Airlines Group, Scoot is the first ECIP customer in the AsiaPacific region and the launch carrier for the E2 jets in Southeast Asia. The program serves to minimize customer disbursement as the Brazilian jet maker takes on the majority of the inventory investment. That, in turn, drastically lowers the airline’s investment cost.

Operators expect to enjoy greater cashflow predictability as the ECIP program covers fixed yearly pricing under its scope. Employing data-driven analysis and advanced software, recommendations for weekly ordering are based on the operator’s usage of parts.

“Our continued partnership with Embraer is a testament to our commitment to deliver optimal performance with the

new E190-E2 fleet,” said Scoot chief operating officer Ng Chee Keong in a written statement. “As we anticipate the arrival of our first Embraer jet in the near future, this strategic arrangement will help ensure operational efficiency.”

“Embraer’s wide suite of services is built

on understanding and anticipating the needs of our airline customers in a very dynamic environment,” added Carlos Naufel, president and CEO of Embraer Services and Support. “We thank Scoot for their trust in us as we work toward the operations of their fleet of E190-E2s.” z

Maldivian orders two more ATR 42-600 turboprops Maldivian on Tuesday confirmed an order for a pair of ATR 42-600 aircraft, a move that will take its total fleet of the twin turboprop model to seven. Officials from the national airline of the Maldives and the European airframer signed the agreement for the 48-seaters during the Singapore Airshow.

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BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET

Black Eagles swoop to strike

DAVID McINTOSH

The Republic of Korea Air Force’s 53rd Air Demonstration Group, better known as the Black Eagles, perform one of the most dynamic routines in the daily flying display. The team flies the Korea Aerospace T-50B, which is a standard T-50 advanced trainer with some modifications—including a smoke-generation system with two internal oil tanks—for the formation aerobatics role.

PhilJets inks deal for 10 Lilium eVTOL aircraft Southeast Asian private aviation management and charter group PhilJets plans to add 10 of Lilium’s six-passenger eVTOL aircraft to its fleet. At the Singapore Airshow on Tuesday, the Philippines-based company signed a memorandum of understanding with the German manufacturer covering the provisional sales agreement and a partnership that will focus on defining routes and the market for an on-demand air taxi service.

The companies said they will identify potential locations for operating bases, as well as find partners to secure infrastructure and develop vertiports. They will also coordinate access to Lilium’s existing network of charging hardware providers for its aircraft, which has 30 ducted electric engines installed in its wing and canard.

According to Lilium, the Philippines, with more than 7,500 islands, will prove well-suited for eVTOL aircraft to provide new regional connections. The manufacturer, which plans to bring the Lilium Jet into commercial service

in 2026, also sees the potential to establish eVTOL routes in Cambodia.

Once in service, the Lilium Jet would operate mainly on flights of up to 175 kilometers (109 miles) at speeds of up to 250 kph. In addition to the standard model, Lilium offers the more spacious Pioneer Edition with four seats in a cabin that can be partially customized to each client’s taste.

PhilJets, which currently operates 15 jets and helicopters, said that it plans further

DAVID McINTOSH

By Charles Alcock

22 Singapore Airshow News • February 21, 2 0 24 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

expansion over the next three years that could include neighboring countries. It operates a mix of private and charter flights and has a maintenance division that supports more than 100 rotorcraft.

Other plans to introduce eVTOL services to the Philippines and Cambodia are also being advanced under a new agreement between rival manufacturer Eve Air Mobility and Singapore-based private aviation group Yugo. PhilJets also participates with Yugo in the project.

“With its growing economy, geography, and important tourism industry, the Philippines is a great match to the Lilium Jet’s capabilities,” said PhilJets chairman Thierry Tea. “Innovation in aviation is gaining traction among regulators, urban planners, and industry leaders of worldwide economies.” z

Lilium and PhilJets officials held a ceremony for the signing of their memorandum of understanding Tuesday at the Singapore Airshow.

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