The SIngapore Airshow concluded recently and it did not disappoint. With new aircraft orders as well as the emergence of Chinese manufacturer COMAC which unveiled their C919, the airshow is more proof that aviation is back! In this blog, I’ll talk about the biggest orders as well as COMAC’s emergence.
Starlux Stars at the Singapore Airshow
On February 21st, Taiwan based carrier Starlux ordered 3 more A330neos as well as 5 A350F freighters. The order was signed by Starlux Chairman KW Chang and Airbus Commercial CEO Christian Scherer. This deal doubles down on Starlux’s commitment to ordering all Airbus in the future as they start to expand. Currently the carrier owns four A330-900neos, four A350-900s and thirteen A321neos with an additional 8 A350s on order. The A330-900s will be used mainly for intra-Pacific routes. Starlux wants to utilize Taipei as a hub, which would connect the city to the rest of North America.
Similarly, the A350Fs will allow Starlux to use Taiwan as a strong cargo hub due to its locational advantage. Later this year the airline plans to join an alliance (probably Oneworld due to their partnership with Alaska Airlines) as well as start flights to Seattle by the middle of the year to go along with their flights to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Looks like EVA will finally be facing some competition on these routes! But Starlux isn’t the only Asian carrier to make news.
Thai Airways Fleet Expansion
The day before, Thai Airways ordered 45 more Boeing 787 Dreamliners to renew their fleet, coupled with orders for GEnx engines to power the type. The airline already owns two 787-8s as well as two 787-9s to go along with the 777, A330 and A350s in their fleet Having more Dreamliners would give the Bangkok-based carrier more opportunities to expand and rebuild their network post COVID. However there’s a catch-22 with Thai Airways’ Dreamliner order. Thai exercised an option to exchange their order with other members of Boeing’s widebody fleet, which also includes the up and coming 777X.. This is a smart move by Thai because they can see how the plane performs with other airlines before ordering it to make sure they don’t run into the same problems airlines had when the MAX was grounded.
In the short term however, Thai procured 17 aircraft from lessor AerCap. This includes: four A350-900s, three 787-9s and ten A321Neos. This helps the airline move quicker towards modernizing their fleet post pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, they had six A380s and nine 747-400s. At one time, they only had 43 aircraft activated in their fleet. With the recent Dreamliner order and deal with AerCap, it seems that Thai Airways will be in expansion mode for decades to come. However all this good news is overshadowed by the emergence of a new player in the commercial aerospace market overshadows this.
The Emergence of COMAC
At the Singapore Airshow, Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC unveiled the C919 to the public outside of China for the first time. People were amazed to see the new bird fly. In addition to its public appearance, COMAC received orders from Tibet Airlines and Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Group. The former ordered forty C919s and 10 ARJ21 regional jets while the latter ordered six ARJ21s. This is a statement for COMAC because if they start to receive more orders for their planes, it will be a disruptive force for Airbus and Boeing’s plans for dominance in the Chinese market. If COMAC is successful, Boeing and Airbus would have to move their focus elsewhere where they won’t be threatened by COMAC. While COMAC dominated the news, there were still other developments in the industry that are worth mentioning.
Other Updates
Even though COMAC stole the show along with Thai Airways and Starlux, that didn’t mean other orders were not placed. To begin with, Royal Brunei ordered four 787-9 Dreamliners to expand their fleet. The airline currently owns five 787-8s so adding four more 787-9s allows the airline to expand while also reducing their carbon footprint. Another major order was VietJet ordering 20 A330-900neos. This is their first widebody order after leasing older A330-300s that need to be replaced. Lastly, Rolls Royce announced that they will upgrade their Trent 1000, 700 and XWB engines to compete with General Electric. The biggest winner in this is the XWB-97 that powers the A350-1000. As mentioned in my Dubai recap, Emirates President Tim Clark said he will only order the A350-1000 if Rolls Royce fixes the XWB. This development reassures Airbus' commitment to win over Emirates.
Conclusion
To wrap things up, the Singapore Airshow showcased how the industry is constantly evolving into the future. Between the emergence of Starlux, Thai’s commitment to Boeing despite their issues to go along with the emergence of COMAC, it’s safe to say that the industry is not dead. But what do you guys think? What are your thoughts about Singapore 2024? Be sure to let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky!
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