Asian Aerospace '96
Tuesday, 6th February 1996
The Eighth Asian Aerospace ‘96 (AA96) is a 6-day event, taking place from 6 February to 11 February 1999. The first 4 days of the Singapore Airshow are exclusively for trade attendees and the final 2 weekend days are open to general public at large. The 1996 exhibition, which runs from 6-11 February, will be held at Changi Airport in Singapore, at the centre of one of the fastest- growing economic regions in the world.
During the show, Jet airframe makers booked orders for 441 aircraft in the first nine months of 1995, far surpassing the total of 350 recorded for all of 1994. Moreover, 1995 included enough significant orders to signal the start of a new equipment cycle. On the narrowbody side were ValuJet's order for 50 McDonnell Douglas MD-95s and SAS's order for 41 Boeing 737-600s, both program launches. Of a number of widebody orders, the largest was Singapore Airlines' order for up to 77 Boeing 777s. Not to be forgotten was the long-awaited order from Saudia for 28 777s and 747-400s, and 34 MD-90s and MD-11s.
Reflecting the increased ordering, Boeing announced its broadest production increases in four years, in mid-December. BCAG President Ron Woodard said the increases reflected "the turnaround that our airline customers are experiencing," as well as the need to make up production lost to the 10-week machinists' strike. Clearly, aircraft builders are reaping the benefit of a recovered airline sector and none more so than in the Asia/Pacific.