France Takes the Spotlight as "Feature Country" at Singapore Airshow 2016

SINGAPORE, 15 June 2015 – Singapore Airshow 2016 will welcome France as the Feature Country in the fifth edition of the show, scheduled to take place from 16 to 21 February 2016, at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

The Feature Country series, which made its debut at the 2014 Airshow, was developed as a permanent feature to enable the companies exhibiting within the country’s pavilion to leverage on the Singapore Airshow as a strategic platform; lending support to businesses of the Feature Country and enabling them to tap into the opportunities in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

The French Pavilion will be located at a prominent spot within the exhibition hall. Participating exhibitors will have access to a dedicated “Deminar” area – a demonstration and seminar area for research institutes and universities to showcase their latest technologies and innovations. In addition, business meetings between the French Pavilion exhibitors and VIP delegations will also be specially facilitated.

“France is extremely proud to be named Feature Country for Singapore Airshow 2016. This is an excellent complement to France’s importance on the global aviation stage. Being a Feature Country at the Singapore Airshow 2016 gives us the unique platform to bring together our latest and best aviation technologies to meet the growing appetite for innovation in the Asia Pacific aviation sector, translating into real business deals for our French companies,” said Emeric D’Arcimoles, the Paris Air Show Chairman and Chairman of the International Committee of Groupement des industries françaises aéronautiques et spatiales.

The French aerospace, defence and security industry is worth 47.9 billion Euros, and specifically, out of which 30.4 billion Euros is contributed by exports.(1) This shows that France is well-placed to leverage its Feature Country platform to bring its latest innovations to the region’s top decision-makers converging at Singapore Airshow 2016.

This comes at an opportune time in the Asia Pacific aviation industry, where the commercial aerospace sector is expected to set new records for aircraft production in 2015, off the back of the accelerated replacement cycle of obsolete aircraft and growing passenger travel demand in the Asia Pacific region. Countries in the region are also increasing defence spending to equip their militaries with modern defence platforms and technologies(2).

Reflecting this growth is the continued acceleration of the Singapore Airshow platform, which has expanded its reach and impact with each edition. Singapore Airshow 2016 is already 80 per cent committed, with specialised spaces like the Aerospace Emerging Technologies Zone, the Training and Simulation Zone and the introduction of the Business Aviation Zone, to further spawn business development opportunities.

Leck Chet Lam, Managing Director of Experia Events, said, “France has always had a strong presence at the Singapore Airshow. The French Pavilion has always enjoyed strong support from a large cross-section of companies in the aviation sector, and there are also many other France-based companies that have a sizeable presence at the Singapore Airshow, edition after edition. These companies have always leveraged on the Singapore Airshow as a gateway to the burgeoning Asia Pacific market. With their participation as Feature Country this year, it will augment the partnership even further to generate concrete business opportunities, underscoring the importance of the Singapore Airshow for the broader regional aerospace industry.”

(1) GIFAS Press Release on French aerospace, defence and security industry 2013 results (https://www.gifas.asso.fr/sites/default/files/video/cp_28_avril_2014_en_anglais.pdf)

(2) 2015 Global Aerospace and Defense Industry, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited