2. Speeches
Speech by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong at the Singapore Airshow 2026 Opening Ceremony
2 February 2026
Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers,
Excellencies,
Chiefs of Defence Forces, Service Chiefs,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Introduction
1. Good evening to all of you, and a warm welcome to the 10th edition of the Singapore Airshow.
2. Over the years, the Singapore Airshow has established itself as one of the most impactful aerospace events globally. Its success reflects the strong and sustained support of the global aviation and aerospace community, and the confidence placed in Singapore as a trusted convenor and partner.
a. This year, we welcome around 110,000 trade and public visitors, and more than 1,000 companies from 50 countries.
b. Visitors can look forward to aerial displays by the Republic of Singapore Air Force and our friends from Australia, China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as static displays of the latest air defence systems, fighter and transport aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
c. We are also pleased to host the inaugural Space Summit at this year’s Airshow. This demonstrates how Singapore has evolved as a hub for the broader ecosystem spanning air, space and advanced manufacturing.
Bright Skies Ahead
3. We are meeting at a moment of structural change for the global aviation and aerospace sectors.
4. Demand for air travel is rebounding strongly, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. But supply has become more constrained.
a. Aircraft production has struggled to keep pace.
b. Delivery timelines have lengthened.
c. Fleets are staying in service longer, driving sustained demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.
5. Over the next two decades, Asia Pacific is expected to account for more than 45 per cent of the global aircraft fleet and close to half of all new aircraft deliveries. Passenger traffic here is projected to grow faster than in any other region, driven by rising incomes, expanding middle classes and deeper regional integration.
6. At the same time, aerospace supply chains are being reconfigured.
a. Companies are reassessing where to place critical manufacturing, MRO and engineering activities — not just based on cost, but on resilience, reliability and long-term operating certainty.
b. For industries where programmes span decades, these considerations matter deeply.
7. Geopolitical shifts, trade dynamics and climate risks are adding further complexity to investment and supply-chain decisions. In this environment, stability, predictability and trust matter more than ever.
8. This is where Singapore positions itself.
Aviation and Aerospace as Twin Growth Engines
9. Singapore sits at the crossroads of global flows. We have built our relevance by connecting people and markets, anchoring high-value capabilities, and providing a stable and predictable operating environment.
a. As a leading air hub, Singapore offers connectivity, scale and demand density. Changi today connects to more than 170 cities globally, and this will grow to more than 200 by the time Terminal 5 (T5) opens in the mid-2030s.
b. As an advanced manufacturing and engineering base, Singapore enables companies to capture value from these flows — through high-value production, repair, engineering and innovation activities anchored here.
c. These strengths reinforce one another.
10. Against this backdrop, aviation and aerospace will be twin, reinforcing engines of growth for our economy.
a. Last year, Changi Airport served nearly 70 million passengers, a record high.
b. Aerospace stands out as one of our strongest growth sectors, growing by almost 20 per cent in 2024.
i. In fact, since the last Airshow, we have attracted more than S$750 million in investment commitments across aerospace manufacturing, MRO and aftermarket services. This is expected to create close to 600 good jobs over the next five years.
ii. More will be announced subsequently.
11. To sustain this momentum, we are strengthening our business environment and industrial ecosystems so that companies can operate, invest and scale here with confidence over the long term.
12. We will do so by reinforcing four core strengths –
a. Strong partnerships across our ecosystem;
b. A highly skilled and adaptable workforce;
c. Deep R&D and innovation capabilities; and
d. Long-term infrastructure investments that give companies confidence to anchor and expand here.
Partnerships
13. First, partnerships. A key reason companies choose Singapore is the ecosystem they can grow with over time.
14. This is why global companies such as GE Aerospace, Rolls-Royce and RTX have established best-in-class facilities in Singapore.
15. Supporting these global players is a strong base of nearly 3,000 precision engineering companies. These local enterprises are critical partners that help global companies build resilience, while uplifting themselves into higher-value activities.
a. One example is Wah Son Engineering, a local specialist in precision machining for aerospace tooling.
b. By investing in a customised probing system to meet the stringent requirements of aerospace MRO, Wah Son qualified as a supplier for complex engine component machining.
c. This opened access to higher-value work for the company, while providing MRO players here with reliable local capacity for critical repairs.
d. This is the kind of ecosystem we want to scale — one where global companies can anchor deeper capabilities in Singapore, and local enterprises can build sophistication, scale, and global relevance.
Talent
16. Second, talent. Our workforce is the backbone of our aviation and aerospace sectors. As technologies evolve and operations become more complex, the demand for skilled and adaptable workers will also grow.
17. Each year, we produce more than 2,000 aviation and aerospace graduates. But talent development does not stop here.
18. Last year, we published the Aviation Jobs Transformation Report to map how roles and skills are changing. This provides companies and workers with a clear view of emerging requirements, and how to prepare for them.
19. To support this transition, we have set aside $200 million under the OneAviation Manpower Fund to attract, develop and retain talent across the sector.
20. We are also strengthening industry-academia collaboration in several ways:
a. From company training facilities that simulate real-world MRO environments using AI, augmented reality and robotics;
b. To Work-Study programmes at Institutes of Higher Learning;
c. And to Workforce Singapore’s Career Conversion Programmes that provide salary support for job redesign and reskilling for mid-career workers.
21. These efforts ensure that Singaporeans can access good jobs in these sectors, and that companies here can continue to draw on a deep and capable talent base.
R&D and Innovation Capabilities
22. Third, R&D and innovation.
23. Over the past three decades, Singapore has built a strong research and innovation ecosystem.
24. Today, aerospace companies are tapping on these capabilities not just to improve processes, but to develop differentiated technologies and next-generation platforms that can be deployed globally.
a. The Singapore Aerospace Programme, hosted by A*STAR, is one such anchor.
b. It brings together leading aerospace OEMs, public research institutes, universities and local enterprises, and has delivered close to 200 technology advancements across advanced manufacturing, materials and digital solutions.
25. What is equally important is how these capabilities translate from research into real-world operations.
a. For example, A*STAR has partnered Rolls-Royce and SAESL in the Smart Manufacturing Joint Lab, now in its second phase.
b. The lab applies additive manufacturing and advanced process research directly to fan blade production and engine MRO, shortening turnaround times, improving precision, and strengthening Singapore’s role in high-value engine support.
26. Beyond manufacturing processes, Singapore is also serving as a platform for system-level innovation.
a. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Thales have established the International Avionics Lab here. This is Thales’ first such lab outside France.
i. The lab develops avionics-enabled solutions to enhance airport and air traffic management operations, such as a digital taxi guidance system that improves the efficiency and safety of aircraft movements on the ground.
27. At the same time, companies are anchoring forward-looking capabilities in Singapore to prepare for the next phase of aviation.
a. Safran has chosen Singapore to site its first and only global centre of excellence for manufacturing power conversion panels, transformers and rectifiers used in aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, positioning Singapore at the frontier of how future aircraft will be powered and operated.
28. To ensure that such innovations move beyond individual labs or companies, we have developed platforms that connect platform owners, solution developers and test-bedding opportunities across the ecosystem.
a. In partnership among the Association of Aerospace Industries Singapore, EnterpriseSG, EDB, OSTIn and JTC, we are set to launch the second edition of the Aerospace Open Innovation Challenge.
b. Though this platform, global aerospace companies, local enterprises and research institutions come together to co-develop and test-bed solutions in areas such as automation and digitalisation, next-generation manufacturing and MRO capabilities, and emerging technologies such as space technology.
c. This will allow promising solutions to be piloted in Singapore, and if successful, scaled globally.
29. Taken together, these efforts reflect our approach to innovation: building platforms where companies can co-develop, test-bed and scale solutions, and anchoring deep capabilities and know-how in Singapore.
Long-Term Infrastructure
30. All of this is underpinned by our long-term investments in world-class infrastructure.
31. We have started work on the construction of T5, a critical investment to secure the future of our air hub.
a. T5 will increase the capacity of Changi Airport by around 50 million passengers per annum, and support more seamless, digitally-enabled and sustainable travel.
32. Beyond T5, the Changi East development will also provide industrial land for MRO, logistics and aftermarket services.
33. At Seletar Aerospace Park, we are making available additional land and ready-built facilities to support the growth of the aerospace sector.
a. This includes the new JTC aeroSpace 4, which will add another 11,000 sqm of ready-built factory space designed for lower-carbon operations.
34. These investments are not just about capacity. They are about giving companies the confidence to anchor long-horizon investments, innovate, and grow from Singapore.
Conclusion
35. Aviation and aerospace will remain central to Singapore’s growth story as a trusted and connected hub in an uncertain world.
36. Together, they connect Singapore to the world, create good jobs for Singaporeans, and anchor high-value capabilities here at home.
37. By strengthening our partnerships, talent base, R&D and innovation capabilities and infrastructure, we will keep these twin engines of growth resilient, competitive and future-ready, and contribute meaningfully to the future of global aviation and aerospace.
38. I now have the pleasure to declare the Singapore Airshow 2026 open, and I wish all of you a productive and successful week ahead.