Singapore Airshow returns as industry recovers slowly

The aviation industry’s slow recovery in the Asia-Pacific region is to cast a shadow over the Singapore Airshow this week, despite signs of improvement, as concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 recede.

The event, held every two years, has bookended the COVID-19 pandemic, with the 2020 edition disrupted by the virus emerging from China and this year’s show coming as the industry attempts to plot a way out of what became its biggest and most costly crisis.

International passenger travel in the region was down 93 percent from pre-pandemic levels last year, leaving airlines heavily reliant on freight for revenue, while the Chinese outbound tourism market remains closed.

However, there are signs…