Hundreds of carriers, manufacturers and other aviation executives have descended on the city-state for the four-day industry event that takes place every two years.
Bo Lingam, group CEO at AirAsia , one of the region's top budget carriers, said there was "pent-up demand" across the region. He called on Southeast Asia's regional bloc to work together to harmonise a chaotic patchwork of rules for travel across the 10-country region.The region, home to tourist hotspots like Thailand and the Philippines, was long a favourite with international travellers but visitor numbers have collapsed due to border closures during the pandemic.
Despite the challenges, Domhnal Slattery, CEO of aircraft leasing company Avolon, was confident aviation in Asia would see a similar recovery.