Boeing declines to send passenger planes to Singapore Airshow
Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The Singapore Airshow opened Monday without a showing of Boeing commercial airplanes while China displayed its own airliner, which it hopes will one day compete with the American aviation giant and Airbus.
Boeing will not show any commercial airplanes at the airshow because of its current safety investigation that started last month after a door plug blew off one of its passenger planes operated by Alaska Airlines on Jan. 5.
Boeing, though, will still have a footprint on the airshow, which runs through Sunday. It will showcase its military fighters that will be part of the U.S. Air Force display. It will invite visitors to see a cabin display of its widebody 777X, the world's largest twin-engine passenger plane.
"We are proud to once again participate at the Singapore Airshow, which highlights how Southeast Asia's fast-growing economies continue to invest in new aerospace products and services for the future," Brendan Nelson AO, president of Boeing Global said in a statement earlier this month.
"Boeing provides our commercial and government customers across the region with the capabilities they need while we continue to expand our regional presence and open new opportunities for our partners and suppliers."
Boeing will have representatives from its sustainability sectors, defense, and STEM as well.
China's passenger airplane C919, which carries under 200 passengers, will make its debut on behalf of Beijing's Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. While certified to only fly in China, officials there hope one day that its passenger planes can one day compete on a larger stage.
