On November 6, the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition opened in China International Aviation Exhibition Center in Zhuhai. CAAC Administrator Feng Zhenglin and Deputy Administrator Wang Zhiqing attended the opening ceremony of this 6-day air show, visited the exhibition booths, and inspected relevant units. Feng Zhenglin pointed out: in the past 40 years since its reform and opening up, China has made bountiful achievements in its civil aviation development; this air show is an important window for the display of new civil aviation products, technologies, services and achievements in China; the whole civil aviation industry participating in the exhibition brings the show with a more innovative, distinctive and smart element; and it is imperative to further promote the construction of a smart civil aviation industry, advance international civil aviation exchanges and cooperation, and facilitate the high-quality development of the civil aviation industry.

Participants from China civil aviation industry did a meticulous job for their display during this air show. CAAC and more than a dozen civil aviation units participated in the show, displaying an array of products, technologies, services and achievements. Feng Zhenglin made his debut to the air show by visiting the booths set aside for China civil aviation. In a departure from the previous displays, this exhibition displayed not only full and accurate sample data and substantial content, but also dynamic content on static panels based on H5 technology, as well as “flowing” pictures, charts and text on the large scrolling screen, bringing a stronger sense of technology and future. In the interactive exhibition area showing the achievements of the smart civil aviation technologies in China, Feng Zhenglin visited and experienced such innovative products as the all-mighty “Flight Information App” used for paperless boarding, the “Air Travel Sky Eye” showing the flight path of civil aviation flights, and the robot that can provide smart service and man-machine dialogue, and talked live with the staff on duty at the CAAC Operation Supervision and Control Center. According to Feng Zhenglin, the exhibition booths assigned for China civil aviation revealed the great journey of China civil aviation over the past 40 years since China’s reform and opening up, and the display of various achievements in scientific and technological innovations in civil aviation has allowed the audience to directly experience the achievements in smart civil aviation technologies, thus enabling a greater sense of participation.

Feng Zhenglin and his entourage subsequently paid successive visits to the exhibition booths of Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, China National Aviation Fuel Group Limited, China Aviation Supplies Holding Company, Civil Aviation University of China, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, China Civil Airports Association, China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology, the Second Research Institute of CAAC, Flight Inspection Center of CAAC, Shanxi Aviation Industry Group, Long Hao Group, etc., to get first-hand information about their exhibitions and experience the latest achievements in scientific and technological innovation displayed by each participant. He said that the exhibition booths of various exhibitors were novel in design, the on-site activities displayed a strong element of science and technology as well as innovation, and various forms of exhibitions were highly interactive and appealing, demonstrating the impressive achievements made in the course of building a “smart civil aviation industry” and the awareness of providing cordial services. China civil aviation will continue to increase investment in scientific and technological innovation, implement the strategy of seeking innovation-driven development and enhance the capability of achieving independent innovation, with a view to translating scientific and educational innovation into an important underlying force driving the high-quality development of the civil aviation industry. Feng Zhenglin also visited the exhibition booths of the Czech Republic, Canada and other countries, as well as the exhibition booths of Boeing, Airbus, Thales, Safran and Embraer, to further promote international exchanges and cooperation in civil aviation.

It is reported that this air show, which was unprecedented in scale, was participated by 770 exhibitors from more than 43 countries and regions. With an indoor and outdoor exhibition area exceeding 500 000 square meters, the show saw a display by domestic and foreign manufactures of more than 150 aircraft of various types. A full range of top-notch high-tech exhibits covering “land, sea, air, outer space and electron” and representing the world’s best technologies were collectively unveiled. Domestically produced civil aircraft, including AG600 and Xinzhou-700, were on display at the air show. During the event, a large number of contracts related to, among others, aircraft procurement, civil-military integration, general aviation and UAV were signed. The 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will be held in Zhuhai from November 10 to 15, 2020.