MBAE Future Day – Seizing Tech and Leading the Future

Despite the disruption that 2020 delivered to the aviation industry, the 9th Macau Business Aviation Exhibition proceeded unhindered from October 29th-31st, becoming the only major business aviation exhibition to do so this year.

“Future Day” for students was among this year’s show’s highlights. Unique to MBAE, Future Day has become a must-see showcase of new aviation technologies and service experiences. As part of this year’s Future Day theme, “Technology is the Future, Business Aviation Leads the Way”, organizers invited 100 local educators and students representing Macau University of Science and Technology, University of Macao, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Pui Ching Middle School, and Escola Secundária Pui Va. The speaker lineup featured industry leaders discussing cutting edge technologies: Global Wings on digital operating systems for business Jet reservations; EHang on eVTOL drones; and Landspace on manned commercial rocket launches, data services for aviation and aerospace, and future intercontinental space mobility.

The future of aerospace technology felt bright indeed, as Future Day speakers had a passionate exchange with the local students, who were excited about new aviation and aerospace technologies, offering words of inspiration for their future careers.

In a panel discussion, entitled “Future Aerospace Technology, New Applications, and Urban Air Mobility”, the panel discussed aviation safety, UAM supervision, workforce demands, and skills development.

Pilot Wang Li addressed opportunities and challenges associated with automated electrical systems in future private aircraft in a keynote enticingly entitled “Aircraft Passengers Can Land at the Touch of a Button”. Wang offered his thoughts on how AI will affect private aviation in the future and predicts the piloting profession is unlikely to be eliminated for some time and that multi-member crews will remain the norm.

EHang Vice President Zhang Yan compared the current state of urban air mobility (UAM) policies between China, Japan, Korea, Europe, and the U.S. China is currently a leader at trial deployments, with 13 deployment zones activated to test scenarios such as islands, cities, and regional logistics hubs, as well as larger-scale deployments. Hearing this, participants were keen to learn whether EHang has plans for drone deployments in Macao, which could further link up Macao with Mainland China through aviation tech.

A representative from Landspace, China’s first privately-owned rocket company, global marketing and service general manager Kevin Xu, introduced trends in the global commercial space industry, and commented on the inevitable arrival of a “space economy”. His comments, focusing on the theme of “Intercontinental Travel Enabled by Reusable Rockets”, spread enthusiasm among the students and ignited a spirited discussion.

Macao local aviation hobbyist Clovis Chu put on a display of helicopter aerial maneuvers for the young audience. There were two helicopters on static display that garnered quite a bit of attention and received quite a number of requests for demo flights. 

In addition, Assistant Professor Chi Hang Chan of the University of Macao presented a keynote titled “Integrated Circuit Chips Supporting Future Telecommunications”. Dr. Chan presented a wide range of possible applications of 5G technology including details on applications in deep-sea environments and space. His enthusiasm was typical of those from the University of Macao, which was known for its outstanding STEM programs and its unique youth summer camp on microelectronics and chip design.

The show put a spotlight on Macao’s growing industry. As the director of the Macao Civil Aviation Department, Chen Yingxiong, shared at the show’s opening ceremony, prospects for Macao’s air transportation, including business aviation industries are bright indeed. Despite the pandemic’s impact on Macao’s local civil aviation market, the Greater Bay Area of Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao are strategically located with limitless potential.

As the MC for Future Day, Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Vice President of Government Affairs at Textron (China), Mr. Rocky Zhang said, “During the pandemic, the business aviation community speedily delivered humanitarian assistance.” Rocky shared that as a supporting organization to the show, AsBAA has worked non-stop to promote aviation culture and to cultivate interaction among business aviation professionals in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

Future Day was a terrific success in this regard, spreading a culture around aviation and aerospace technology and generating career interest among the youth of Macao. It also offered them exposure to business aviation professionals with all their rich technical and international perspectives. The programming served one of Future Day’s primary goals, inspiring the professionals of the future.

Joanna Zhou, Deputy General Manager of Nam Kwong International Exhibition Co., Ltd (NKICE) summed it up well: “That’s what Future Day is all about, giving back to both industry and community, and making a contribution to education here in Macao.”