Egypt's 1st int'l airshow kicks off with China's homegrown plane on solo display

Aircraft are on display at the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The first edition of the Egypt International Airshow kicked off on Tuesday at a northern airport in the country, with flight performances by air forces from Egypt, China, and other countries.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the airshow, which is scheduled to run from Tuesday to Thursday at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, the Egyptian state TV reported.

The event has attracted more than 300 aviation and aerospace companies and agencies, as well as relevant authorities representing about 100 countries and regions, according to the report.

Among the participants are several Chinese companies, which have brought with them scale models of different types of aircraft, including China's self-developed large passenger aircraft, the C919.

The first day of the airshow began with a flight performance by the Egyptian Air Force's Silver Stars. Air forces from China, the United States, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, and India also presented their flight performances, including a notable solo display of the Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft.

According to the airshow's official website, the event aims to "accelerate industrialization, digitalization, and globalization in the defense, space, and commercial aviation sectors in Africa and the Middle East." It features not only flying aircraft shows but also exhibitions of innovative products and services in the defense, space, and commercial aviation fields.

Aircraft are on display at the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Aircraft are on display at the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

People visit the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

People visit the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

People visit the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Zhou Xuefeng/Xinhua)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Zhou Xuefeng/Xinhua)

China's J-10 fighter jets are on display during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Zhou Xuefeng/Xinhua)

China's J-10 fighter jets are on display during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

China's J-10 fighter jets are on display during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024.  (Photo by Zhou Xuefeng/Xinhua)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Zhou Xuefeng/Xinhua)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Zhou Xuefeng/Xinhua)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

China's J-10 fighter jets are on display during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Zhou Xuefeng/Xinhua)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

A Y-20, China's domestically developed large transport aircraft, makes a flight demonstration during the first edition of the Egypt International Airshow at El Alamein International Airport in El Dabaa, Egypt, Sept. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)