58 AIR POWER 2017 21 ST CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS21 ST CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS
As well as appearing at Airshow China, the Red
Arrows performed fly-pasts or displays in Bangladesh,
Bahrain, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan,
Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Among the
high-profile moments were fly-pasts over the Petronas
Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore’s Marina
Bay Sands, both on the same day. Engagements and
performances across the whole Eastern Hawk tour are
estimated to have been watched by as many as one
billion people, either live or through media channels.
DOING BUSINESS
In China, the Red Arrows’ visit paid dividends in
promoting the UK’s aerospace expertise to target
businesses, providing a platform for a number of major
aerospace deals while strengthening public perceptions
of the UK as an innovative and open partner. Air China
finalised a civil-engines partnership with Rolls-Royce
worth £1 billion, and China Eastern signed a £1.5 billion
order for Trent 700 engines to power 15 of its Airbus
330 passenger airliners. In addition, China Southern
also ordered Trent 700 engines to power 10 of its
Airbus 330 airliners in a deal worth £700 million.
During the stay at Zhuhai, the team had the
opportunity to meet their Chinese counterparts – the
Team members
give an interview
during one of many
stopovers (PHOTO:
© CROWN COPYRIGHT)Aviation history
was made when
the Red Arrows
performed a public
display in China for
the first time (PHOTO:
© CROWN COPYRIGHT)