PLA Air Force aviation open-day event, Changchun Air Show open in China

Aircraft of China's Red Falcon Aerobatic Team perform during the 2025 aviation open-day activities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force and Changchun Air Show in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 19, 2025. The events kicked off here on Friday. [Photo by Yu Hongchun/Xinhua]

The 2025 aviation open-day activities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and the Changchun Air Show began on Friday in Changchun, northeast China, showcasing the air force's latest development achievements through dynamic aerial performances and static exhibitions.

The event features appearances by flight and parachute demonstration teams, as well as warplanes of combat units.

Highlights include the YY-20A tanker flying in pre-refueling formation with J-16 fighters, a twin bomber formation of H-6 aircraft, and the KJ-500 early warning aircraft escorted by four J-20 stealth fighter jets.

"The coordinated display of different aircraft types is essentially bringing our routine combat-oriented training exercises directly to the airshow," said Wu Haoran, a J-16 pilot.

This year's event is scheduled to run for five days. Since its inception in 2011, it has become a key platform to display the PLA Air Force's development achievements and strategic transformation.