Singapore Airshow affected by the novel Coronavirus outbreak but not cancelled

Asia's largest airshow, the Singapore Airshow, will begin tomorrow despite the Coronavirus outbreak worsening in Singapore. Over a period of two weeks, more than 70 exhibitors have withdrawn from the Singapore Airshow.

Just last week, the Singapore government announced that the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level had shifted from Yellow to Orange, indicating that the condition had worsened. However, Experia Events, the organiser of the Singapore Airshow said that the airshow would still carry on as planned.

In response to the severity of the outbreak in Singapore, Experia Events have enhanced their hygiene and precautionary measures at the Singapore Airshow. Certain measures like giving out hand sanitizer to all attendees and mandatory temperature screenings at access points of the airshow will be conducted. After DORSCON Orange was announced, Experia Events announced that the number of visitors entering into the airshow premises during the public days will be limited.

The 2018 Singapore Airshow attracted more than 80,000 public visitors and 54,000 trade attendees but is expecting ticket sales to be less than half of the previous airshow given that the public attendance being limited and controlled after the nCov outbreak worsened.

Two weeks before the airshow, Experia Events announced that the Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit (SAALS) would be cancelled. This key aviation summit involves more than 300 government officials, civil aviation authorities, airport operators and airline executives.

With more than 70 trade exhibitors pulling out of this year airshow, the number of static display aircraft have significantly dropped, but around 40 aircraft are expected to be displayed at the airshow. Among the 70 exhibitors, Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin, Textron Aviation, Bombardier and De Havilland Canada are some of the more significant exhibitors that have withdrawn from the airshow.

Companies that will still be participating at the airshow include ATR, Airbus, Boeing, Israel Aerospace Industries, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce. Boeing said on Sunday that the Boeing 777-200 ecoDemonstrator would not be at the airshow. The 777 ecoDemonstrator had been flown from Seattle to Osaka but returned to Seattle Sunday afternoon. However, Boeing remains committed to the Singapore Airshow. Airbus also announced their participation but did not send their Airbus A350-1000 demonstrator this year.

Photo by Preston Fiedler | AeroNewsX.

Besides the above mentioned, two aerobatic teams also have withdrawn from the Singapore Airshow: The Republic of the Korean Air Force (ROKAF) Black Eagles and the Indonesian Air Force Jupiter Aerobatic Team (JAT). The JAT arrived at Batam on the 4th of February awaiting confirmation of participation in the Singapore Airshow but were told to return to Jakarta Halim on the 6th of February and would therefore not be participating.