The biennial Singapore Airshow is set to go ahead in February, but it is likely to be a trade-only even with no days set aside for the general public to visit or view static or flying displays, according to a report in the Singapore Straits Times. The normally well-attended is scheduled to start on 15 February at the Changi Exhibition Centre.
Organisers Experia Events said in the report that COVID-19 precautions will include restrictions such as foreign participants being fully vaccinated and said pre-event testing and capacity limits will be implemented as well. Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events, said in the report the airshow will go ahead “with safe management measures in place to ensure the highest levels of safety for all attendees”, the newspaper reported.
The 2020 airshow was a disappointment for organisers and participants alike as large numbers of companies pulled out of the show due to the then-emerging virus. About 20,000 public visitors attended the event last year, about one-third of the 70,000 public visitors in 2018. In the 2020 edition, organisers said almost 30,000 trade attendees from 110 countries and regions attended the event. There were 930 participating companies from 45 countries. More than 70 companies withdrew prior to the event due to concerns about the coronavirus.