Large crowds are drawn to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget every two years. They won't be on the ... [+]
With optimism rising that life could return to normal in the next six months with the widespread distribution of coronavirus vaccines, the cancellation Monday of next summer’s Paris Air Show comes as a dash of cold water.
According to Gilles Fournier, CEO of the Paris Air Show, the decision to cancel the event, which was scheduled for June 21-27, was made based on the risk of the spread of infection of Covid-19 given the large gathering of attendees the Show attracts. The previous Show, held in June 2019, included 316,000 visitors, 2700 journalists, and 2,453 exhibitors from 49 countries according to official GIFAS (French Aerospace Industries Association) numbers. The next edition will be held in June 2023, at a date yet to be determined.
The decision was made “unanimously” by the Board of Directors of the Paris Air Show and GIFAS despite the event dates being over six months in the future. Show exhibitors are being promised full refund of all fees already paid and the organizers say the event “will take full financial responsibility for this decision.”
That will mean a significant hit to the organization and to the French economy. The biennial show reportedly sees total spending by exhibitors and attendees of $1 billion, including $400 million on building, temporary hires and security alone.
According to GIFAS, 18% of show exhibitors and visitors come from the U.S., participation second only to Europe itself which accounts for 66% of exhibitors/attendees. The show remains an important deal catalyst for aerospace firms. A total of $140 billion in orders were booked during the 2019 event with Boeing
A GIFAS spokesman declined to answer whether the organization was pressured by the French government to cancel the event or if its cancelation represents official estimates that Covid-19 will still be widespread in France and Europe by early summer 2021. Forecasts of the likelihood of international travel restrictions being eased and the reluctance of major exhibitors surveyed to participate probably weighed heavily in the decision.
In the Show’s official press release, Gilles Fournier, expressed the organization’s disappointment and resolve to continue the event.
“We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our partners, exhibitors and service providers for the trust they have placed in us. We share their disappointment, as the Paris Air Show continues to be an extremely popular event, even in periods of crisis. The 2023 edition will be larger than ever, and our teams are already working to ensure its success.”
The Paris cancelation joins that of the Saudi International Airshow, scheduled to take place in Riyadh in early 2021. The prospects for other major summer events like the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the UK and Moscow Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) in Russia may have dimmed with this announcement.
