China's biggest air show postponed because of COVID-19 pandemic

China’s International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the country’s biggest air show, has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the show’s organizer said on Tuesday.

The air show had been scheduled to take place in the southern city of Zhuhai in mid-November. The organizers said they would announce new dates later, according to a statement on the expo’s website, which added that health and safety considerations were behind the postponement.

The biennial event usually draws key suppliers — such as Airbus SE, Boeing Co and Commercial Aircraft Corp of China — and has traditionally been a platform to show China’s growing aviation capability, including military fighters and drones.

The postponement comes as foreigners are largely barred from entering China over concerns about importing coronavirus cases, and there are severe restrictions on international flights.

This year’s largest aerospace expo, Britain’s Farnborough Airshow, was canceled because of travel curbs and an industry downturn resulting from the pandemic.

Many Western aerospace companies have reduced budgets and some were not planning to attend the Zhuhai air show if it had gone ahead.