Dubai Airport Show, a major exhibition for the airport industry, became the latest event to be rescheduled as the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the air travel industry.
The show was originally set to take place in June but will be held from October 26 to 28 this year at the Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser Reed Exhibitions said in a statement on Monday.
"Every industry has come to a standstill due to the unforeseen circumstances we are faced with,” Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, director-general of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chief executive of Dubai Air Navigation Services, said.
“Our past experiences of handling crises will help us to bounce back into the aviation business, once the crisis is contained. We shall all play our part in the recovery."
This year's Airport Show is expected to attract 375 exhibiting companies and more than 8,500 visitors coming from almost 100 countries. Last year, the show hosted 351 exhibitors over a 15,599 square metre exhibition space and attracted 7,100 attendees from 89 countries.
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the aviation industry, forcing airlines to ground flights as countries enforced travel bans and lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus.
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has urged governments to quickly implement pledges of financial support for carriers, warning that 25 million jobs are at risk if travel restrictions continue for three months or more.
"There is no doubt that Covid-19 has [affected] and will severely affect our industry. However, we are confident that once we are through these challenging times, aviation will once again play its important role in supporting economic recovery efforts around the world," said Daniyal Qureshi, group exhibitions director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East.
