Due to worries over the COVID-19 epidemic, Aero 2020 will be postponed to an as yet undetermined date, show organizers have announced. “For the past few days, we have received massive cancellations and clear signals from our exhibitors and potential visitors. We will postpone Aero to a date that has not yet been fixed,” said Roland Bosch, who supervises Aero for Messe Friedrichshafen. The show was originally planned for April 1 through April 4.
Klaus Wellmann, Messe Friedrichshafen director, said other events held on the site have also been canceled. In an announcement released on Friday, Wellmann said, “The coronavirus ensures that we are currently experiencing a bad domino effect. The members of the general aviation industry also consider the health and economic risks of an upcoming trade fair to be too high. We share this assessment, so that we now have to take this serious step with a heavy heart.”
As of Friday, March 6, Germany has reported 577 cases of COVID-19, but no known deaths. Italy is hardest hit in Europe, with 3,858 cases and 148 deaths. Aero hosts companies and visitors from all over the world and airlines have reported sharp drops in bookings due to coronavirus concerns.
