The white tents, metal detectors and red queue stanchions stood ready for the crowds that were expected to come through for the widely-anticipated Singapore Airshow this week. Yet, this year, there were far more people manning the security checkpoints than there were attendees.
The biennial event has typically attracted hundreds of industry players, and tens of thousands of trade visitors, from around the world each time. Billions of dollars worth of deals – from aircraft orders to services agreements – are inked at the event. But the outbreak of Covid-19, which causes severe pneumonia and has killed more than 1,300 people, put paid to all expectations of this year’s event.
