SINGAPORE - The number of exhibitors that will not be participating in next week's Singapore Airshow has increased to 19 on Saturday (Feb 8), with Canadian aerospace firms De Havilland Canada and Viking Air pulling out of the event, as the impact of the coronavirus widened.
Longview Aviation, which manages its subsidiaries De Havilland Canada and Viking Air, said in a statement on Saturday that it will cancel the participation of its subsidiary companies, in the light of the increased alert level announced by the Singapore Government and the Ministry of Health.
Singapore moved its disease outbreak response up a level to orange on Friday as the coronavirus spread further within the country, with three new cases announced of unknown origin. Under the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition, or Dorscon, code orange means the outbreak is deemed to have moderate to high public health impact.
The Government advised event organisers to cancel or defer non-essential large-scale events. Those who choose to continue should take additional precautions, such as temperature checks. This will help to minimise the risk of further transmission of the virus in the community.
"Based on this recommendation, and out of an abundance of caution for the well-being of our employees, De Havilland Canada and Viking will not be in attendance at the 2020 Singapore Airshow as previously planned," the statement said.
This announcement comes after the US Pentagon said earlier on Friday that it will shrink the size of its delegation travelling to the Singapore Airshow, and US defence firms Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co said they will not attend the airshow due to the coronavirus.
The airshow, organised by Experia Events, is an aerospace and defence exhibition held once every two years.
Earlier, it was announced that the event from Feb 11 to 16 will go ahead as planned despite the withdrawal of some exhibitors and fewer visitors being expected.
The last Singapore Airshow in 2018 attracted 1,062 companies from 50 countries and regions, generating more than $343 million in spending.
The 2018 edition saw 54,000 trade attendees from 147 countries and regions - a 13 per cent rise in attendance compared with 2016.
Experia Events said on Friday that the show will see enhanced precautionary measures taken "to safeguard the well-being and safety of attendees", in view of the evolving coronavirus situation.
The measures include additional temperature screening at access points at the Singapore Expo and Changi Exhibition Centre, as well as the provision of hand sanitisers and a team of doctors and medics to attend to visitors who are feeling unwell.
Mr Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events, said: "At Dorscon yellow, Experia Events is already implementing many of the measures required in Dorscon orange. Stepping up with seat tagging will support the government's overall contact tracing process, for the well-being and safety of all attendees at the Singapore Airshow 2020."
