Paris Air Show cancelled in blow to aviation industry
Next year’s Paris Air Show has been cancelled in a blow for the embattled aerospace industry, it was announced today.
It is the first time that the prestigious event, which alternates with the Farnborough Air Show, has been cancelled since the Second World War.
The event, which tends to attract over 300,000 visitors, was due to take place in June.
In a statement, the air show’s organisers said: “This reasonable decision was agreed upon unanimously by the Paris Air Show Board members in the context of a crisis that has had an unprecedented impact on the aerospace industry.”
Experts said that the premature cancellation was likely a result of the hefty cost of putting on the show. In total, exhibitors and attendees are expected to shell out $1bn on the jamboree.
More importantly, however, the show is considered a barometer for the industry demand, giving exhibitors the chance to show off new products and broker deals face-to-face.
At the last event at Le Bourget, for example, $140bn worth of contracts were agreed.
Organisers said that the next event would be held in June 2023, with the exact date to be announced soon.
Chief executive Gilles Fournier said that the next event would be “larger than ever”.