Organizers have canceled the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, Europe’s largest business aircraft show, citing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak.
Attendee and exhibitor fees will be refunded.
The event had been scheduled for May 26-28 in Geneva, Switzerland. The show was expected to attract 13,000 attendees, more than 400 exhibitors and more than 50 aircraft on static display at the Palexpo convention center.
The European Business Aviation Association and the National Business Aviation Association, the show’s organizers, announced the cancelation on Mar. 15. They have been monitoring the spread of the coronavirus and the evolving announcements and actions from government and medical authorities in the U.S. and Europe, which are impacting large public gatherings, travel planning and other decisions, they said.
The decision follows action by the Swiss government to ban events of more than 100 people at least until Apr. 30. The Swiss government also said it would reintroduce Schengen border checks.
“As with all NBAA events, we view our participants as partners, whose health and well-being is our foremost concern, and that priority is front and center of our decision to cancel EBACE 2020,” said Ed Bolen, NBAA president and CEO.
The decision is the hardest that EBAA’s management and Board of Directors have had to make in years, said Husain Khan, EBAA secretary-general. “But given the unprecedented circumstances, we had no other choice,” Khan said. “We must do everything we can to help protect against exposure to COVID-19, and mitigate any risks associated with the spread of the virus.”
Exhibit and registration fees will be refunded in full, the organizers say. To request a refund, attendees should contact registration@ebace.aero and exhibitors should write to exhibitors@nbaa.org.
“We will keep our international partners and members informed with regard to how this challenging public health situation impacts events in the coming months,” Bolen said.
