The Dubai Airshow is set to be held this year but with capacity restrictions due to Covid-19 restrictions, according to its organisers.

The show, which takes place from November 14-18, will be this year’s biggest aerospace trade show. It will become the industry’s largest face-to-face event since the pandemic forced the cancellation of Farnborough International Airshow in 2020 and the Paris Airshow in 2021.

Reuters reports that Timothy Hawes, managing director of organiser Tarsus F&E, said the number of exhibitors signing up for 2021 was at the same level as the last edition in 2019, which welcomed more than 1,200 exhibitors and 84,000 visitors.

Organisers confident “the interest is there”

He told Reuters: “We are confident as we stand at the moment that the interest is there.”

Hawes added that social distancing will also be achieved by spreading exhibition stands further apart. Both the show and exhibition stands will also have limits on how many visitors can be in attendance at any single moment, he told Reuters, explaining that the limit will fall within previous attendance levels. Mask-wearing is also expected to be compulsory.

Hawes said: “We are very much ready to showcase and bring people together again. It’s been a long time of people (not) meeting face-to-face.”

He added: “We expect that as it stands there is an opportunity to run a show without it looking too different to previous years.”

A decision has yet to be made on whether attendance will be limited to those vaccinated against the Covid-19 or via recent negative tests.

The UAE has one of the world’s highest rates of Covid vaccinations. It is currently reporting around 2,000 new infections each day, down from almost 4,000 in February.

Video: FINN looks back at the Dubai Airshow 2019 which focused on sustainability

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