CHINA’S International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the country’s biggest airshow, will go ahead in November, the organizer said Wednesday, backtracking on an earlier announcement the 2020 event had been cancelled due to COVID-19.

“As of now, China’s 13th Zhuhai airshow will still be held as scheduled. If there is any change, please refer to the official news and website,” a spokesman said in a second statement.

An email from the spokesman earlier Wednesday said that the airshow, scheduled for November, had been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the next one will take place in 2022. He later said that statement was based on his own “prediction.”

The biennial event usually draws key suppliers, such as Airbus SE, Boeing Co. and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC).

The announcements come as foreign nationals are largely barred from entering China due to fears over importing coronavirus cases and severe restrictions on international flights.

This year’s largest aerospace expo, Britain’s Farnborough Airshow, was cancelled because of travel curbs and an industry downturn resulting from the pandemic. (SD-Agencies)