Aero India 2021 to be virtual, 5-day event cut short to 3 days

Bengaluru: Those waiting to witness the dazzling display of gravity-defying manoeuvres during the Aero India show will be in for a disappointment because the show will be in the virtual mode as it will be only a business-focused event with no public days like in normal air shows due to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aero India 2021 will begin on on February 3 and the five-day event which has been cut short to three days

The decision to reduce the number of days was taken during a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi last month and officials in Bengaluru too confirmed that only business delegates will be allowed inside the venue.

A statement issued by the MoD after the meeting stated that people have to witness the air display only in the virtual mode to make way for safe in-person interactions among the business representatives of defence and aerospace firms.

Given the restrictions put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 and the emergence of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus from the United Kingdom, this edition of the show is unlikely to be attended by many foreign delegates, although the MoD claims that response to the event has been good with over 500 exhibitors registering.