LABACE, which organizers postponed until November in the hope of the pandemic’s passing, will now happen only next year on the traditional timetable, from August 9 to 11, Brazilian business aviation association ABAG said Thursday. The association canceled the 2021 edition of the São Paulo fair, Latin America’s largest aviation event, “due to global and local uncertainties…principally those related to new variants of Covid-19.” 

ABAG told AIN that LABACE 2021 sales had been going well despite a late start, with 50 new exhibitors expressing interest and more than 20 contracts signed. The association had planned pandemic-related adaptations such as swapping the air-conditioned tent for an open hangar, canceling in-person panels, and limiting the public to invitation-only. Brazil’s advancing vaccination rates also raised optimism, but the encouraging signs proved insufficient.

The 2019 show marked Brazil’s recovery from its longest recession, and LABACE 2021 had been getting a boost from the long-awaited government approval of fractional aircraft ownership, the strength of the dollarized agribusiness market, and new clients driven to private flying by the pandemic. ABAG also canceled LABACE 2020 due to the pandemic.