Citing the rising tide of new Covid cases, spurred by the virulent Omicron variant and the fluid, uncertain situation it has created, NBAA has decided to postpone next month’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC). The four-day show, which was scheduled to begin in San Diego, California on January 18, is now slated to take place as a three-day event at the San Diego Convention Center on April 5-7.

Last week, California’s Department of Public Health issued a mandate that everyone in the state wear a mask in indoor public spaces and workplaces. The initial order is in effect at least until Jan. 15, 2022.

SDC was canceled this year, a casualty of the continued disruptions of the initial Covid wave, and the 2020 show was ended mid-event amidst a flurry of pandemic-related national shutdowns as the virus was beginning to gain a foothold in the U.S.

“With the recent emergence of the Omicron variant there is a lot we are still learning about this virus,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Moving the conference from immediately after the holiday season will provide us with a firmer understanding of this situation so we can ensure appropriate safety protocols are in place as we move forward with our exciting and dynamic 2022 events.”