Describing the change as a sign of a maturing market, business aviation's top advocacy group has postponed its first major conference and exposition in Asia by one month next year.
The Shanghai-based Aviation Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ABACE), previously tied to the Singapore air show in February, will be held from 27-29 March after organisers opted to run it on a standalone basis.
Ed Bolen, president of the National Business Aviation Association, said: "We need a show there that can stand on its own," adding that it "doesn't need any other show" for support.
"The evolution of the market in Asia has been so rapid and so substantial that we are beginning to see the Asian market as we saw Europe," he said.
The NBAA has seeded similar events in Europe and Latin America, and believes the time has come to approach the quickly growing Asian market for business aircraft the same way.
ABACE is particularly expected to serve as a "fulcrum" between the business aviation industry and Asian governments to address major infrastructure and regulatory barriers to industry growth in the region, Bolen said.
During EBACE, the show organisers of ABACE will start accepting contracts from exhibitors, he added.
Source: Flight Daily News
