“So this is the post-September 11 face of the international airshow.” That was probably the dominant thought for many visitors to Asian Aerospace 2002 (held February 26 to March 3) as they got in line to have their cars inspected from hood to trunk before having to pass through top-level airport-style screening to enter the show site. With Singapore authorities having broken up an active local Al Qaeda terrorist cell just two months earlier, AA2002 organizers clearly felt obliged to err on the side of caution in spending some $1.1 million on new security measures. Though the screening undoubtedly made the show somewhat less user-friendly, few visitors felt inclined to question the necessity for putting the show on a higher state of alert.
According to show organizer Reed Exhibition’s president, Jimmy Lau, budget cuts rather than security concerns were the main reason behind the slight downturn in exhibitors, with 27 companies pulling out after September 11 and resulting in a 3,200-sq-ft reduction in the total exhibit space. However, at 22,000 attendees from 65 countries, the number of trade visitors passing through the gates showed no decline on the tally from the previous show in February 2000.
