SINGAPORE (AFP): Asia's biggest air show opened in Singapore Tuesday (Feb 11) under the shadow of a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has forced dozens of companies to withdraw and is threatening to hammer the aviation industry. But the virus -- which has killed more than 1,000 in China and spread to more than two dozen other countries -- is overshadowing this year's event. Singapore has so far reported 45 cases, and the city-state last week raised its health alert level to the same as during the deadly 2002-2003 SARS outbreak. But the mood will likely remain subdued in Singapore this week as airlines reel from the impact of many nations barring Chinese travellers over the coronavirus outbreak. The association, however, noted that during the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) -- which, like the current virus, spread from China and killed hundreds -- Asia-Pacific airlines lost an estimated S$6 billion in revenues.

Source: The Star February 11, 2020 05:03 UTC