Cargo Facts Asia conference moves to Singapore in wake of coronavirus

Monday, 10 February 2020

Cargo Facts Asia 2020 has moved to Singapore in response to the novel coronavirus that began in China in December.

Royal Media Group, Cargo Facts Asia’s producer, announced today that the ninth annual conference will take place at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore on April 20-22, 2020, rather than in Shanghai.

Cargo Facts Asia is a key industry conference on the airfreight and freighter aircraft markets in Asia. The event’s top sponsors are Boeing and EFW.

Royal Media moved the conference to ensure the health and well-being of all participants, the company said. Royal has also taken additional steps to ensure health and safety onsite at Cargo Facts Asia.

The novel coronavirus, officially 2019-nCoV, started in Wuhan, in central China, and has largely been contained to mainland China. As of today, 99.4% of the coronavirus cases are in China, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Singapore closed its border with China on Jan. 31. Cargo Facts Asia attendees are encouraged to access the WHO’s online monitor of the novel coronavirus globally, as well as in Singapore.

“We want attendees to know that they can still expect the exceptional content and networking that Cargo Facts events are known for,” said Molly Stewart, Royal Media chief operating officer. “We have revised the content of the event to address the impact this situation will have on air freight and the new realities in Asia, as well as include more of a focus on the pan-Asia airfreight market.”

Stewart said that moving Cargo Facts Asia to Singapore offers key industry stakeholders an opportunity to work through the critical issues facing the Asian market, particularly since Chinese airfreight is shifting to other parts of Asia-Pacific in the wake of the virus.