Ian Honnery, CEO of Rotortech 2020 organiser AMDA Foundation Limited, said the change came after weeks of consultations.

“The preservation of public health will always be our paramount commitment,” Honnery said. “Although government restrictions on gatherings and travel may be lifted by our original June dates, we have decided to act early and delay Rortortech 2020 to October in order to provide clarity for our stakeholders. 

“This will allow [our] industry to focus on managing through the Covid-19 crisis, with an October Rotortech 2020 then bringing the community together as a strong industry recovery event before operators are fully committed to the coming fire season.”

The showcase will feature a three-day conference program, helicopter manufacturer technical workshops and sessions on recent aerial firefighting experience.

For the first time, it will also feature the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems conference, an unmanned vehicle exhibition and sessions on unmanned flight.

Ray Croning, President for the Australian Helicopter Industry Association, said: "The success of Rotortech 2018 showed that the Australian helicopter industry needs a forum to highlight both the challenges and successes in our industry. Rotortech is the industry's own forum for sharing this information for the benefit of all. Delaying the event until October will allow the industry to ride out this crisis and then come together to focus on recovery.”