President Donald Trump has unveiled plans for a massive new American aerospace exhibition in Florida, pledging it will become the biggest aviation and space industry event in the world. The proposed event, called CapeWeek, will be held at the Kennedy Space Center and is expected to begin in about two years.
Trump announced the initiative on Friday during an address at the MAX POWER aerospace technology expo, which runs from November 6 to 8 at and around Kennedy Space Center. The proposed 1,900-acre venue, at Florida's former space shuttle landing facility, will bring together commercial aviation, private aircraft and space technology exhibitions.
"We're going to have a show the likes of which has never been done before," Trump said. "We dominate and we should have the biggest show." He compared the planned event with the Paris Air Show, the Farnborough Airshow in Britain and the Dubai Airshow, arguing the United States should host the leading showcase for industries in which American companies hold a dominant position.
Administration estimates forecast hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, billions of dollars in economic activity and hundreds of billions of dollars in commercial deals. Trump said the venue would expand over the next few years.
Trump praised NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during the address and linked the exhibition project to wider ambitions for American aviation, manufacturing and space exploration. The proposal was the centerpiece of his appearance at MAX POWER, an aerospace technology expo and air show taking place at and around Kennedy Space Center from November 6 to 8.
