LAKELAND, Fla. — This week, the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE) officially called off this year's Sun 'N Fun Aerospace Expo. It was originally postponed until the first weekend of May due to coronavirus concerns.

• Sun 'N Fun Expo is second-largest air show in the world
• Typically draws 200,000 to Lakeland Linder International Airport each year
• ACE's "Project Sky-Lab" also now on hold

Every year, more than 200,000 people come out to the Sun ‘N’ Fun Aerospace Expo held at Lakeland Linder International Airport. It’s the second largest air show in the world. 

“It’s devastating. Really, really horrible," said Greg Gibson, the organization’s Chief Marketing Officer. "You work hard all year long to bring something like this to life and we never really planned to not have the show”  

Gibson said after expenses are paid, the expo typically brings in about $3.5 million. That funds much of the organization's operating budget — $2 million of it goes toward educational programs and scholarships for high school students learning to become pilots.

“It’s not an ending type of situation but it’s certainly going to be very painful, with our educational programs relying on this event for 80 percent of their revenue," Gibson explained. "It’s definitely going to be a challenge to keep everything moving at the pace we like to until we can get to the 2021 event."

In another blow, the nonprofit's planned expansion of its Florida Air Museum to add on a multi-million dollar STEM learning facility called “Project Sky Lab” is also now on hold.

Just this past January they'd announced they were ahead of schedule on the project.

"It is truly a setback," Gibson said. "Our efforts are going to continue. It will knock us down but it wont knock us out."

Gibson did have some comforting news — the nonprofit hasn’t had to lay off anyone.

The hope is people will donate to help keep the organization afloat. They're even selling t-shirts with “The greatest airshow that never happened” printed on the sleeve to add a little humor to the situation.

ACE staff are also planning virtual events like Facebook Lives, webinars, and videos where viewers will get to hear the back story of many of the performers and interact with them in a way they’ve never been able to at the air show. 

Dates for those events haven’t been set yet but are being planned for April. 

The nonprofit is also planning two smaller fly-ins for the fall, one dedicated to home-built aircraft with a takeoff and landing competition and another fly-in dedicated to vintage and warbird aircraft. There will be an entrance fee but organizers say it’ll be less than the expo.