On February 3, the organizing committee for the 6th Dubai International Parachuting Championships informed USPA and other participating nations that it has postponed the event, originally scheduled for February 19-28, until December 7-18, 2021. The decision took many by surprise since the committee had decided just weeks earlier to continue the event as planned. In its statement, the committee remarked that the Government of the Emirate Dubai decided to disallow the 6th DIPC “because of the appearance of the highly infectious new mutation of COVID-19 in Great Britain (B.1.1.7.) and South Africa (B.1.351), which has meanwhile become widespread and is still spreading. Border closings followed, which have already been implemented in some countries, as well as further tightened entry and exit restrictions.”
The current U.S. Team will receive a refund of its entry fees. A new team—consisting of accuracy landing, 4-way formation skydiving and canopy piloting competitors—will attend the 6th DIPC based on the results of the October 2021 USPA National Championships at Skydive Arizona in Eloy.