INCREASED insurance costs and new regulations following the Shoreham air disaster have forced organisers of the Throckmorton Airshow to axe the event at the eleventh hour.
The popular family show, which was due to take place for the ninth time on Saturday (June 11) at Throckmorton Airfield, was scrapped on Wednesday evening (June 8).
Organisers blamed a rise in insurance premiums and new requirements the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) put in place on organisers and pilots following the Shoreham tragedy last August.
A vintage jet aircraft crashed during a display in the Sussex town killing 11 people and injuring 16 others in the deadliest air show accident since 1952.
An application for this year’s Throckmorton show was made in January and organisers admitted they had considered pulling the plug on the event in April due to the delay in hearing from the CAA.
As the show was to raise money for charity the organisers decided to continue and persevered with planning and received the green light this week.
However, the liability and responsibilities now placed on the Flying Display Director and Flying Control Committee, as well as the event organisers, has resulted in ‘substantial’ cost increases and led to the decision to cancel.
The show was due to be held in aid of chosen charities RAF Benevolent Fund and the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity but organisers feared they would not be able to donate any money to the causes and cover the increased costs.
Samantha Jones, organiser said: “We are truly gutted and have put our heart and soul into organising the show, but sadly everything feels against us and we can’t afford to take on the financial risks.
“Our insurance alone for this year has almost doubled as well as cost implications for the new traffic management plan.
“Ticket sales have sadly been lower than normal too, which may be a result of the tragic event at Shoreham as most shows of our size are finding this year, so we simply cannot afford to continue.”
“We would like to thank everyone who has supported us and helped towards the organisation of this year’s show, including the discussions held in making this forced decision,” she added.
The show was set to host an array of iconic planes including the RAF Falcons display team, RAF Typhoon, RAF BBMF Spitfire and Hurricane and Brendan O’Briens Flying Circus.
Show organisers confirmed ticket holders would receive refunds in due course and raised the possibility of a ‘Fly In’ event later this year.
Visit www.throckmortonairshow.co.uk for more information.
