Visitors to the hugely popular Royal International Air Tattoo have been warned ahead of this year’s edition.
The air show at RAF Fairford has been a long-running event which draws in thousands to the South of England to see rare planes in action.
Taking place from Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21, the event is the world’s largest military air show with over 250 aircraft involved in last year’s event.
Interest in this summer’s RIAT has reached record levels with the show on track for its earliest ever sell-out with less than 10,000 tickets remaining for the Saturday.
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In 2023, organisers announced Saturday had sold out in early June but with unprecedented interest ahead of this summer, organisers are thrilled with levels of interest.
Chief Executive Officer for Royal Air Force Charitable Enterprises, Paul Atherton said: “RIAT is a world-renowned event which takes place in the heart of the Cotswolds and we are proud to deliver it every year.
“Not only do visitors come from all over the country, but they also travel from across the globe to see what we put together at RAF Fairford.
“The support for this year has been incredible and we are really looking forward to welcoming everyone in the summer.”
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With an operational theme of ‘Pushing the Boundaries in Air and Space’, this year’s RIAT gives people the opportunity to get up close and see aircraft they’d never normally have access to.
One example is the British Antarctic Survey’s Twin Otter aircraft, which usually operates in the polar regions collecting scientific data and will be on static display this summer.
“This year’s theme means we are expecting some unique aircraft which operate in unique areas and it really demonstrates the role of aviation, whether that is in defence, transport or scientific work,” added Paul.
“If you haven’t been to the event before or are starting to make plans for the summer then we are an event that accommodates for everyone.”
READ MORE: 'Atrocious weather' forces Red Arrows to CANCEL display near Oxfordshire border
The festival was hit by several cancellations during last year’s event when bad weather threatened to call off the whole show.
Attended by 150,000 people, the RAF Fairford spectacular still featured a packed schedule of displays promising to wow crowds from all over the world but one major event was called off.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was cancelled due to the adverse weather that had been forecast.
So far there have been 86 aircraft unveiled to take part in this year’s event, including international display teams, large transport aircraft and a variety of helicopters.
All proceeds from RIAT are donated to the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust which received almost £2m from last year’s aviation showcase.
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