The Manston International Air Show has been cancelled for the second year in a row – with organisers saying airspace issues could not be resolved.
The event was first scheduled to take place in August 2025. It was then rescheduled to June this year due to “additional safety regulations.”
Now, with just weeks to go before it was due to take place, it has been cancelled once more.
A statement from the organisers says: “It is with sadness and frustration we have to announce that despite everything that the entire team has put into planning the Manston International Air Show over the last 24 months we have had to take the decision to call time on the 2026 event.
“Ultimately, despite the work from the team at R5, our flying display director and committee, who have been doing everything in their power to engage with the Civil Aviation Authority and resolve the airspace issues, it has become clear that the variations to the guidance for running a safe event that have been imposed cannot be resolved without clear answers that until now have not been forthcoming.
“With all this in mind, we turn our attention to anyone who has held their tickets over to this year. Alongside our ticketing team at Ticketflex we will be working to automatically reimburse everyone by the end of May 2026.
“We would like to thank everyone who has played their part in the planning and support of the event and look forward to updating everyone with developments as we work to introduce new plans for the air show in 2027.”
Following the Shoreham Air show disaster in 2015 when 11 people were killed after an aircraft crashed, UK air show regulations were significantly tightened, particularly regarding ex-military jets and aerobatic displays over land.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) implemented measures like grounding certain aircraft types, restricting aerobatics over land, and increasing minimum altitudes for manoeuvres. These changes were aimed at improving safety and preventing future incidents.
Previously Kent County Council had said the air show would require temporary road closures on the A299 and B2050 to be able to hold the event safely in line with the guidelines issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Lololol
Why oh why do we carry on with this farce of manston reopening ?
Got nothing to do with the airshow
If they can’t run an airshow because of safety, how can they regularly fly.? Its dead duck
Dick Symonds – silly ill thought out comment !
How on earth is Manston supposed to go bust again if they can’t even fly a plane or two?
Its a farce! Thanet needs more house building space urgently, and Manston would provide upwards of 4,000! Duurh!
The owners of the airport weren’t planning to run the air show. Just host it.
Then it should be hosted elsewhere that are used to having such events.
It is Manston airport that was advertising this. Useless bunch of idiots. You get everything in order before advertising. They at Manston are just pure chancers.
With all the surrounding developments of housing it is hard to believe that it can and will ever open again, especially as a freight airport.
I would have thought by now KCC are the experts on permitting road closures – on account we have more than anywhere else in the County.
It’s a shame they closed Ramsgate airport, it would’ve been ideal.
Ramsgate airport as you very well know has been a housing estate for many years.
So safety issues to strict for 3 plane airshow, but no worries at all about alledged 10,000 movements/year…..
Riiiiiight…