Disappointment as NI Air Show set to be postponed until 2028

Luke Wilson is a huge fan of the Northern Ireland International Air Show and says he is gutted it will not be going ahead next year

The largest air show on the island of Ireland is set to not go ahead next year and instead be postponed until 2028.

The Northern Ireland International Air Show returned to the skies over Portrush in 2024 after a five-year absence.

The event had been expected to take place again in 2026, but following a debate at the council's leisure and development committee, it was proposed by majority vote for the event to not be held until 2028.

A Causeway Coast and Glens Council spokesperson said the decision was made to "de-conflict with other major events being planned for next year", including Armed Forces Day and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.

The event had been expected to take place in 2026

During the meeting on Tuesday, concerns were raised about value for money for the showpiece event which last year was estimated to cost in the region of £400,000.

The move to postpone the event comes as all major council-run events will undergo a review in 2028.

The committee's decision to stage the air show in 2028 is expected to be ratified at a meeting of the full council next month.

The air show has in previous years attracted thousands of people to Portrush

Luke Wilson, 21, said he was incredibly disappointed to hear the air show would not be going ahead as planned next year.

"The air show was always such a fantastic, well-run event that attracts thousands upon thousands of people to the area," Luke said.

"It was one of only two air shows that I would have attended in Northern Ireland, the other being the Newcastle Festival of Flight in County Down, which has not been held for a number of years.

"My grandfather, Jonathan, who sadly has since passed away, was how I first got into - and became such a huge fan of - everything aviation and transport.

"We used to attend the air show together in Portrush, and it was an event where we both really enjoyed meeting like-minded people, talking about planes, and seeing the aerial displays."

Luke said it will not just be plane spotters who are disappointed about the event not going ahead; many businesses on the north coast benefited from the sounds of busy cash registers over planes and helicopters overhead.

"If you think of the number of people it attracts, so many businesses are going to miss out on a lot of trade because of this."

'Air show helped us in a quiet month'

Stephen Mulligan runs Aurora Charters, a boat tour company offering sightseeing tours and fishing trips along the north coast.

"Myself and the two other charter boats in Portrush rely heavily on tourist footfall to keep our businesses running," he said.

"We are already under pressure to make a living during the eight weeks when Portrush sees the peak volume of tourists, but the air show always brought a much-needed boost to businesses in September, which is generally a quiet month all round for us."

'Not a cost issue, more logistical'

Chair of the leisure and development committee, DUP councillor Philip Anderson, told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today that the decision was "not based on cost, but more for logistical reasons."

"We are very mindful that there will be some disappointment out there, but I want to stress that this event is not cancelled – what we are essentially trying to do is give our council events team more time to ensure they can put on a bigger and better event compared to the one last year.

"What we certainly didn't want to do is shoehorn the air show into an already packed calendar of events.

"Events like the air show take a long time to plan and organise, and by giving that bit of extra time, we can ensure that it meets and exceeds people's expectations.

"We are also mindful that there will be huge events like Armed Forces Day next year, and we are hopeful that aviation fans will be able to enjoy aerial displays as part of those celebrations as well."