Since March of this year, the RAF have been reviewing their future commitment to air shows in the light of the evident cost pressures placed on the Service, and the many demands upon the Service as we move further into the 21st Century.
The Review itself was one concerning aspect to Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, Karl McCartney MP, but concerns about the effect of this Review were certainly exacerbated in Lincolnshire’s case as RAF Waddington’s runway was closed in late 2014 for a £35m refit. This work has experienced overruns and delays which together mean that completion of the runway project is not expected until well into next year.
In between receiving regular updates on the runway upgrade, Mr McCartney is fighting hard to persuade the Government and the RAF to keep the Waddington International Airshow.
Karl McCartney MP, said: “I, and I know thousands of people in our City, County and Region, dearly hope that the RAF Waddington International Air Show will return as soon as possible. We in Lincolnshire enjoy having an Air Show due to the profile it gives our City, County and Region, and the attraction that it represents to visitors, whose contribution to our local economy directly attributable to the Airshow is calculated at well over £15m every year. It is for these reasons, that I have sought to contribute positively to the Review.
“It seems to many of us in Lincolnshire, however, that the context for our County's interest in the future of the Air Show is rooted in some rather more fundamental aspects of the relationship between the RAF and the area as a whole. The RAF's presence in Lincolnshire - the home of both The Red Arrows and Bomber Command - is, of course, a prominent feature of our County's history, and on the basis of current plans and projections the Service is likely to be a significant presence affecting the future of our County. Lincolnshire is proud of that history, and is keen to provide further for that future.
“I have also taken every opportunity to remind our Defence Ministers and Secretary of State of the importance of the RAF Waddington International Air Show, not just to Lincoln, but to Lincolnshire and the East Midlands too.
“In his Answer to my most recent Parliamentary Question on 13 July, the new Defence Minister and Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Engineers, Mark Lancaster TD MP, revealed that the RAF’s decision can be expected very soon.
“In the meantime, I shall continue to work to secure the future of the RAF Waddington International Air Show and ensure that our City and County is at the very forefront of what will be the large and year-long 100th anniversary celebrations of the RAF’s existence in 2018, as well as celebrating the centenary of RAF Waddington in 2016.”