Plans to attract corporate sponsors to keep air show flying

Special packages to attract corporate sponsors for the Malta International Air Show - including an air shuttle service between Luqa and St Paul's Bay - are among measures being studied by the Malta Aviation Society to meet the costs of the yearly event which this year exceeded €60,000.

Society president Joe Ciliberti said yesterday that the air show must go on irrespective of the financial problems it might encounter. The event is supported by the Malta Tourism Authority but it has no other big sponsors.

Mr Ciliberti pointed out that most European countries had an air show; even Libya had recently started putting on a show. This meant Malta could not afford to miss out on this annual event.

It was against this background that the society was considering offering corporate packages to potential sponsors. This could possibly entail exclusive tours of the static display, lunch in St Paul's Bay, where the aerial display is held, and a shuttle service by air between Luqa and St Paul's Bay.

The air display at St Paul's Bay on Saturday and Sunday attracted good crowds. Indeed, Mr Ciliberti reported an increase in the number of visitors attending the air display on Saturday compared to last year. Notwithstanding the lousy weather on Saturday, in contrast to yesterday's, the flying display by the Royal Air Force Typhoon evidently proved to be a crowd-puller. The Typhoons - there were actually two - flew to Barcelona on Saturday afternoon as they had to make an appearance at an air show there.

Of course, the evergreen Red Arrows have lost none of their touch to wow the spectators, be they keen aviation enthusiasts or not.

In contrast, the static display at Luqa airport did not seem to be as popular as it used to, with Mr Ciliberti commenting that public attendance was paramount because that was a main source of revenue for the promoters.

At the static display area, it was evident that size matters, because the giant US Air Force air-to-air refuelling tanker was by far the main attraction among the 35 or so aircraft on display with a long queue of visitors waiting to board the grey-coloured KC135R.