Lincolnshire air show to move to RAF Scampton

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Friday 19 February 2016 at 12:49pm

Lincolnshire is once again set to host its own air show after an agreement was reached to switch the event to RAF Scampton from 2017.

The Minister of State for Defence, Earl Howe, and the RAF Charitable Trust have announced an agreement has been made with the Royal Air Force to organise an air show at RAF Scampton north of Lincoln, the home of the Red Arrows.

The air show at RAF Waddington was officially scrapped last September 2015 due to “significant security concerns and operational risks,” as the base is home to the 39 Squadron which controls the Reaper drones in Afghanistan.

The Red Arrows are based at RAF Scampton Credit: PA

A major runway replacement project is also underway.

The news was welcomed my Lincoln MP Karl McCartney:

There was a great deal of disappointment in Lincoln and Lincolnshire at the decision to end the Air Show at RAF Waddington in my Constituency, although, given the heightened operational and security threat to Waddington, we well understood and appreciated the reasons why this decision was made. It is extremely pleasing to know, therefore, that Lincolnshire will play host to another Air Show – this time at neighbouring Scampton. In the run up to the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, it is important to all of us in Bomber (and Fighter) County that we retain an International Air Show very close to its original home just north of Lincoln in Scampton, the home of the Red Arrows, and that the RAF has committed to maintain its traditional and modern links to Lincolnshire.

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