Last Year's Show Lost $400,000, Officials Say

After drawing 560,000 attendees, and losing $400,000, in its inaugural year, the Huntington Beach, CA Airshow is not showing any signs of being more financially sound.

At a presentation given to the Huntington Beach City Council Monday, city officials learned that there is already an estimated $350,000 funding gap for this year's show, which is scheduled for Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. Overall, the show is expected to cost about $975,000, according to a report from The Los Angeles Times.

The council directed City Manager Fred Wilson to look at ways the city can provide financial support to AirSupport LLC, the operator of the event. The show was represented at the meeting by Kevin Elliott, who said the event is not sustainable with the projected losses.

The operator says more than a million people are expected to attend this year's event. But such major shows normally don't see a profit for three to five years, so the council should look at it as an investment in a long-term venture.

The show has Breitling as a name sponsor, but Elliott said other national brands often wait to see if a show will be successful before jumping on the bandwagon.

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey said that the intent is not to have taxpayers foot the bill for the airshow, but to have staff see how the show can be helped financially. Councilman Erik Peterson said that he would support raising parking rates for the show, but the city should not go to the taxpayers for funding.

Major draws for the 2017 show are the Blue Angels and the Canadian Snowbirds. Last year, the Thunderbirds and Breitling Jet Team headlined the event.

Admission for the show is free, and a portion of proceeds from vendors goes to the Aerospace Educational Foundation of Huntington Beach.

FMI: Original Report