Organizers Seek £300,000 Per Year To Stage The Event, But Are Likely To Be Turned Down

The South Ayrshire Council in southwest Scotland is likely to turn down a request from The Scottish Airshow for long-term funding for the annual event.

The Daily Record newspaper reports that the organizers of the airshow are asking the council for £300,000, or about $393,000, per year for the next three years to put on the event. They say that such a contract would give the event in South Ayrshire "long-term stability". But the council leadership, which is forecasting budget cuts of about $22 million, are unlikely to approve such a deal.

The county sponsored the event to the tune of $262,000 in 2017. That's up from about $32,000 in 2014 the first year the event was held. The increase, the organizers say, will allow the event to be expanded to three years beginning in 2018 and beyond.

But the leadership of the council says they are committed to maintaining their participation to the same amount as 2017, and that the airshow should remain a two-day event.

The council does recognize the value of the airshow, and wants it to remain in the area. Jill Cronin, the council’s head of enterprise, development and leisure, told the Ayrshire Post that during the full council meeting on October 6, "all councillors agreed in principle to support the Scottish International Airshow for up to three years and to continue discussions with the event organizers with a view to considering a finalized funding package and proposals for the development of the Scottish International Airshow at Leadership Panel on November 28.”

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report