Part Of The Service's Plan Should Congress Fail To Reach A Budget Agreement By March 1

If sequestration happens on March 1, there is a long list of cuts that will have to be made by the U.S. military. The Air Force says that among the items on the sequestration chopping block is participation in the Paris Air Show.

And it's not just Paris. "Aircraft participation in airshows would be cancelled," said Air Force Spokeswoman Tonya Racasner in a report appearing in the French News Service AFP.

The USAF has been a constant presence at exhibitions such as the Le Bourget show as well as the royal International Air Tatoo in the U.K. The Paris Air Show alternates years with the Farnborough Air Show in Britain, and has recently drawn as many as 145,000 people, AFP reported.

The cuts in the Air Force budget are expected to amount to about $12.4 billion, according to acting undersecretary of the Air Force Jamie Morin. The service has said some 180,000 civilian employees could be let go if sequestration occurs, and flight hours could be cut by a third.

The Paris Air Show is scheduled this year to run from June 17-23.

FMI: www.paris-air-show.com