Officials At Durham Tees Valley Airport Said They Are Unable To Cover Costs Of The Event

When the Skylive Airshow returned to Durham Tees Valley Airport (DVTA) near Darlington in the northeastern portion of the U.K. in 2016 following a 26-year hiatus, organizers signed a five-year contract for the show.

Now, airport officials have exercised an escape clause in the contract after staging the event for only two years, saying they are "not in a position" to cover the costs of the event.

The Northern Echo newspaper reports that a spokesman for DVTA confirmed the decision by airport authorities, who cited rising costs from safety requirements imposed by the CAA as well as disruptions to passenger operations at the airport during the show. The spokesman said that the show had lost money in the two years it was presented at DTVA. “In both years the costs incurred by the airport have not been covered and, given the need to deliver our business plan to put the airport on a firmer financial footing and support passenger operations, we have had to inform the airshow operator that in line with the terms of our contract, we are not in a position to proceed for next year,” the spokesman said.

Skylive Events organizer Chris Petty said that he was very surprised by the decision, as he had been in discussions described as "positive" with airport officials as late as a week before the decision was announced.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report