Petition launched calling for Sunderland International Airshow to return to city

The covid pandemic has meant there has been no airshow since 2019 and city council bosses confirmed this week that the hugely-popular event would not be returning in 2023 – and there were no plans for it to do so in the future.

Next year’s airshow was provisionally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30 – instead, the seafront will host the the UK leg of the World Triathlon Championships that weekend.

Council chiefs say the airshow is incompatible with the city’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2040 but residents and businesses have criticised the decision. Now Sunderland Conservatives deputy leader Coun Sam Johnston has posted a petition on change.org, calling for the airshow to be reinstated.

Approaching noon on Friday, over 640 people had signed the petition.

Coun Johnston – who represents St Peter’s ward and lives in Roker – said: “Sunderland International Airshow is a beloved local event which is of massive importance to the City of Sunderland. The long-running event, established in 1988, provides a massive economic boost to businesses such as hotels, restaurants and bars along the seafront and gives local residents a unique spectacle that puts their city on the map.

“We, the undersigned, call on Sunderland’s Labour Council to u-turn on their decision to cancel the event and to apologise to residents for making this awful decision without proper consultation.”

Council leader Coun Graeme Miller accused the Conservatives of hypocrisy over the move: “The Tories really need to make up their minds,” he said.In "2019, they wanted to reduce the airshow to once every two years as part of their alternative budget. Now they want to reinstate it.

“The city council has invested more than £10million in regenerating the city’s award-winning seafront over the last few years to make it a year-round visitor destination. This has helped bring in new businesses and visitor attractions such as Stack Seaburn, providing a boost to the local economy all year round, not just on one weekend in July.

“We remain committed to delivering events for families at our wonderful seafront as we continue to grow and evolve our events programme with a mix that appeals to residents and visitors alike.”