Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the RAF Air Show at RAF Waddington on (a) the public profile of the RAF, (b) public interest in the RAF and (c) money raised for RAF charities; and what plans he has for the future of the air show at RAF Waddington.

The RAF Waddington International Air Show is the RAF’s largest official Air Show and aims to raise awareness of the RAF and its activities and to raise money for charity. It has attracted an average attendance of 130,000 for the two day event over the past five years. Since 1995, £3.3 million has been raised and donated to charities.

The 2015 Air Show has been cancelled due to essential work due to be carried out on the RAF Waddington runway.

The RAF is reviewing Air Show commitments from 2016 onwards. The results of this review will be announced in due course.