Festival of Flight to land in Newcastle

Festival of Flight to land in Newcastle

1 August 2018

ALL roads lead to Newcastle next Saturday for the highly acclaimed international Festival of Flight.

Tens of thousands of people attend the event each year with the August 11 spectacular — sponsored by Rockwell Collins — again headlined by the Red Arrows.

With the Mourne mountains providing a stunning back, the festival features an afternoon of a stunning airborne 

displays led by the Red Arrows, while on the ground there will be family fun events, including an aviation centre and food village. 

This year marks the RAF’s centenary and to mark the occasion, the organisation will be displaying aircraft on the ground in Newcastle to encourage the public to meet crew members and get close to the magnificent planes. 

There will also be a special STEM zone focusing on aviation as a career, offering the public the opportunity to have hands-on experiences with the aerospace world as well as the chance for younger visitors find out more about the aviation profession. 

The festival, marking the third of five events in the Giant Adventures summer programme spearheaded by Newry, Mourne and Down Council, is expected to attract up to 100,000 visitors. 

Council chairman, Mark Murnin, described the annual Festival of Flight as a “spectacular event” in the local authority programme. 

“Whether you are an aircraft enthusiast or would like a great family day out, Newcastle is transformed into an aviation hub that is the perfect place for people to visit,” he said.

“With a range of music, food, aircraft displays and the excitement of the RAF100 commemoration, it is set to be one of the biggest and best years yet.”

Announcing continued support for the annual event, Martin McGinley, managing director and vice-president of Kilkeel-based Rockwell Collins, described the company’s passion for aviation as the “bedrock of its success.”

He continued: “We look forward to sharing our enthusiasm with the audience of almost 100,000 people who are expected to converge on this beautiful corner of Co Down for this year’s event. 

“In Kilkeel, we manufacture seating for most of the world’s commercial airlines and are proud to be part of a major business which is recognised and respected as a global leader in aviation. We are equally proud of the significant economic contribution which Rockwell Collins makes in Northern Ireland, not only in its support for hundreds of jobs, but also through our extensive supply chain.”

Mr McGinley said next weekend’s festival promises to provide a “thrilling highlight” to the summer, explaining research demonstrates that the positive economic impact of this great event will continue long after the roar of the engines subsides, with many visitors encouraged to make return visits to the region. 

“This is fantastic news for all of us who want to see the local economy soar,” he said. “On behalf of everyone who will have their eyes on the skies on the big day, I thank all those whose hard work, vision and commitment combine to deliver this amazing annual attraction.”

Ahead of the festival, which is also supported by Tourism NI, important advice has been issued to mariners and pleasure craft users to ensure the show runs undisrupted.

Due to necessary restriction, it is important that all vessels observe boundaries from 2pm until 6.30pm, with their co-operation greatly appreciated to ensure maximum safety at the event.

Further festival information is available at www.visitmournemountains.co.uk.