PLANS are being made for this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival, which BCP Council hopes will still be able to go ahead.

The town's blue ribbon summer event, which pre-Covid attracted millions of people to the area and brought in around £30 million income to local businesses a year, was one of the many festivals to fall victim to coronavirus last year.

Council bosses were forced to cancel the 2020 event in response to government guidance on outdoor public gatherings.

However, civic chiefs have now confirmed they are planning for the 2021 event to go ahead.

BCP Council member for tourism, leisure and culture Cllr Mohan Iyengar said: “We are remaining positive and making plans for the festival later this year.

“However, what we can do will be determined by government guidelines, which we are regularly reviewing as measures change.”

Confirmation the air festival is still being planned will provide some consolation to struggling hospitality businesses, which are reeling from the loss of income due to repeated Covid lockdowns since the start of the Covid crisis.

Speaking last year, after the cancellation of the air show, BCP said it was committed to delivering a ‘refreshed air festival in 2021.’

Usually the Bournemouth Air Festival takes place over four days, with displays from favourites such as The Red Arrows, The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and a number of fast jet display aircraft, stunt aircraft, historic flights, helicopters, wing-walkers and parachute teams

There are also a number of dusk and night air displays along with live music performances.

Events take place all along the promenade and in the Lower Gardens and Pier Approach

The RAF, British Army and the Royal Navy also play a major roles in the air show, with a number of demonstrations throughout the weekend and navy ships anchored off the beach.

Last year, due to cancellation because of the pandemic, the first ever virtual Bournemouth Air Festival took place. This consisted of three days of broadcasting on the festival’s social media accounts, which featured pilot interviews, armed forces and entertainment from years gone by.

In 2019 the festival welcomed around 820,000 visitors.

The 2021 air show is due to take place September 2-5.