Thousands of pounds worth of free tickets to the Royal international Air Tattoo 2018 is being offered to communities surrounding RAF Fairford as part of celebrations marking the Royal Air Force’s centenary.
Next summer’s Air Tattoo takes place on July 13-15 with centenary celebrations – including a full eight-hour flying programme, a massed RAF flypast and a Royal Review of aircraft – focused on the Friday (July 13).
Residents living within specific postcodes close to RAF Fairford are being invited to apply for 500 pairs of free tickets valid for the Friday in a special centenary free prize draw.
Air Tattoo Chief Executive Andy Armstrong said he recognised that the annual airshow impacted the lives of people living in communities surrounding the airfield and he wanted to ensure that as many local people as possible were able to share in international RAF centenary celebrations taking place on their doorsteps.
He said: “The Air Tattoo enjoys an enviable reputation around the world and is something UK plc should be very proud of. It creates jobs, has a positive effect on the regional economy and is the main income source for one of the RAF’s major charities.
“However, each year people living close to the event have to tolerate additional traffic movements, temporary road closures and one-way systems for a short period. We are fully aware of the sacrifices local people make in their day-to-day lives each July and we have been exploring ways to say ‘thank you’.”
In addition to the centenary ticket giveaway, the Air Tattoo is also extending its ‘under-16s go free’ policy in 2018 to include all under-18s.
The list of eligible postcodes can be viewed by visiting airtattoo.com/locals. Only one application can be made per household. The deadline to apply is midnight on Thursday, November 30.
For people wishing to purchase tickets for next summer’s Air Tattoo, a limited number of specially priced Super Earlybird tickets for next summer’s event have been released, priced £45, representing a £10 saving on the standard advance ticket price. Visit airtattoo.com for ticket details and the range of enclosure options on offer.