The Bournemouth Air Festival is an annual air show held along the coast at Bournemouth, in Dorset, England. It has featured aircraft from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as civil aviation displays. Since its formation in 2008, the festival claims to have entertained over ten million people.
The festival usually takes place in late August, over four days including dusk and night air displays with live music. It is organised by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council), and is estimated to generate about £30 million of trade annually for local businesses.
In 2015, the airshow saw one of the last flights before retirement from flying of the Avro Vulcan, sometimes called "the most famous aircraft in Britain".
Whilst dates for the 2024 Air Festival have been announced, these have not yet been confirmed. The new BCP Council administration is assessing the financial viability of the event.
2011 crash
A Red Arrows Hawk aircraft crashed into a field near Throop Mill, one mile from Bournemouth Airport following a display at the 2011 Bournemouth Air Festival. Flt Lt Jon Egging, pilot of Red 4 (XX179), died in the accident. The investigation into the incident determined that Flt Lt Egging was incapacitated due to the effects of g-force induced loss of consciousness until very shortly before impact. A memorial to Egging was originally unveiled in 2012 at East Cliff, Bournemouth, before being moved to a new location nearby in 2017 following a landslip. His widow Emma Egging was made an OBE in the 2021 Birthday Honours.