Select a region
The annual International Air Display could be moved after more than six decades over St. Aubin’s Bay due to concerns that 400-year-old Elizabeth Castle could be harmed, Express has learned.
Jersey Heritage – the organisation responsible for looking after the island’s oldest assets – has enlisted legal advice and commissioned a report by air safety experts about the risk to the castle following discussions with the Director of Civil Aviation.
That report was presented to the Council of Ministers last week, who discussed the matter during a meeting on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the trustees of Jersey Heritage commented: “Air Display organisers have advised Jersey Heritage that the design of the Display puts the castle at risk and have suggested we take legal advice, which we have done.
"In discussions, the Director of Civil Aviation proposed we commission an expert assessment to identify potential damage to the Castle, which we have also done. We have provided both of these to Ministers."
Pictured: The Red Arrows in action at a previous Air Display.
Originally known as the ‘Battle of Britain Air Display’, the annual show has seen dozens of RAF and international aircraft take to the skies over St. Aubin’s Bay every year (apart from 1954) for over 60 years, with Elizabeth Castle previously providing a much-loved focal point from which to view it.
That changed following the Shoreham Airshow disaster in 2015, when an ex-military aircraft failed to complete a loop manoeuvre, ploughing into vehicles on a nearby road, killing 11 people and injuring 16. It was the deadliest air show accident in the UK since the Farnborough crash in 1952.
Following the crash, the Civil Aviation Authority issued directions in 2016 leading to Jersey’s Air Display’s exclusion zone to be extended in a bid to minimise the risk to human life in future. The measures forced the closure of Elizabeth Castle twice yearly – once during the display on 9 September, and once during the practice run.
But while the exclusion zone was amended, the flight zone has remained the same, leading to concerns that the castle – an ‘irreplaceable asset’, which dates back to the 1590s – may also be at risk.
Video: Planes fly over Elizabeth Castle at the 2016 Air Display. (Fortrucksake/YouTube)
The annual show, which is organised by St. Helier Deputy Mike Higgins, receives around £100,000 of funding each year from the States’ Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture Department.
Political responsibility for the event therefore falls under the umbrella of Economic Development Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham, but the issue was discussed by the entire Council of Ministers on Wednesday, who are understood to still be considering appropriate action in response to Jersey Heritage’s concerns.
Express has contacted the States for comment, but is yet to receive a response.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.