The Manston International Airshow is a planned 2-day aviation and ground display event at Manston Airport, Isle of Thanet, Kent, southeast England. Originally scheduled for August 2025, the show has been cancelled twice — first in July 2025 and again in May 2026 — due to unresolved Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) airspace and safety requirements. Organisers are now developing plans for 2027.
For official aviation safety context, see the UK Civil Aviation Authority. For the previous guide in this series, see Clacton Airshow 2026 Lineup, Timetable, and 6 Key Facts to Know.
What Is the Manston International Airshow?
The Manston International Airshow is Kent’s first major airshow in more than a decade, billed by organisers as the most exciting air and land-based show in the South East of England. The 2-day event was designed to bring together historic warbirds, modern jets, aerobatic displays, military vehicles, classic cars, and live music at the historic Manston Airfield.
The show is founded by Bill Giles and organised by team R5, with 2 charity partners: the Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey and Sussex (KSS) and Brain Tumour Research — both causes with personal significance to the founder.
Why Was the Manston International Airshow Cancelled in 2026?
What Caused the Cancellations?
Unresolved Civil Aviation Authority airspace and safety requirements caused both cancellations. The 2025 edition was first postponed in July of that year, when founder Bill Giles confirmed the CAA had agreed the plans were “approvable” but that insufficient time remained to finalise arrangements safely before the August show.
The show was rescheduled to 6–7 June 2026. Organisers spent 24 months in planning. In May 2026, weeks before the rescheduled date, organisers confirmed the cancellation in a formal statement:
“It is with sadness and frustration we have to announce that despite everything that the entire team has put into planning the Manston International Airshow over the last 24 months we have had to take the decision to call time on the 2026 event. Ultimately, despite the work from the team at R5, our flying display director and committee, who have been doing everything in their power to engage with the Civil Aviation Authority and resolve the airspace issues, it has become clear that the variations to the guidance for running a safe event that have been imposed cannot be resolved without clear answers that until now have not been forthcoming.”
What Are the Specific CAA Safety Requirements?
UK airshow safety rules were significantly tightened following the Shoreham Airshow crash in 2015, in which 11 people died when a jet struck the A27 dual carriageway during a display. The CAA introduced stricter regulations on aerobatics, aircraft manoeuvres, and crowd separation at air events.
Documents published by Kent County Council (KCC) confirmed that temporary closures of the A299 and B2050 roads surrounding Manston would be required for the show to proceed under current CAA guidance. KCC indicated no official event road closure order had been submitted. These logistical constraints, combined with the CAA’s additional guidance variations, proved unresolvable within the available planning window.
What Happens to Tickets?
All ticket holders who deferred passes from the 2025 postponement are being automatically refunded by the end of May 2026 through ticketing partner Ticketflex.
What Aircraft Were Planned for the Manston International Airshow?
Which Historic Aircraft Were Confirmed for the Lineup?
The original lineup included aircraft from the UK, USA, France, and Germany. 10 notable confirmed aircraft included:
- P-51D Mustang “Moonbeam McSwine” — from the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar; wears the markings of triple Ace Captain William T. Whisner, who scored 15½ aerial victories in WWII and the Korean War
- Fairey Swordfish W5856 — from Navy Wings; the oldest airworthy Swordfish in the world, first flew in 1941 and served with the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet during the attack on the Bismarck
- Dassault Flamant MD-312 — from Amicale Alençonnaise des Avions Anciens (A3A), France; a rare post-WWII French Air Force light transport, rarely seen in UK skies
- Grumman S-2 Tracker Conair Firecat — originally built for anti-submarine warfare, later converted for aerial firefighting; making its UK flying display debut
- OV-10 Bronco — performed by the Bronco Demo Team
- Spitfire Mk IX LZ842 — from the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar; one of the rarest Spitfires currently flying
- Great War Display Team — WWI-era aircraft in a specially choreographed formation display
- XtremeAir XA-41 — flown by Steven Bakhtiari, 2-time British Advanced Aerobatic Champion and Team GB representative at the World Advanced Aerobatic Championships
- Pitts S-2B Special — Invicta Aero Club; opened with a 3-aircraft formation before breaking into solo aerobatics
- “The Last Dogfight” — a flying re-enactment featuring a Piper L-4H Grasshopper Cub and a replica Fieseler Storch, recreating a documented WWII aerial encounter from 1945
A Red Arrows appearance had also been hoped for by organisers, though not formally confirmed.
What Ground Attractions Were Planned?
Ground exhibits at the Manston International Airshow were planned to include:
- Military vehicle displays
- Classic and historic car exhibits
- Live music throughout both days
- Trade and aviation heritage stands
- Flying re-enactments and themed historical displays
The airfield site is also home to 2 permanent museums: the RAF Manston History Museum and the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, both located on the northern edge of the airfield.
What Is the History of Manston Airport?
When Was RAF Manston Built?
Manston Airfield was established in 1916, initially as a landing strip on the Isle of Thanet. Its hilltop position — typically fog-free and without approach obstructions — made it strategically valuable through both World Wars.
Key milestones in Manston’s history:
|
Year |
Milestone |
|
1916 |
Airfield established for Royal Flying Corps operations |
|
1940–45 |
WWII emergency landing ground; runway extended to 9,000 ft long and 750 ft wide |
|
1944 |
No. 616 Squadron RAF, first Meteor jet squadron, based at Manston |
|
1950s |
USAF Strategic Air Command base; B-36 and B-47 bombers deployed |
|
1960 |
USAF withdrew; became joint civilian and RAF airport |
|
1989 |
Rebranded as Kent International Airport; new passenger terminal opened |
|
1999 |
MoD announced withdrawal; sold site to commercial developers |
|
2014 |
Final commercial flight (KLM to Amsterdam); airport closed |
|
2019 |
RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) acquired the freehold |
|
2026 |
Manston International Airshow cancelled for 2nd consecutive year |
|
2029 |
RSP’s target year for reopening as freight cargo hub |
During WWII, Manston served as 1 of only 3 east coast emergency landing grounds for damaged Allied bombers returning from missions over Germany. The airfield was equipped with FIDO (Fog, Intensive, Dispersal Of) — a runway fog-clearing system using burning petrol — and the UK’s only foam carpet crash-landing system, allowing aircraft with undercarriage failures to land safely.
James “Jimmy” Stewart and other Allied aircraft operated from nearby bases, while Hawker Typhoons and Gloster Meteor jets used Manston during the latter stages of WWII.
What Is the Current Status of Manston Airport?
Manston Airport is currently closed and undergoing redevelopment planning under RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP). The £750 million redevelopment project targets 2029 as the operational reopening date, with the airport’s primary function planned as a cargo hub serving the UK air freight market.
Planned cargo infrastructure includes:
- 19 parking stands
- 4 passenger stands
- A cargo terminal
- Aviation hangars and ancillary works
- A runway resurfacing programme
The redevelopment cost has risen from an original estimate of £400 million to a current projection of £750 million, attributed to construction cost increases and financial market conditions. RSP confirmed in early 2026 that final discussions are underway with a preferred European-based funding partner.
What Are the Plans for the Manston International Airshow in 2027?
The Manston International Airshow team confirmed in their May 2026 cancellation statement that they are developing new plans for a 2027 show. No date, format, or aircraft lineup has been announced.
The 2027 event would represent the first major public airshow at Manston in more than a decade and the first successful running of the Manston International Airshow since the event’s founding. Resolution of the outstanding CAA airspace guidance requirements and coordination with Kent County Council over road management remain the 2 central conditions for the 2027 edition to proceed.
Sources: Manston International Airshow official website, Kent Online, Military-Airshows.co.uk, Wikipedia – Manston Airport, Wikipedia – RAF Manston, Isle of Thanet News, Flightline UK.
Alex Bradley is a UK-based aviation writer and airshow circuit regular who has spent years attending displays from RIAT at Fairford and the Biggin Hill Festival of Flight to small fly-ins that drew two hundred people and a hot dog van, and values both for entirely different reasons.
He is not a pilot. He is not a PR man for the aviation industry. He is the person in the crowd who has been coming long enough to notice when something has quietly changed, when an organiser is papering over a problem, and when a display is genuinely worth the drive.
His writing on Redhill Airshow covers the British airshow circuit, safety, display team politics, CAA regulations, and the quiet contraction of grass airfield culture that nobody in the industry wants to discuss plainly.
He has stood at Redhill Aerodrome in every kind of English summer weather, watched Tiger Moths bank low over Surrey farmland, and carries strong opinions about what this country is slowly losing one cancelled event at a time.