“After that, if the show is planned correctly, and the budget is set early, planned accordingly, and executed efficiently, the show can be an effective airport revenue generator.”

Regarding the logistics in planning air shows at airports which are already operating and providing commercial service, Thompson relates, “It’s very easy to make that work.”

“We don’t have to shut down the service or airport operations to have an air show. A great example of that is the Dayton Air Show, one that I have been involved with for many years.

“The Dayton International Airport has had commercial air service ever since that show started. Same with the show we set up in Guatemala, a single runway commercial service airport. We are very familiar with that type of air show coordination; it’s all about the planning.”

There are exceptions: The Front Range Airport 25th anniversary Air Show was cancelled earlier this year due to the negative impact on commercial traffic to and from adjacent Denver International Airport (DIA), according to a Front Range press release. It was determined that resulting flight delays and cancellations caused by the air show would have cost DIA’s airlines hundreds of thousands of dollars and adversely impacted a large number of passengers, says the airport.

“I heard about the cancellation, and some of us were actually involved in that,” says Thompson. “The issue there was that they had a jet team; when you have a jet team, the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels, you need to protect the airspace — five nautical miles and 15,000 feet above the ground. So that takes some significant air space planning, and evidently the airport there was not comfortable with that.”