The skies of Torre del Mar will host the eleventh edition of the International Air Festival on September 4, 5, and 6, featuring over 33 aircraft and the star participation of the Mirlo Formation and the Eurofighter.
The Torre del Mar International Air Festival will celebrate its eleventh edition on September 4, 5, and 6 with a programme that will bring together more than 33 aircraft and 18 display units, as announced this Thursday by the Vélez-Málaga City Council.
The event will combine civil, institutional, and military aviation. In total, there will be six civil teams, four institutional participants, and eight military, with 22 aircraft involved in multi-aircraft displays.
The festival director, Pablo González, has revealed that pilots with licenses from Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom will participate, in modalities ranging from paramotor and autogyros to fighter aviation, military transport, helicopters, and firefighting.
One of the major new features will be the presence of the Mirlo Formation, which will fly with their Pilatus PC-21 aircraft. “It will be spectacular to see them in action in the skies of Torre del Mar. This is one of the great new features we have this year,” González noted.
“It will be spectacular to see them in action in the skies of Torre del Mar. This is one of the great new features we have this year”
They will be joined by well-known names from the previous ten editions, such as the Eurofighter C-16, the A400M, the ASPA Patrol, the PAPEA, the NH90 helicopter, and assets from the 43rd Air Force Group.
The civil section will feature paramotor pilot David Ceijeiro, the Royal Aeroclub of Seville, the Aerosparx formation, autogyro pilot Francisco Javier Jiménez 'Francis', and Yakstars, made up of Spanish and Portuguese pilots.
The Civil Guard will attend with the CN-235 aircraft, a helicopter, and a parachutist display, while the National Police will also participate with a helicopter.
The first deputy mayor of Vélez-Málaga and deputy mayor of Torre del Mar, Jesús Pérez Atencia (GIPMTM), has defended the festival's tourist significance. “This event allows us to position ourselves touristically and within the world of aviation,” he stated. The municipal leader reminded that moving the event to September aims to extend the tourist season.
On Saturday, September 5, the Sunset Air Show will return, one of the most anticipated formats. It is expected to start around 20:00 and last until 22:00 or 22:15, with five performances and nearly one hour and fifty minutes of flights that will combine sunset with night displays.
The main day will be Sunday, September 6, with 19 operational blocks and around four hours of aerial activity. The initial forecast places the displays between 11:30 and 15:15 or 15:30, although the organisation warns that the final timings will depend on operational adjustments.
The Air Show will extend beyond the beach. The programme includes an aeromodelling display, performances by the Air and Space Army Honor Patrol, and booths related to aviation on the Paseo Larios. During the morning of Saturday, the traditional signing of posters by pilots and teams will take place, with the Mirlo Formation participating for the first time.
The coalition government of PP and GIPMTM links the event to the economic activity of the weekend. Pérez Atencia believes that the event acts as “an important engine for boosting the local economy” due to its impact on hotels, apartments, restaurants, and shops.
The councillor for Education and Youth, Lourdes Piña (PP), added that the expected occupancy for those dates is “practically full,” which she attributes to the festival's ability to attract visitors after eleven editions.
The celebration will require a broad organisational and security deployment involving Firefighters, Civil Protection, Civil Guard, National Police, health services, the Axarquía Regional Hospital, and health centres, as well as various municipal areas, the Axarquía Aeroclub, and the aerodrome.
“We hope it will once again be an important weekend in our calendar,” concluded Pérez Atencia, who trusts that those who come attracted by the planes will take the opportunity to enjoy the gastronomy, culture, and historic centre of the municipality.
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