Premier

Sky-High Crowds As Airshow Breaks All The Records

10 March 2017

Victoria has once again proven it’s the events capital of the nation after a record attendance at this year’s Australian International Airshow at Avalon.

The 2017 Australian International Airshow smashed its 2015 attendance by an impressive 40,000, with 210,664 people turning out to watch the world’s best aircraft take to the skies.

The Airshow – which ran from Tuesday 28 February to Sunday 5 March – is one of the largest items on Victoria’s action-packed major events calendar.

For the three-day trade period, more than 33,000 international delegates from 45 countries were in town to see Victoria’s world-class expertise in aviation, aerospace and defence, and to witness first-hand the arrival of the Joint Strike Fighter.

Once the gates opened to the public, a whopping 176,742 people visited the Airshow in just over two days to see some of the most exciting and diverse flying display programs ever seen in Australia, including the world’s only night time flying display.

The Airshow is one of Asia-Pacific’s leading industry events and was expected to create more than 2,000 jobs and boost our economy by up to $150 million.

We know events like these make our communities and regions stronger, that’s why we’re working to boost visitor spending to $36.5 billion each year by 2025, creating even more jobs in the sector.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren

“No one does major events like we do – and this year’s record breaking Avalon Airshow proves it.”

“We’re proud to be a major sponsor of this event and look forward to helping it reach new heights going forward.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Employment Wade Noonan

“It should come as no surprise that our world-class events are bringing record crowds, creating jobs and driving huge benefits for our economy.”

“The Airshow also provides a great platform to showcase Victoria’s aviation, aerospace and defence capabilities.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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