The Malta Aviation Society has announced that it will not be organising the Malta International Air Show this year after its appeals to the Tourism Ministry were disregarded.

Posting on Facebook yesterday, the society said that after writing to the Tourism Ministry only hours after last year’s show, seeking guidance and commitment for the next event, having had no reply, it has been left with no option but to abandon any arrangement for the event this year.

The air show, regarded as a world-class event, normally takes place in September and has been held for 25 years.

“Notwithstanding a clear explanation of why such guidance and commitment was required urgently, coupled with another email sent to the same Minister a few days ago, there has been absolutely no reply,” the MAS said.

In the Facebook post, the MAS said it was ready to volunteer for the event if the government was committed to financially sustain the air show after the agreed move to a seaside show.

“While the Malta Aviation Society is aware of major work at the airport, it is sad to note that after 25 years of successfully delivering a world-class aviation event hailed by many both locally and overseas, it did not even get an acknowledgement,” the MAS said.

Each air show requires preparations to begin much more than eight months before the arrival of the first aircraft at Luqa, the MAS said, making it impossible to organise the event in a successful manner, the organisers said, adding: “MAS hopes for the right conditions to be able to organise another edition of the Malta International Air Show in 2019.”