ORGANISERS of the Bournemouth Air Festival remain “hopeful” that the Red Arrows will fly on the first day after bad weather cancelled much of the day acts. 

A number of displays have already cancelled for the opening day, including the Battle of Britain memorial flight, Spitfire and Mustang and, new this year, Bronco – an American military plane. 

There had been concerns that the crowd favourites the Red Arrows would not be able to fly today because of the cloud and rain. 

However, organisers remain optimistic that they will be able to do their display at 5.30pm today, with patches of blue skies breaking through. 

Providing an update this afternoon, festival director Jon Weaver said: “We are continuing to review the ever-changing forecasts and will update on the remainder of the schedule – including this evening - as soon as possible.  

“Conditions have brightened up on site and we’re hopeful that the Red Arrows can display as planned and for our evening displays to continue.  

He added: “Due to the adverse weather, we have been unable to provide our ideal flying schedule so far today and I thank our dedicated festival goers for their patience. 

“Displays that have had to sadly be cancelled today due to the weather include the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the Rolls Royce Spitfire and Mustang displays and the Firefly. 

“One of the best things about our free family-friendly event is that it runs over four days with plenty of entertainment on land as well as in the sky, so visitors will have a huge choice of things to see and do today, and the rest of the weekend. 

“Please check for updates on the Bournemouth Air Festival website and social media channels. Or purchase a programme and team the unique code you’ll receive with our air festival app, to receive live updates on your device.”