THE lead organiser of the Jersey International Air Display has outlined his ambition to get the event back to an award-winning standard following “a good show” this year.
Speaking to the JEP a few days after a variety of aircraft took to the skies above the Island for the 2026 iteration of the annual display, Mike Higgins said he was “pleased with the airplanes we had” but that “it isn’t quite where I want to get it to before I finish”.
Mr Higgins has been at the helm of the JIAD team for decades.
Acknowledging this year’s outing was “a good show”, he explained that: “I’d like to try and get the display to where it was in 2013, when we won a trophy for the best air display in Europe.
“That’s my ambition. I want to get back to that.”
Mr Higgins noted that this would involve efforts to improve sponsorship and support for the event, which would in turn help organisers to enhance its offering – including the aircraft that could be booked.
He revealed that, subject to sign-off from the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, next year’s display could see the return of the Harrier attack jet.
Also known as a ‘Jump Jet’, the aircraft is capable of taking off and landing vertically as well as hovering.
Head of the JIAD fundraising committee, former Chief Minister John Le Fondré, said that this year’s display was viewed online by around 71,000 people via the PlanesTV website and drew in more than a million social media views.
As well as the “very busy” crowds watching from along the seafront, there were just over 1,000 visitors to the static display at the Airport.
Mr Le Fondré highlighted that “a lot of hard work” went on behind the scenes and thanked all of the sponsors, as well as the JIAD team, for enabling the air display to go ahead.
“I think it is still an incredibly important thing for the Jersey calendar,” he added.
He also said that, while accounts were still being finalised, “my initial view is that overall we will be in the black this year”.
