B/E Aerospace Kilkeel is set to give its backing to one of the region’s most exciting annual events. For the fifth year in succession the company which builds seating for around one third of the world’s commercial aircraft will help Northern Ireland’s favourite celebration of aviation to reach new heights.
The B/E Aerospace Festival of Flight, organised by Newry Mourne and Down District Council, with additional support from Tourism Northern Ireland, will bring aeronautical display and drama to the skies over Newcastle and Dundrum Bay on Saturday August 6, accompanied at ground-level by a packed programme of family entertainment centred on Newcastle.
The headline aviation event is expected to attract around 100,000 visitors to the region within a single weekend, making a substantial positive impact on its growing tourism economy. For the first time the celebration of aviation will be one of a quartet of major Summer events marketed under the banner ‘Giant Adventures Across Newry Mourne and Down’.
The others in the ‘big four’ will be SkiffieWorlds 2016 (an international skiff rowing championships held in Strangford Lough) and two brand new festivals which reflect the heritage of myth and magic in the region, ‘Wake The Giant’ and ‘Footsteps In The Forest’.
Welcoming the private sector investment in the B/E Aerospace Festival of Flight, Council Chairperson, Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick, said: “We are delighted that this fantastic event will once again be enhanced with financial support from B/E Aerospace Kilkeel, a leading company with huge global reputation in the aviation sector, and a major private sector employer in the region. B/E Aerospace is a jewel in our economic crown and a perfect partner for this annual celebration of aviation.
“The huge success enjoyed by the B/E Aerospace Festival of Flight over the years has assured its place as a highlight of our Summer events calendar. This year the Council will build still further on that success. It is launching the ‘Giant Adventures’ brand which will use major events to draw audiences into the region.
“Fantastic events, world-class venues and some of Ireland’s most majestic landscapes will combine to present Newry, Mourne and Down as an inspiring and memorable holiday destination, supporting our strategic goal of building tourism as part of a vibrant economy.”
Looking forward to this year’s aerial extravaganza, headlined by the world-famous Red Arrows, Martin McGinley, Vice President and Managing Director of B/E Aerospace Kilkeel, said: “As part of the global B/E Aerospace organisation which is a world leader in the design and manufacture of aircraft cabin interior products for almost all the world’s major airlines, it will come as no surprise when we say that our passion for aviation is at the heart of everything we do.
“We are delighted to share our passion with others and to continue our headline support for the B/E Aerospace Festival of Flight.
“The prospect of stunning airborne spectacle played out over the natural amphitheatre of Dundrum Bay with the glorious backdrop of the Mourne Mountains is expected to attract more than 100,000 people and, amongst that appreciative audience, will be many of our own employees and their families, together with some of our international customers, all ready to enjoy a truly memorable Mourne experience.
“We’re delighted to support a major initiative which is not only a fun day out, but also an important element of a wider economic development strategy. Research indicates that many of those who come to our region to enjoy events will return to explore the region more fully so we share the Council’s confidence that the benefits of B/E Aerospace Festival of Flight will continue long after the roar of the engines subsides.”
