Airshow entry fee to be scrapped

The Red Arrows are a regular attraction at Eastbourne Airbourne

An airshow which flopped when visitors were charged an entry fee for the first time in its 16-year history is to be free again this summer.

Eastbourne Airbourne attracted only 48,000 paying customers in 2008, who were each charged £5 to get into the arena on the seafront's Western Lawns.

Attendance figures in years when the event was free were as high as 800,000.

Eastbourne Borough Council said it was working with local businesses to find sponsors for the event.

It hopes Airbourne can become self-funding after it had to be bailed out by the council in 2007 and 2008.

The airshow was kept aloft by sponsors until 2006. Last year it ended up £360,000 in the red.

Traders furious

The council had hoped the £5-per-day charge would help secure its future, with profits being pumped into tourism in the East Sussex town.

But traders inside the paid-for arena were furious at the lack of numbers and threatened to boycott future airshows.

The council said on Friday this year's show would run for four days from 13 August.

"I am extremely pleased to announce the dates for this year's Airbourne," said leader David Tutt.

"It's a highlight of Eastbourne's summer and a favourite with visitors from across the world."

A "top-to-tail" inquiry was ordered after last year's event.

Its findings are due to be published in the next couple of weeks, a council spokeswoman said.