Prior to the introduction of the “International Ayr Show Festival Of Flight" the last airshow in Ayr took place in 2018. However, the event was not held in 2019 and there were plans for another location, potentially Kirkcaldy, to host it. Unfortunately, an agreement could not be reached for that year.
The Scottish International Airshow (TSIA), initially scheduled for 2019, did not take place. The TSIA announced that the show would return in 2020 in Ayr and promised an even more impressive three-day event from Friday to Sunday. The announcement was made on their Facebook Page. Unfortunately, a funding disagreement led to the cancellation of the show.
No information regarding any plans for 2021 was disclosed. However, reports of the airshow occurring in 2022 surfaced in January. Essentially, it was determined that there would also be no show in 2022.
In late 2022, the South Ayrshire Council made the decision to allocate £300,000 annually for a period of five years towards a new airshow in Ayr. This funding was officially approved by the Council on March 1st, 2023.
Initially, the Council had outsourced the organisation of the airshow to a third party. However, they have since chosen to handle the non-aviation aspects themselves and have enlisted the help of SKYLAB for the flying portion. This shift in responsibility is aimed at generating revenue, recouping their initial expenses, and potentially turning a profit. As a result, the Council's event - now titled 'The International Ayr Show - Festival of Flight' - stands separately from its previous association with the Scottish International Air Show.
After the airshow in Ayrshire closed down in the early 1990's, it was not until 2014 that flying returned to the area. This occurred after the show at Leuchars was discontinued in 2013, leading to the establishment of The Scottish Airshow.
In 2016, the show took flight at dusk and continued with a full day of flying on Saturday. The following year, there was no flying after dark, but the show expanded to take place over two days on Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, in 2019, the show faced a loss of funding from Ayr and attempts to find a new venue were unsuccessful. While it was scheduled to return to Ayr in 2020, disagreements between organisers and South Ayrshire Council regarding funding resulted in its cancellation.
The Council has made the decision to independently finance their own event. The inaugural 'International Ayr Show - Festival Of Flight' took place in September 2023.