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Red Arrows cancel air show display at last minute

Helen Burchell
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
RAF A number of red planes are lined up on a concrete runway. There are several men in blue overalls checking over the planesRAF
The Red Arrows display was supposed to be one of the highlights of the weekend show

A display by the Red Arrows at a major air show was cancelled on Sunday afternoon, due to what the RAF described as "operational factors" at a US air base.

About 32,000 people attended Duxford Air Show near Cambridge and the RAF aerobatics team, based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, was expected to close the event.

However, it posted on Facebook that afternoon, saying: "Unfortunately, due to operational factors beyond the team's control at our base for this afternoon - RAF Mildenhall - we've had to cancel the planned show at Duxford."

The Imperial War Museum (IWM) said it was not unusual for aircraft to have to withdraw, "sometimes at short notice".

The BBC has asked the US base for comment.

RAF A man dressed in blue overalls is placing air crew kit on the wing of a red plane. It is a sunny day and he is wearing dark glasses and has short, dark hair.RAF
Earlier on Sunday afternoon the RAF had posted photos showing maintenance crews preparing the aircraft for the show at Duxford

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