Due to US Operation Against Iran, UK Has Canceled World’s Largest Air Show, RIAT 2026

Europe’s largest airshow, the RIAT 2026, has been canceled in the UK due to the deployment of US strategic bombers at RAF Fairford.

The event organizers announced this on their official Facebook page.

The airshow was scheduled to take place from July 17 to 19, 2026, but the Royal Air Force’s Fairford Air Base is currently actively supporting US strategic aviation operations.

B-1B Lancer and B-52H Stratofortress bombers have been stationed at the base, forcing the organizers to cancel the event.

Currently, the organizers have announced their intention to bring the RIAT back as early as 2027. At the same time, the cancellation of the airshow has serious consequences, as the RIAT plays an important role in the international aviation industry.

The event traditionally serves as a platform for showcasing new developments, promoting aviation products, and establishing international contracts and partnerships.

It is worth noting that the RIAT was last canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ukraine’s participation in the RIAT

For a long time, Ukraine remained one of the most prominent participants in the RIAT airshow in the United Kingdom. Su-27 fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force, which regularly took part in the flight program and demonstrated aerobatic maneuvers, attracted particular attention from spectators.

Ukraine began participating in the Royal International Air Tattoo in the mid-1990s. The first Ukrainian combat aircraft at the RIAT was the Su-27 fighter, which arrived in Fairford, UK, in 1996.

The last full-scale flight display of the Ukrainian Su-27 in the 1990s took place in 1999. After a long hiatus, Ukrainian aircraft returned to the RIAT in 2011—at that time, the Su-27 was presented in a static display.

Most often, Ukraine presented two Su-27 fighters at the RIAT—the single-seat Su-27P and the combat-training Su-27UB—as well as the heavy military transport aircraft Il-76.

In 2017, the Ukrainian delegation brought two Su-27s and an Il-76 to Fairford, UK, and pilots from the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade received an award for the best aerobatics among NATO partner countries.