The organisers of the Jersey Air Display have published their financial accounts for the first time – revealing just how narrowly the event operates within its £130,000 budget.
The unaudited income and expenditure reports show that the display made a small surplus of £131 in 2023 – but ran at a deficit of £551 last year
This was the event’s first financial loss in over 20 years.
Air Display organiser Mike Higgins said the decision to publish the accounts was about transparency, especially as more of the event’s funding is now coming from donations and sponsorship.
“It’s important for the people who have been donating to keep the Air Display going to know what their money is being spent on,” he told Express this morning.
According to the published figures, total income for the event fell slightly from £129,580 in 2023 to £118,074 in 2024.
While Government support dropped by £20,000 (from £60,000 to £40,000) from 2023 to 2024, donations and sponsorship rose from £68,500 to £74,703.
| Income | Unaudited 2024 | Unaudited 2023 |
| Sponsorship & Donations | 74,703 | 68,500 |
| Government of Jersey Grant | 40,000 | 60,000 |
| Sundry income | 3,371 | 1,080 |
| 118,074 | 129,580 |
“The Government has never paid more than 50% of the total cost,” said Mr Higgins.
“Last year, they covered around a third of it. We raised another £35,000 through crowdfunding, and the rest came from the private sector.”
The accounts show that accommodation costs fell from £32,620 in 2023 to £18,481 in 2024.
Mr Higgins attributed this to the absence of international display teams such as the Patrouille de France and the RAF Red Arrows, who were touring Canada at the time.
| Expenditure | Unaudited 2024 | Unaudited 2023 |
| Aircraft | 30,167 | 32,619 |
| Accommodation | 18,481 | 32,620 |
| Transport | 6,873 | 7,532 |
| Arena & Lower Park | 22,330 | 17,727 |
| Broadcasting, Publicity and Brochure | 19,350 | 12,292 |
| Flight Control Committee, Ops, and Compliance | 8,867 | 16,931 |
| Hospitality | 12,072 | 9,481 |
| Sundry (incl finance costs) | 485 | 248 |
| 18,625 | 129,449 |
He explained that in 2023, the Patrouille team required 41 hotel rooms during a week in which hotel prices are among the highest of the year.
Despite the tight budget, Mr Higgins said planning for this year’s show was well underway with 15 aircraft already confirmed and efforts being made to secure more.
“This year we’re trying to get back to the 2019 level of air display, which means aircraft costs will probably double what you see in 2024,” he said.
Organisers are still in talks with the Government over this year’s grant, with Mr Higgins saying he hoped for “substantially more” than last year’s £40,000.
The 2025 display will be held on Thursday 11 September, with the RAF Red Arrows set to return as the headline act following their absence last year.
Other participants include the RAF Typhoon, Falcons Parachute Display Team, the Royal Navy’s Black Cats Helicopter Display Team, and historic aircraft such as the Catalina flying boat, Fairey Swordfish, and Fokker D.XXI.
A static display at Jersey Airport will return on Wednesday 10 September for the first time in five years.
Lower Park will again host food stalls, hospitality tents, military vehicles and family-friendly activities in the space between Victoria Avenue and St Aubin’s Road.
Organisers plan to launch a new crowdfunding appeal to help cover the cost of additional aircraft, including Swedish jets like the Saab Draken and Viggen, and have also appealed to local businesses for sponsorship.