Council airshow reaches regional finals of the Scottish Thistle Awards

Published 06 August 2025

The International Ayr Show - Festival of Flight is a finalist in the West of Scotland Regional Finals of the Scottish Thistle Awards.

The 2024 airshow, funded and organised by South Ayrshire Council, was nominated in the category for "Best Community Tourism & Events Initiative".

For over 30 years, the Scottish Thistle Awards have recognised the very best of the Scottish tourism, hospitality, and events industry. The awards honour individuals, businesses and partnerships for their innovation, excellence, and success.

In 2024, the International Ayr Show - Festival of Flight was the largest free public event in Scotland, attracting over 250,000 visitors and featuring 27 aerial displays as well as a bustling Festival Village with over 100 stalls. The event celebrates Scotland's aviation legacy while promoting the growing aerospace industry within South Ayrshire and raising awareness of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to encourage interest amongst young people in careers in these industries.

The regional finals will be held in Glasgow this September.

Depute Leader of South Ayrshire Council and Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Rural Affairs, Councillor Alec Clark said: "It's an honour to have made it to the Regional finals of the Scottish Thistle Awards, and I'm very proud of the airshow team for all the hard work and dedication that goes into making the airshow such a roaring success. Good luck!"