Polish airshow operator Aeropact has teased a number of new and returning events in the coming months, including the much-loved Gdynia AeroBaltic.
Writing on Facebook, the team apologised for their relative silence since for the past few years. “Dear Friends, we’re back after a long break in communication,” they said. “Despite the lack of updates, the past two years have been incredibly intense and full of challenges for our company. Now is the time to share the most important news with you! From now on, we’ll be in frequent contact because there is so much happening!“
Aeropact will be holding their first major airshow since 2021 in the coming weeks at Al Thumamah, just outside Riyadh. Dubbed Sand & Fun, the event is the largest civilian airshow in the Middle East, with a cast of European airshow performers such as Scandinavian Airshow, Fundacja Biało-Czerwone Skrzydła and Airborne Pyrotechnics. Royal Saudi Air Force participation is also expected. The event, now in its second edition after making its debut in January 2020, will run from the 19th-23rd November – and should become an annual fixture.
“Additionally, we’re working on three major projects in the Middle East, which will undoubtedly be spectacular,” they added. These projects were not named, but Aeropact has previously made attempts to run other airshows in the region, including a new airshow in Aqaba, Jordan – home of the Royal Jordanian Falcons – which was scuppered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aeropact also said their flagship event, Gdynia AeroBaltic, may return. “We assure you that we’re working hard on its return – and in a way you’ve never seen before,” they teased.
Gdynia AeroBaltic was Aeropact’s first major airshow, launching in 2017 as a small, free airshow on Gdynia’s seafront. In 2019, it expanded to offer two parallel events: a ticketed, international military airshow at the nearby Babie Doły air base base and a free-to-attend night show in the city centre. A final edition was held in 2021 – dropping the city centre element to allow for COVID-induced social distancing. In terms of both attendence and its military line up, AeroBaltic quickly became one of the biggest airshows in Poland, but it has not been held since 2021, with a lack of city funding believed to be a key factor.
Other, smaller, airshows have been held in Gdynia during and after AeroBaltic’s tenure, with open days held most years at the air base.
To perform at their growing portfolio of events, Aeropact have also set up their own in-house display team. Phoenix Paramotor Display Team flies seven tricycle paramotors, fitted with computer-controlled lights, smoke systems and fireworks. The new team, although based in Poland, will debut at Sand & Fun.