The Wings Over Wairarapa Community Trust runs an Air Festival every 2 years with the next event on the 19th to 21st Feb, 2021. The aims of the Trust are to:
- Maintain and grow a premier event in order to contribute to the Wairarapa region’s economy
- Profile Wairarapa both nationally and internationally
- Promote Hood as the centre of aviation in the region
- Support initiatives designed to develop Hood Aerodrome to the benefit of current and potential users
- Educate the public about aviation focusing on both history and the future
Trust House has been our biggest ongoing supporter of the Air Festival, providing the much-needed funding during the alternate years and support for operations when the Air Festival is on.
Wings attracts over 25,000 visitors to the Wairarapa over the 3 days and economic reporting from the 2017 event suggests that the Air Festival brought $1.84 million into the region’s economy.
- At least 28% (7000) stay one night or more in the Wairarapa
- Spending for Masterton District was up 16.4% over 2016
- Wairarapa Region as a whole was up 13.9%
The 2019 event was on target to attract a similar sized audience (2019’s economic reporting hasn’t been received as yet) and the WOWCT has diversified the Air Festivals offering to include schools and STEM Education – Over 4500 local Wairarapa students attended Wings on the Friday of the event where students were inspired and educated in aviation careers.
We offer our heartfelt thanks to Trust House for their support, without it, the Air Festival would not be successful.
