Red Arrows cancel display at Duxford Summer Air Show after being unable to take off from RAF Mildenhall due to ‘operational factors’

An air show display by the Red Arrows was cancelled after they were unable to take off from a Suffolk airbase.

A crowd of 21,000 people had gathered for the Duxford Summer Air Show yesterday, near Cambridge.

The Red Arrows had based themselves at RAF Mildenhall for the weekend and said that due to ‘operational factors’ they had to cancel their appearance at the event.

RAF Mildenhall, a very short flight from IWM Duxford, is home to the 100th refuelling wing, the only US tanker wing assigned to Europe and Africa.

It refuels US and partner nation aircraft over an area of more than 20 million square miles.

A spokesperson for the Red Arrows said: “Unfortunately, due to operational factors beyond the team's control at our base for this afternoon - RAF Mildenhall - we've had to cancel the planned show at Duxford.”

A spokesperson for the Imperial War Museum Duxford also apologised that the Red Arrows were unable to take part in the event but said it was out of the organisers' hands.

The show began on Saturday, in front of 12,000 people, but the Red Arrows had only been scheduled to appear on the Sunday.

The Red Arrows’ cancellation comes after the US bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran overnight on Saturday/Sunday following the escalation in the conflict between Iran and Israel.

The decision by the US President, Donald Trump, was not mentioned in a statement by the Red Arrows on Sunday.

RAF Mildenhall has been approached for comment.