Festival Aereo Internacional 2024
Torre del Mar, 8 September 2024
The Torre del Mar International Aviation Festival is a well-known event on the European airshow calendar. Its 9th edition took place on 8 September 2024. It may not have included a sunset event like previous shows, but it still held great potential to provide memorable moments.
Pablo Gonzales, European Airshow Council board member, is the driving force behind the prestigious airshow. The show takes place on the seafront of the southern town Torre del Mar, not far from Malaga. The full show happened on Sunday 8 September, but Friday and Saturday saw rehearsals by all participants. Some even rehearsed twice to the delight of beach visitors. The promenade next to the beach also offered ample viewing opportunities from the beach bars and restaurants.
The town itself is also very welcoming and easy to reach from abroad via Malaga airport. Excellent Spanish public transport does the rest.
Sunny weather throughout the weekend ensured the event was extremely well-attended, with figures of up to 300000 visitors mentioned across 3 days. On Sunday, the beach was especially packed for the main event, which ran from noon until 15:30. This does mean the sun is facing the crowd throughout the show. Nothing a pair of sunglasses can’t fix though!
With the show being held over the sea near the beach, public attendance is pretty much guaranteed. People who would never actively seek out to visit an airshow could therefore also enjoy the action from an excellent vantage point. During the airshow, it does mean they can’t swim in the sea for the duration of the displays as the display box over the sea is a no go zone.
One of the main draws of the event was the participation of the Guardia Civil with two aircraft. The Spanish air force was out in force, with their two solo jet displays together at a seaside show for the first time. They also brought a Canadair CL-415, the parachute display team PAPEA and the Patrulla Aspa. The Patrulla Aguila was unable to attend due to their participation at Zeltweg in Austria.
The participation was highly varied with a broad spectrum of aviation taking the limelight, from paramotors to aerobatics to classic jets. The show truly offered something for everyone. Bad weather over the Alps and Pyrenees sadly prevented the Italian WeFly team from attending. Luckily, the British Team Raven ensured the epitaph ‘International’ still applied this year.
Perhaps not the biggest edition of the Torre del Mar International Aviation Festival, there was still plenty to keep visitors interested. it brought excitement to hundreds of thousands throughout the weekend. It is easy to combine a visit with a short holiday at the Costa del Sol, taking in the sights of Malaga. The tenth edition promises to be another success in 2025. Definitely keep an eye out for it!
Special thanks to Pablo Gonzales and the organizing team for the outstanding hospitality
