- Dates: 13-15th of March
- Strategic Sponsor: New South Wales (NSW) Government/Destination NSW
The event website was updated on 26th June 2025.
On 22nd July 2025, the Aerospace Maritime Defence Australia (AMDA) Foundation announced, in a surprise move, that it is in active positive discussions with prospective new organisers for the public weekend of this & future editions. This is so the AMDA Foundation can develop a series of new funding, education & industry advancement initiatives for Australia’s general aviation industry. AMDA Foundation will still organise the schools & careers open day.
The AMDA Foundation, being based in Victoria and organiser of the Australian International Airshow in Avalon, acknowledged the increased challenges of managing a major public event in an interstate location & their Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Giddings, said the AMDA Foundation is committed to support Airshows Downunder – Shellharbour through its established programs to ensure the event’s future.
AMDA’s priority has always been to support & promote the Australian aviation & aerospace industry. We believe the most effective way to do this now is by investing in the sector’s future, through targeted grants and education initiatives that foster long-term industry growth
Staging a major airshow requires significant operational planning & resourcing. We believe a new operator, with an existing presence in the region, will provide a better product.
While AMDA is confident a new airshow operator will be found, we will continue organising the careers and skills program, which attracted attendance of 7,000 students at Avalon earlier this year.
We want to reassure the aviation community & the greater Illawarra region that the airshow has a strong future.
Justin Giddings, AMDA Foundation CEO
A little bit disappointed & a little shocked. My only hope is that the active discussions with prospective new organisers to ensure the event’s continuation is solid & it will move forward.
To honour the Wings Over Illawarra event that Mark Bright put on for something like 15 years, which obviously everyone loved & I just hope that in some way, shape or form, the event continues on and someone comes in and takes on the event on behalf of the Illawarra.
It’s AMDA’s gig, so to speak. It’s a community-owned airport, with, to my knowledge, a leasing arrangement for a service provider like AMDA to come in & do the show.
What we can & will do is actively support, encourage and enable any discussion that AMDA has with potential organisations to come in and take on the role so that we can continue to deliver this whole aeronautical event. Wings Over Illawarra. It’s like Convoy. It’s one of those anchor events for the region & it’s well loved. I only hope that it continues on so let’s live in hope.
Chris Homer, City Of Shellharbour Mayor
Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) President, Bob De La Hunty, was surprised by the move but understood there were significant challenges for the operators managing the event from interstate:
We’re not too concerned because it might mean rather than every 2nd year, it might go back to having it every year. We will support whoever is going to be running it in the future.
It’s been a wonderful tourist attraction & has put Shellharbour on the map in many respects. People visiting our museum often say “When’s the next airshow on? When’s the next airshow on?”. I think it is pretty important for the event to be held.
AMDA aren’t totally disappearing from the scene. They’re still going to be involved in the schools event which is on the Friday, where there’s estimated to be 3000 schoolchildren coming.
The potential airshow operator is well known to all of us but it’s still not been clarified because there’s lots of discussions still to be had.
Without trying to guess too much, I think we can be pretty confident that it will be run very well, it will be very spectacular & be enhanced by the local participation.
Bob De La Hunty, Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) President
An official event app is planned for the 1st time ever but is not yet released.
The event is also planned to have a Boeing 707-138B (N707JT) on static display. This type of plane is the 1st jet airliner developed & produced by American multinational, Boeing. It has a narrow body & has long-range. This particular plane to be put on static display though was the last of 13 operated by Australian flag carrier airline, Qantas, before being formerly owned by American actor, John Travolta. The event already has a Boeing 707 fuselage & cockpit on static display since 2016, though it is a 438C variant.
The Australian Defence Force drone racing will return. Industry partners will be available for career opportunity discussions. A Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) educational area & food trucks will also feature.
On all event days, for people with sensory sensitivities, a new Sensory Room will be open featuring controlled lighting, sensory equipment & toys. The event site will also be designed to include accessible pathways & ramps.
14th-15th of March (open to the public)
- 9am – Gates Open
- 10:10am – Opening Ceremony
- 10:30am – Air Show Begins
- 1pm – Break Begins
- 1:45pm – Air Show Resumes
- 4pm – Air Show Concludes
- 5pm – Gates Close
The opening day of the event is to be a schools & careers open day, which will invite Year 7 & 8 students to it for the 1st time ever & run 1 hour earlier than in 2024. It is part of a national initiative to build awareness, foster connections & support STEM engagement through it’s career & work path programs.
Registrations are required. 1 teacher is required to register the school they teach at with an estimated number of students, who must have parental/guardian consent, and accompanying supervisors. Other parents or accompanying adults are required to register themselves & the student (minimum age 12) they parent/will accompany. Tertiary students 18+ can also register themselves. All students & any accompanying adults attending as part of an educational institution will get entry free of charge, though all under 18’s must be accompanied. Other accompanying adults who do not attend as part of an educational institution will need to pay a fee.
There will be pre-event activities. Approximately on the 13th of February 2026, registered teachers will be contacted to confirm final attendance numbers for both students & staff. There will be accessible shuttle buses & golf carts, the latter available from car parks to the gate on request.
If you registered online, you will need to bring your confirmation email in either paper or digital form, the latter via smartphone. If you are 16+ & a student or teacher, you will need to bring photo identification. The event may be photographed or filmed for promotional & educational purposes. Anyone not wanting their image taken can receive a red sticker to identify with the onsite media team.
The schools & careers day will include a Careers & Industry Zone, a dynamic, immersive space designed to spark curiosity & inspire future careers, which will feature a drone and autonomous system use exhibition, interactive displays such as aircraft walkthroughs, hands-on demonstrations and activities including flight simulators & real-world STEM challenges from aviation partners including the Australian Defence Force such as drone races.
The schools & careers open day will also let you meet representatives from exhibiting organisations including aviation companies, aerospace manufacturers, airlines, engineering firms and other related industries; military recruiters, universities, Technical And Further Education (TAFE) & engineers from HARS, whose hanger will feature jet engine displays and a scavenger hunt.
2 panel question and answer sessions from defence and industry small-medium enterprise employers, leaders, pilots, engineers and logistics coordinators, who will talk about study options, recruitment pathways & career journeys. This will be supported by a student handbook called the Shellharbour Skybound Guide which includes key program details, a careers quiz, reflection prompts, pathway exploration tools & post-event planning resources.
There will also be robotics displays, defence vehicles & a 1-hour aviation-in-flight demonstration showcase, their 1st ever formally announced dedicated Schools & Careers Day flying program. It will share an illustration of aviation from past, present & into the future. A food court will also be open with drinks also on sale there. Shaded seating & 1st aid will also be available.
13th Of March (registered students – minimum Year 7 if going as part of school, otherwise age 12 – teachers, career advisors/practitioners & accompanying parents/guardians)
- 9am – Gates Open
- 2pm – Gates Close
Sydney Spectaculars 