FAI to launch international Air Games Tour in 2018

The FAI is planning to launch an international multi-discipline Air Games Tour which could start in the 2nd half of 2018. Touching down in up to five host cities around the world each year, each event will showcase some of the best sporting action from across the world of air sports over four days of intense activity and competition.

Designed to bridge the gap between the FAI World Air Games, which are held every five years, the Air Games Tour will build on the success of the FAI World Air Games 2015 in Dubai. That hugely successful multi-discipline air sports competition saw nearly 1,000 pilots and competitors compete in 20 air sports over two weeks. It was televised by 42 broadcasters across 115 countries, according to analysis conducted by Sportcal in the Global Sports Impact Event Study, ‘FAI World Air Games Dubai 2015’.

FAI President Frits Brink said: “The idea is to initially develop a multi-discipline Air Games Tour, with three to five events a year, leading athletes to the World Air Games every four or five years.”

He added: "The intention is to start with a small number in the first year, then extend it. We will seek appropriate global commercial partners who see the value of associating with this exciting new air sport project"

Many different sports and air sport disciplines come under the umbrella of the FAI, from skydiving to drone racing, and the idea of the Air Games Tour is to showcase several different air sports at the same time at the same venue. In this way, more people will be reached, the audience will be bigger, and the event will be more commercially viable compared with simply hosting a single-sport competition.

Brinks said: “Cities and our business partners like the idea. The concept development has been completed, and we’re now speaking with the cities we’ve identified.”

Existing FAI partners include Breitling, DHL, LeaseWeb and, newly announced this year, Noosphere Ventures.

FAI is keen to extend its network of agencies and investment partners and those interested should contact FAI via marketing@fai.org.