Attendance figures 'difficult to collate' but scorching Saturday was busiest day for Blackpool Airshow

A scorching Saturday was hailed the busiest of the two when Blackpool Airshow spectacularly showed off to crowds at the weekend.

Whilst official figures haven’t been announced, it’s clear that thousands and thousands of people lined the promenade to watch the military jets, historic aircraft and daredevil displays take to the skies.

A VisitBlackpool spokesperson said: “We don’t have attendance figures; this is always challenging to collate with people spacing themselves along the whole length of Promenade during the free event.

“Anecdotally, Saturday appeared to be the busier of the two days, likely due to the better weather.

The first day of aerial action began with the Red Devils, the British Army's world-class parachute display team. They thrilled spectators with their precision formations and high-speed parachute manoeuvres above the seafront.

The paratroopers’ daring high-altitude displays were followed by one of the world's most advanced fighter jets - the RAF Eurofighter Typhoon - which roared into action over the Irish Sea.

There was one notable absence from this year's show, however, with the Red Arrows missing from the line-up.

The RAF's famous aerobatic team, which have been performing in Blackpool since the 1990s, were absent due to mandatory crew rest and jet maintenance following a month-long, 13-date tour across the United States to commemorate America's 250th anniversary.

But there was still plenty to keep aviation fans entertained, with a packed programme including classic US fighters, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the elite Team Raven aerobatic display team, the AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers - and for first time ever in the UK, the iconic Cold War-era Soviet fighter, the Mig-17.