The Wonderboom Airshow took to the skies in Tshwane at Wonderboom National Airport on Saturday, 26 October 2024. The event witnessed a staggering attendance of about 8 000 aviation enthusiasts and families as the highly anticipated airshow descended upon Tshwane. It was an exhilarating day filled with spectacular aerial feats and adrenaline-fueled performances from the country’s top display and aerobatic pilots.
The event featured an impressive line-up of performances: The Goodyear Eagles, Harvard, Puma, Airlink Embraer 195, the South African designed Paramount Mwari, the South African Air Force (SAAF) Gripen and many others. Alongside the airborne excitement, the event featured ground activities, including static aircraft display, local food vendors and an automotive pavilion.
Preceding the airshow, the SAAF hosted the Aerospace Indaba on 24 October 2024, bringing together the defence and general aviation industries with a pertinent purpose to determine the level of capabilities and capacity to assist the SAAF in its rejuvenating endeavours and possible future support. The session covered topics around available skills, technologies, personnel and services that could be transferred from the general aviation industry to the military. Further to that, local school learners participated in a career day to acquire valuable knowledge to explore aviation career paths.
This premier event took place during the significant month of October, which was declared as Transport Month in 2005 during the National Transport Lekgotla under the theme, Doing more together – Building better infrastructure and delivering efficient service through collaboration. The commemorative month aims to raise awareness of the important role of transport in the economy and to encourage participation from civil society and businesses, including the provision of a safe and more affordable, accessible and reliable transport system in the country.
Wonderboom National Airport continues to play a significant contribution to air connectivity and travel, and extends its gratitude to the event organisers Smoke on Go, City departments and other stakeholders’ participation in ensuring a successful and safe event.