Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen issued a statement as the event was marred by chaotic scenes, miles of queues and frustrated ticket holders. It comes as the A67 and A66 saw traffic increase by miles and miles, as some said they had been stuck just two miles from the airport for more than three hours. Read more: Teesside Airshow: Chaos on the A67 and A66 as drivers wait “three hours” In a statement, Ben Houchen said: “The Teesside Airshow has fallen victim to its own success and while it was wonderful to see more than 20,000 people want to visit the show, it is a great pity that so many people have wasted their days. long tails. Chaos on the A67 between Yarm Airport and Teesside Image: JIM SCOTT “I am very sorry that the delays and the traffic affected not only those who go to our air show, but also the locals who are trying to move. “I will talk to the organizers and make a full review and report urgently early next week. Read more: Teesside Airshow: traffic chaos for would-be viewers “I will also contact the organizers to do what I can to get a refund for those who have suffered long delays or who were unable to attend due to delays. At this time, I can only apologize again for any disappointment. touch.” Chaos on the A67 between Yarm Airport and Teesside Image: JIM SCOTT Thousands of drivers were stranded as roads around the airport were closed for several hours. Never before have scenes of chaos been recorded, as a set of images showed the moment passengers left their cars to watch the Red Arrows make a flypast at 12 p.m. “We will be lucky to enter before it closes” The drivers, some of whom had traveled hundreds of miles, said they were “outraged and disappointed” after paying more than λί 50 per family to see the show. “We have a queue since the morning. We will be lucky to get in before it closes,” said one driver, who was stuck in a traffic jam on the A67 near Teesside Airport Railway Station. Another driver, who said they hoped to arrive before 10 a.m. after traveling from Newcastle, said they were furious with the congestion. They said: “The police were on the scene and managed the traffic, but we had hours for that.” On social media, hundreds of people criticized the chaotic scenes, describing them as a disaster. Read more: Teesside Airshow LIVE: Drivers stuck in three-hour queues as screens were in progress David Jones wrote on Twitter that he had actually given up after spending hours on the move. He said: “I stopped trying to get to @TeesAirshow – there was no traffic planning, I drove 100+ miles just to spend 2 hours queuing on the outskirts of Darlington and still more than 2 miles from the site. Abyssal event management. ” Karen Groves said she gave up after being a “bum champion” for two hours after traveling just seven miles from her home. The traffic near Yarm Road in Darlington. Image: CRAIG STODDART He said: “Absolute impasse. We live only seven miles away and we were stuck for more than two hours, bumper to bumper. “Parents took their children out of the cars and got off on foot! We bought tickets and parking in February. “This would be our first day in over two years. So annoyed, not good enough.” Darren Petty said: “Teesside should be ashamed of the hospitality. It was a pathetic scam from start to finish. We tried to leave early at 2am. “Apart from Red Arrows and Spitfire / Hurrican, it was a pretense of a show – more of a glorious festival. For the first and last time we will bother.” SkyLive, the event organizers, has not yet responded to our request for comment. – Stay up to date with all the latest news on our site or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also follow our exclusive Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here. For all the top news updates from across the region directly to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter here. Do you have a story for us? Contact the news office at [email protected] or call 01325 505054
