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Thunder of Niagara Air Show return canceled due to ongoing US operations

U.S. Air Force Maj. J.R. Williams, Thunderbird 6, opposing solo, performs a sneak pass maneuver during the Thunder of Niagara Air Show, Niagara Falls, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2011.
Wikimedia Commons
U.S. Air Force Maj. J.R. Williams, Thunderbird 6, opposing solo, performs a sneak pass maneuver during the Thunder of Niagara Air Show, Niagara Falls, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2011.

The Thunder of Niagara Air Show, which was slated to take place June 20-21 after an eight-year hiatus, announced on its Facebook page Monday that the event has been canceled.

The event cited "allocation of resources to ongoing operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility" as the reason for its decision.

The U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility consists of 21 nations, including those in the Middle East.

The event takes place at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station on Lockport Road, and the 2026 iteration was going to feature the USAF Thunderbirds. It was to be the first time running the event since 2018, with special billing due to the country's 250th anniversary.

"While we are disappointed with this option," the air show said, "we are already beginning active planning for the potential future return of the Thunder of Niagara Air Show."

Read the entire statement from the show below: