The Danish Air Show at Aalborg Flyvestation opened on Sunday with one minute of silence for two pilots killed at an air show near Athens the previous weekend.
The tribute marked the start of Denmark’s largest aviation display, held at Aalborg Air Base on September 13, 2026. DR reports that organizers chose the gesture to honor the two pilots who died in Greece last weekend.
Major Morten Valentin, press officer at Aalborg Flyvestation, told DR that the silence was considered appropriate by the organizers. He noted that Greek visitors attending the Danish show also viewed the gesture as respectful.
The crash in Greece happened last Saturday, when a fighter jet went down and exploded during an air show near Athens. According to DR, the accident took place in front of thousands of spectators and rolling cameras. Both pilots were killed, but no one in the audience was injured.
Valentin said the accident affected the Danish organizers mainly on an emotional level, because the dead pilots were colleagues. He added that planning and carrying out an air show is demanding, which makes such an outcome especially tragic.
Around 125,000 expected in Aalborg
Roughly 125,000 people are expected at the air base for the day’s program, according to DR. The display features military and civilian aircraft as well as helicopters.
Valentin said spectators can feel entirely safe despite last weekend’s accident in Greece. He stated that the event meets all applicable safety requirements and that organizers have drawn up a plan accounting for all risks.
He also pointed to the Greek crash as evidence that safety procedures function as intended. As he noted, no members of the public were hurt in the accident near Athens.
First edition since 2022
The 2026 show is the first Danish Air Show in four years. The event was last held in 2022 at Flyvestation Karup in central Jutland, according to DR.
The move to Aalborg places the display at one of the Danish Air Force’s main bases in North Jutland. The city is also home to landmarks including Budolfi Church, and large events there regularly draw visitors from across the country.
Air shows of this scale are among the larger single-day gatherings in Denmark and rank alongside the country’s best known attractions in Denmark in terms of turnout. Organizers said the aerial program would continue as planned after the minute of silence.
DR’s reporting on the event is based on interviews with Valentin at Aalborg Flyvestation. No further details on the investigation into the Greek crash were provided in that reporting.
