ABU DHABI // The buzz and roar of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship will return to the capital next month for the opening round of the competition's 2010 calendar. Now entering its sixth year as a Red Bull Air Race fixture, the capital's March 26-27 sky race was confirmed yesterday and will be the focal point in a weekend aviation festival. With organisers determined to attract hundreds of thousands of spectators to the Corniche, special concerts, pilot meet-and-greets, aircraft displays and other family activities have been planned to complement the high-octane aerial shows.
"This battle for the skies is set against the enticing setting of the Corniche and is a superb event for the entire community to enjoy," said Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. The tourism authority's three-year deal to host the free-to-the-public race ends in 2011. With 15 elite pilots regularly hitting speeds of up to 370 kph, Team Abu Dhabi's Hannes "Falcon" Arch, the 2008 world champion, and Britain's Paul Bonhomme will be the favourites.
Other rounds in the eight-part global series will take place in Australia, Canada, the US, Germany, Hungary, Portugal and an unconfirmed venue in South America. @Email:emegson@thenational.ae
