An international air show being heralded as the “last hurrah” for a closed airport before its £800 million renovation may have to be called off.

Manston Airport had been set to host the event – the first of its kind in more than a decade - at the facility on August 16 and 17 next year.

Aircraft dating back to the First World War were eyed up to appear alongside machines from the USA, France and Germany and possibly the Red Arrows for the show which was promised to be an “aerial ballet”.

However, for the event to go ahead fully in line with official guidelines, it would require the closure of the A299 and B2050 roads surrounding the area – a move likely to gridlock the area during the summer holidays.

Show organisers say “the team working on the airshow have been in contact with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and have worked out a suitable plan”, but the CAA have yet to confirm details.

A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson has cast further doubt on this statement, telling KentOnline: "We have been contacted by event organisers of the Manston International Air Show around the practicality of the event going ahead, but no official event or temporary road closure applications have been submitted.

“This event would need temporary road closures on the A299 and B2050 to be able to hold the event safely in line with the new guidelines issued by the Civil Aviation Authority following the tragic Shoreham Airshow crash in 2015, to ensure the safety of residents and everyone involved.

“These are significant roads in Thanet that would be subject to disruption at a time when road travel is at its peak.

“While we have no new date for the implementation of the new EU Entry/Exit system, the A299 has been identified as a key route that will likely be impacted when the changes do happen, and we need to be mindful of this.

“We are working with the event organisers, Thanet District Council, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue and other groups that will be affected by this event, to see what is possible."

Bill Giles, the show’s organiser, told KentOnline he wished to “dispel any rumours” of the event not running – despite not yet having the backing of KCC.

He said: “We've had a number of meetings with regards to the site, with regards to airspace, and everyone is very confident that the show can pass off successfully and without any issues.

“The CAA permissions have become a lot tighter over the last few years for reasons that I don't think anyone needs to go into at this stage.

“But we're working with probably collectively one of the top air show organisational teams who assist with all the paperwork with the CAA. We’ve got a really, really good team.

“All procedures in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) document CAP 403, which governs the running of airshows, are being followed and all other elements of the event are being overseen by our experienced professional Health and Safety Team.

“A road closure is not necessary for the airshow to take place under these stringent guidelines.

“This was a question that was asked very early on in discussions about holding the event and is no longer required for planning purposes. That process is very complex and it is why a professional and experienced team is involved.

“At no point will Manston International Airshow be doing anything that puts the public at risk.”

To lose the show would be a huge blow for Manston and its owners RiverOak Strategic Partners, who had hoped the event would give the public one last chance to see the airport before it receives a facelift.

RiverOak says it intends to plough £800 million into the site to get it up and running again as a commercially successful venture, and hopes to eventually resume passenger flights too.

However, extensive renovation of the airport is not expected to begin until 2026, with a completion date of early 2028.

A CAA spokesperson told KentOnline: “When organising an airshow the safety of everyone, including visitors, participants and nearby residents, is the number one priority.

“Every airshow has its own Flying Display Director, who is the person responsible to the Civil Aviation Authority for the safe conduct of a flying display.

“We would advise that the county council should share their concerns over possible road closures with the Manston International Air Show Event Organiser, Flying Display Director, and the Safety Advisory Group for the event.”