In addition to the Croatian Air Force's (HRZ) Rafale, participants include the Wings of the Storm aerobatic team, the Pilatus PC-9 of the Slovenian Air Force, the G-2 Galeb trainer combat aircraft, the MIG-15, the popular 'Fagot' which flew in from Poland, the HRZ's Black Hawk and Kiowa Warrior helicopters, and the Interior Ministry's Bell 206 and 212 helicopters.
Also at the Varaždin airport is an Antonov AN-2, and for the first time, two Alpha Jet aircraft from the Red Bull fleet from Salzburg, Austria, as well as the WWII B-25 Mitchell bomber.
Thanks to the cooperation between the Varaždin Aeroclub, the Defence Ministry and the HRZ, CIAV 2024 offers numerous attractions. Members of the Ground Army organised a technical-tactical corps exhibition, while members of the Anti-Terrorist Unit Lučko will perform a landing operation.
The co-organisers of the event are the City of Varaždin and Varaždin County, and it is being held under the auspices of the Government, which was represented at the opening by the state secretary in the Defence Ministry, Brigadier General Zdravko Jakop.
"This government has resolved an issue that was pending for decades, which is the security and defence of our airspace," he said.
The City of Varaždin, Varaždin County, and northern Croatia have always been nurseries of excellent pilots, said County Prefect Anđelko Stričak.
"Even back... in the First and Second World Wars, in the (1991-95) Homeland War, and to this day, which is to our credit and makes us proud. This is because our fellow citizens have always followed global trends, wanting to keep up with the modern and developed world,” he added.
The city and the county need to work together to give Varaždin airport additional importance and vitality, Stričak said and thanked everyone involved in the organisation of CIAV 2024, as well as the government, without whose support, he said, it would be difficult to organise such an event.
Mayor Neven Bosilj said the 1,730-metre runways and everything else at the airport had been renovated, except for the tower.
"Today's air show was organised to promote this airport. We thank the Croatian Army and the HRZ, who have been extremely supportive and helped with the organisation of this two-day event, the largest air show in this part of Europe.”
The ceremony was also attended by the Chief of the General Staff, Tihomir Kundid, and the Commander of the HRZ, Mihael Križanec.