“The conditions for sponsorship were not met. It cannot be the council alone to sponsor such an event, which mobilizss a lot of money and has associated high costs” Conceição Azevedo told reporters at the end of the executive's public meeting.

The issue was raised during the meeting by opposition councillors, who realised that nothing was being organised.

“It was announced that it would be a unique moment for Viseu, of great importance even for the dynamics of the aerodrome itself, but, after all, nothing has been done” said Lúcia Araújo Silva (PS).

Culture Councilor Jorge Sobrado said that “from the beginning, and when the cooperation protocol with the organising entity was made, the question of the need for sponsorship had been raised”.

According to Jorge Sobrado, “it turned out to be the market itself that dictated that there was no opportunity for the event”.

“We keep the ambition for one day, when the market provides it, to organise a race and a competition of this nature, but the market also has to participate.” he said.

Asked how much would be needed, Jorge Sobrado replied that this was “on the organiser's side” but it would be “hundreds of thousands of Euros”.

The holding of the Air Race Championship in Viseu was announced on August 13, 2018.

At the time, the mayor, Almeida Henriques, said the municipal aerodrome "is a strategic investment for Viseu and the region" and the Viseu Air Race would give "visibility to this structure."

The race would take have taken place on September 20, 21 and 22 and was scheduled to feature “eight planes running simultaneously, piloted by the world's elite pilots, on a side-by-side elliptical circuit in the airfield skies" of the district capital.