El Paso skies are back on the U.S. Navy Blue Angels’ flight plan. The elite demonstration team landed in the Borderland on Wednesday for a winter planning visit, kicking off months of behind-the-scenes work ahead of the MountainStar Sports Group Amigo Airsho scheduled for Oct. 24–25.
The stop is part of the squadron’s 80th anniversary season and brings Blue Angels staff to town to scope out the flight line, coordinate airspace and map out community outreach. It will mark the team’s first performance in El Paso since 2011, organizers say.
Blue Angels No. 7 announcer Lt. Ronny Hafeza and No. 8 events coordinator Cmdr. Lilly Montana touched down at Million Air El Paso and met with Amigo Airsho organizers to start locking in details, according to KVIA. The visit included a walk of the flight line, a review of staging areas and early talks about what the team will need on the ground when they return for showtime.
Organizers Say Visit Will Energize The Community
Local leaders are treating the winter fly-in as a mood boost as much as a planning session. MountainStar Sports Group co-owner Paul Foster called the visit “unique” and said it would energize the community, while Amigo Airsho chairman Alan Russell described it as an “exciting milestone” that underscores the event’s importance, KTSM reported.
Organizers told the outlet that getting the Blue Angels on site this far in advance lets them drill into the unglamorous but critical stuff like safety plans, crowd flow and staging, so the weekend can run smoothly when jets and spectators pack into Fort Bliss.
When And Where To Watch
The Amigo Airsho is set for Oct. 24–25, 2026, at Biggs Army Airfield on Fort Bliss, according to the event’s official site, Amigo Airsho. The site encourages fans to join the “Airsho Insider” list for early ticket access, discounts and performer updates as the full lineup is finalized.
A Return After Last Year's Cancellation
Organizers say early planning is especially crucial after the 2025 Amigo Airsho was scrapped amid a federal government shutdown, with cancellation and ticket refunds detailed at the time. That lost year made securing a Blue Angels appearance, which comes at a limited number of stops each season, an especially prized booking, KTSM added.
Logistics And Tickets
Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Col. Michael Soyka said the two-day show could draw about 100,000 people onto Fort Bliss over the course of the weekend, according to KVIA. Organizers are urging would-be spectators to sign up for the Airsho Insider list and to plan travel and lodging early, as premier seating and upgrades are expected to sell quickly, per the Amigo Airsho website.
For El Paso, hosting the Blue Angels is both a civic showcase and a serious operations test. Organizers say the event will spotlight the city’s long-standing military partnerships and its pull as a regional tourism draw. More details on parking, security and the full slate of performers are expected in the coming months as planning continues to ramp up.
