Conservative politicians on Eastbourne Borough Council say someone should bear responsibility for what they labelled 'a shambles and a fiasco' and say either council leader Liberal Democrat David Tutt or his colleague responsible for tourism, Cllr Steve Wallis, should resign.
Leader of the Conservatives Cllr David Elkin said, "There should be a resignation from the politician responsible for this fiasco and whether it's David Tutt or Steve Wallis, somebody should go under the Liberal-Democrat administration, which has put the very fibre of Eastbourne's tourist trade at risk.
"In the same year as Bournemouth announces a free four day air show, the Lib Dems decide to charge.
"They have not one ounce of business sense amongst them."
Councillor Elkin, who represents Meads on the borough council, claimed the decision to charge people to watch Airbourne had destroyed what he called "Eastbourne's special warm friendly ambiance" for ever.
He added, "Both residents and visitors have been used to high quality events that families and their guests could enjoy.
"Unfortunately this year, Eastbourne's excellent events team was ignored and simply told to charge for Airbourne.
"They should be congratulated on their efforts because as always they did their very best despite everything and the Liberal Democrat politicians bullied them along on a wing and prayer to charge.
"Where were those politicians when staff where being abused on the gates? Some were even reduced to tears at what they where being asked to do."
Councillor Elkin also poured scorn on the news that Councillor Tutt would hold an investigation into what went wrong with the air show.
"Councillor Cllr Tutt says he will investigate what went wrong. If he listened to the people that deliver the events and residents he would not be spending more council tax payers' money trying to find out what everybody else already knows.
"It was a shambles and a fiasco. Councillor Tutt will, I'm sure, tell us he consulted with residents.
"Well, yes he did 250 of them but what about the other 90,000 or so thousand."
"It will be months before the true damage both financial and to reputation to Eastbourne will be revealed but I promise my group through the scrutiny process will ensure the true cost to Eastbourne is not simply swept under the carpet."