RAF shortages hit D-Day ceremony

A SPECTACULAR parachute drop into Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day has been drastically cut due to a shortage of RAF transport planes.

- Marco Giannangeli

Senior Army sources revealed the Parachute Regiment had planned for more than 400 soldiers to jump from new Airbus A400M planes on June 5.

But "operational demands" mean the RAF only has a single transport plane available, instead of the planned four.

As a result, only 100 British soldiers will be falling at any one time.