Delhi set to open hot-air balloon rides this weekend

Delhi residents may be able to take hot-air balloon rides starting this weekend, with the Delhi Development Authority launching a trial run at Baansera on Tuesday.

The rides will open to the public from Saturday, with tickets priced at Rs 3,000 per person, excluding taxes, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena told reporters.

Saxena said the city is expanding recreational options. “Earlier I had promised people of Delhi that we will keep on introducing new things for entertainment. Many parks and recreational spaces have been developed recently, adding to that is the hot-air balloon facility for which a trial run was launched today,” PTI quoted him as saying.

The DDA had in July selected a private operator to run balloon rides at four locations — the Yamuna Sports Complex, the Commonwealth Games sports complexes, and two riverfront sites at Asita and Baansera near Sarai Kale Khan.

According to the DDA, tethered flights will initially be allowed for four hours each day, with the duration to be extended if required. The November–February period offers suitable weather for ballooning, the authority said.

Each trip will last between 7 and 12 minutes and carry up to four passengers. Officials said the LG tested the ride during the trial. “I tested the ride, and I am happy and satisfied. From a safety point of view, four ropes are tied to the balloon, with each rope having a capacity of seven tonnes. Today we went to a height of 120 feet from the ground,” Saxena said.

Once operational across all four sites, the rides are expected to provide a new aerial experience of Delhi’s natural areas, riverfront stretches and broader cityscape, adding to the capital’s tourism offerings.
(With inputs from PTI)