HK hot air balloon festival organiser apologises for cancelling flying experiences

The organiser of Hong Kong’s first International Hot Air Balloon Festival has apologised for suspending the balloon ride experience on the opening day, after many visitors expressed their disappointment when they learned the news upon arrival.

Scheduled to run from 4 to 7 September, the festival planned to offer visitors the chance to ride in specially designed hot air balloons anchored to the ground, rising to heights of 10 to 20 metres for stunning views of the city. Its official website has shown ticket prices for evening entry and the flying experiences, which are HK$880 and HK$580 respectively, with an extra HK$200 per photo taken by drone.

However, the event organiser, Grand Events Asia, said on Thursday that the festival had gotten the green light to fly captive balloons within the venues for display purposes only. Only specialised technicians are permitted on board. The balloon ride experience was also not available for public sale on the day. 

The move has drawn mixed reactions from visitors and netizens. A female visitor told Yahoo News that she had paid over HK$600 per entry ticket, only to learn that the flying experience was cancelled, "This is simply unacceptable and the organiser is not delivering what it has advertised on the website."

Meanwhile, some netizens also described the event as a total scam, asking the organiser for a refund, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE on Threads saw. Others ironically said that they paid to watch the technicians on board the hot air balloon. Several users expressed frustration, stating that earlier communication could have prevented their disappointment. Additionally, some emphasised that it was a significant oversight for the organiser not to have secured all necessary approvals before the event's opening.

Grand Events Asia has since apologised regarding the matter. According to its official website, the organiser said this event has been years in the making, aiming to provide the most professional and safe experience possible. "As stated on our website, this experience remains subject to government approval and weather permitting, and requires separate ticketing.” 

To express its gratitude to participants’ support, ticket holders will be granted free admission to the event during the corresponding time slots on any day of the Fiesta, added the statement.  

“For example, morning ticket holders can enter the Fiesta during the morning session on any day during the Fiesta; evening ticket holders can enter the Fiesta during the evening session on any day. All tickets are valid for one additional entry only.” 

On the other hand, a government spokesperson said that following the organiser's notification to organise a hot air balloon event, relevant government departments have communicated with the organiser through multiple meetings. "They provided professional advice, details and requirements for applying for necessary licences and permits, and participated in on-site hot air balloon demonstrations."

The organiser conducted an on-site hot air balloon demonstration on 20 August, but the results were unsatisfactory. "Relevant departments observed that the hot air balloon operation was highly susceptible to wind strength and direction, with instances of difficulty in stabilising control occurring on-site, posing significant safety risks."

The organiser conducted another demonstration on 3 September, the day before the event. After cautious and comprehensive consideration of public safety, relevant government department approved the display of hot air balloons, the statement added. "However, given insufficient time to conduct another demonstration of passenger carriage to assess its safety, the approval does not include the carriage of passengers."

The government stressed that the organiser bears responsibility for ensuring the event's safe execution, including conducting and arranging demonstrations to ensure the event complies with all licence and permit specifications and requirements to secure approvals from relevant departments. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Grand Events Asia, AIA for a statement.  

In fact, this is not the first time Hong Kong has had to cancel air balloon ride experiences. Back in 2012, Ocean Park Hong Kong scrapped the operation of its iconic helium balloon ride called SkyStar after an incident where the balloon descended faster than normal, causing injuries to six passengers.

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) completed an investigation into the cause of the incident. The findings indicated that the incident was caused by the loss of helium as a result of the opening of the rip panel. The rip panel is located near the top of the balloon and is used for quick deflation of the balloon at ground in case of emergency to avoid hazard.

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