How big are the balloons & how many people will be aboard?

Hot air balloons are probably a lot larger than you’re thinking. The largest balloon in our fleet stands as high as a 9 storey building and can lift over 2 tonnes! The baskets are pretty big too, with our biggest basket coming at 9.5 square metres in size.
Balloons and balloon baskets actually come in all different sizes and our fleet of balloons range in carrying capacity from 2 passengers up to 24 passengers. Our Romance Flights are exclusively for 2 passengers whilst our shared flights may have anywhere between 6– 24 passengers aboard each balloon.

So how many people will be on my flight?
The number of passengers aboard a flight is going to be determined by how many other people are booked for the day, but the one certainty is that your balloon will be full. It needs to be for safety.
Balloons that are underloaded (or don’t have enough passengers aboard) are too buoyant. A buoyant balloon would be harder to land safely so, in order to maintain a safe flight, we must have the minimum number of passengers (or equivalent weight) for the size of balloon you are flying in. More simply put, balloons need to fly full of passengers to fly and land safely and easily. We can never fly a balloon half full.
If there are 6 passengers booked on your flight, you will fly in a 6 passenger balloon basket. If there are 12 passengers booked on your flight, you will fly in a 12 passenger balloon basket. We won’t fly 6 passengers in a 12 passenger balloon because that wouldn’t be safe.

So, will I be standing in the middle of 20 people?
No, our baskets are divided into passenger compartments with the smaller balloons having two passenger compartments (which will hold 3-4 passenger each) and 4 passenger compartments the larger balloon with 4 – 6 people in each compartment. The compartments allow for 4, 5 or 6 adults, depending on the basket size, to stand shoulder to shoulder facing outwards, to enjoy the amazing view.
Each passenger compartment runs down the outside length of the balloon so no matter what size balloon you are in, you will always have a ‘window seat’ and a fabulous view. No aisle seats here!
[in-flight photo here]

What if I just want a flight for the two of us?
If you would like a balloon just for the two of you, check out our Romance Flight option. It’s the perfect option if you are looking for a more romantic option and is perfect for those special occasions.