The Hot Air Balloon Festival in Hyderabad concluded on a dramatic note on Sunday as strong winds briefly disrupted operations, grounding the balloons for about an hour before calmer conditions allowed rides to resume and all the ticketed passengers to be accommodated.
By around 5 p.m., all the balloons had arrived at the venue and inflation had begun. Between five and six balloons were fully inflated as organisers started sending passengers for rides in a staggered manner. However, as the process was underway, sudden gusts of strong wind began to affect the stability of the balloons, making take-offs and landings increasingly difficult. As wind conditions worsened, a few balloons were gradually deflated as a precautionary measure.
Three balloons initially remained operational and attempted to fly, but pilots faced challenges in maintaining direction and controlling ascent and descent due to the turbulence. Within a short span, even these three balloons had to be deflated, leading organisers to temporarily halt all activities. By 7 p.m., all the balloons were grounded.
Despite the suspension of flights, a large number of visitors remained in the queue, hoping that the weather would become favourable. Ujwal, who had come with his wife and son, said he felt relieved when operations resumed after about an hour. “We eventually realised that wind conditions were beyond anyone’s control and even aircraft are sometimes unable to take off while hot air balloons are entirely dependent on the wind. Since the SkyWaltz team had requested passengers to wait, we were prepared to stay for some time before deciding to leave, but then we are grateful that the wind speed eventually dropped and the rides resumed,” he added.
