Explainer | What went wrong? The Post unpacks Hong Kong hot-air balloon fiasco

The curtain has dropped on Hong Kong’s first hot-air balloon festival, which has made the headlines over the past few days after licensing issues led to the cancellation of much-awaited tethered rides.

The event was also forced to close early due to a storm and left hundreds of ticket holders outraged.

The Post unpacks the emotional fiasco of the mega-event.

1. What was the fiasco all about?

The AIA International Hot Air Balloon Festival was scheduled to take place at the Central Harbourfront from September 4 to 7.

One of the festival’s key selling points was the chance to ride a large balloon and ascend up to 20 metres for a clear, panoramic view of Victoria Harbour. It also included live performances by pop singers.

Organised by Grand Events Asia and sponsored by AIA, the four-day festival cost about HK$30 million (US$3.8 million).

But it got off to a rocky start on September 4, when Grand Events announced it had failed to secure approval for balloon rides. The government cited “unsatisfactory” test results as the reason for withholding permission.

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Outlook clears for Hong Kong property market with rate cuts imminent, JPMorgan says

The worst seems to be over for Hong Kong’s property sector, with more investors likely to snap up distressed assets in the coming months and home sales set to continue improving as the market anticipates faster interest-rate cuts, according to a JPMorgan researcher. The city’s real estate industry had been battered, with several listed property

12 September 2025
Church’s bid to replace HKIS with new school put on hold by Education Bureau

Church’s bid to replace HKIS with new school put on hold by Education Bureau

Hong Kong education authorities will not process “at this stage” an application by a US-based church to set up a new international school to replace a top institution being sued for allegedly only serving the “rich”, due to the ongoing legal proceedings. The Education Bureau on Friday told the Post that it had already received

12 September 2025
Hong Kong partially halts work on light public housing project over defective bolts

Hong Kong partially halts work on light public housing project over defective bolts

Hong Kong authorities have suspended part of the construction work on a light public housing project after discovering irregularities in some bolts, ordering the contractor to investigate and fix the problem. The Housing Bureau said on Friday that it found 23 construction bolts had been cut without permission on the fourth and fifth floors of

12 September 2025
Outside In | Hong Kong’s procurement scandals a reminder constant vigilance is needed

Outside In | Hong Kong’s procurement scandals a reminder constant vigilance is needed

Few Hongkongers have the vaguest idea of the scale of government procurement, even though it is everywhere around us. The Government Transparency Institute, which tries to monitor government procurement worldwide, estimates it accounts for around 30 per cent of government spending. Worldwide, public procurement shares at least three characteristics. First, it is a colossal business

12 September 2025
Authorities probe suspected fatal electrocution of worker at Hong Kong school

Authorities probe suspected fatal electrocution of worker at Hong Kong school

Hong Kong authorities are investigating a fatal industrial accident involving a 45-year-old technician suspected of being fatally electrocuted at a primary school in Sheung Shui. Police were alerted at 10.53am on Friday to the incident at the campus on Wo Muk Road in Fanling. The worker, 45, was believed to have been electrocuted before losing

12 September 2025
Outlook clears for Hong Kong property market with rate cuts imminent, JPMorgan says

Outlook clears for Hong Kong property market with rate cuts imminent, JPMorgan says

The worst seems to be over for Hong Kong’s property sector, with more investors likely to snap up distressed assets in the coming months and home sales set to continue improving as the market anticipates faster interest-rate cuts, according to a JPMorgan researcher. The city’s real estate industry had been battered, with several listed property

12 September 2025
Exclusive | Hong Kong to increase non-local student quota to a maximum of 50%

Exclusive | Hong Kong to increase non-local student quota to a maximum of 50%

Hong Kong’s leader will further increase the non-local student quota to a maximum of 50 per cent in next Wednesday’s policy address, while the number of places for local students will remain unchanged, the Post has learned. A source close to the matter told the Post that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu would announce an

12 September 2025