Hot air balloons return to Cappadocia’s skies

NEVŞEHİR

Alamy Photo

Hot air balloons in Cappadocia, whose activities were suspended in line with COVID-19 measures, took off for a test flight with pilots who have received training.

Eleven hot air balloons prepared for the flight and rose one after the other to the sky at sunrise in Kılıçlar Valley in the Central Anatolian province of Göreme district.

Hot air balloons floating in the sky of the region covered with fairy chimneys and natural rock formations witnessed colorful images.

Teacher pilot Üzeyir Kardaş noted that hot air balloons, whose tours were stopped during the outbreak process, brought excitement to the region again, even with a test flight.

Kardaş stated that training flights are allowed as of June 1, and tours for tourists will begin on July 1.

“We color Cappadocia with test flights. In Cappadocia, under normal conditions, 150 hot air balloons fly commercially in one day,” Kardaş said.

“Now when it comes to Cappadocia, balloons come to mind. Cappadocia gets a more colorful image with balloons. Tourists come to the area to join more hot air balloon tours,” Kardaş added.

The flights planned within the scope of the training activities took about one hour.