Number of balloon trips down by 20 pct after crash in Cappadocia

NEVŞEHİR - Anatolia News Agency

The crash on May 20 killed three Brazilian tourists and wounded 22 people. Commercial balloon flights carry about 700,000 tourists every year. AA photo

Due to the balloon crash that occurred May 20 in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir’s Ürgüp district, also known as the Cappadocia region, only about 90 balloons lifted off yesterday, a decrease of 20 percent.

Three Brazilian tourists were killed and 22 people were injured in the accident. Nineteen of the injured tourists are currently receiving medical treatment in Nevşehir, while the other three are at the intensive care units of Kayseri province’s Erciyes University Medical Faculty Hospital and Private Acıbadem Hospital.

21 different balloon firms

In the Cappadocia region, a popular tourist destination and a key centre for commercial flights in the hot-air balloon sector, there are 170 certified hot-air balloons owned by 21 different firms. In the region, about 2,000 tourists take balloon tours each day, which corresponds to an average of 700,000 tourists annually.

Pilots of these balloons first undergo some courses that train them on 12 different subjects such as communication and meteorology. At the end of these courses, which last about three or four months, they take Private Pilot Licenses, if they pass the required tests.