Türkiye’s skies were more crowded than ever in 2024, as hot air balloon tourism soared to a historic high with a record-breaking 933,195 tourists taking flight across seven scenic regions.
According to data compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM), this marks a 25% increase compared to 2023, making it the highest number of hot air balloon passengers in the country’s history.
Flights were conducted in seven regions known for their natural beauty and cultural significance:
Cappadocia and Çat in Nevşehir,
Pamukkale in Denizli,
Soğanlı in Kayseri,
Aspendos in Antalya,
Ihlara Valley in Aksaray, and
The Phrygian Valley in Afyonkarahisar.
These iconic locations hosted a total of 43,283 balloon flights throughout the year, operated by 71 licensed companies using a fleet of 441 hot air balloons.
Leading the surge was Cappadocia, world-renowned for its dreamlike landscapes and breathtaking sunrise flights. The region continues to serve as the heart of Türkiye’s balloon tourism industry.
In comparison, 747,203 tourists took balloon rides in 2023, when the country had a fleet of 431 balloons—highlighting both growing demand and the sector’s rapid development.
Khamenei's successor to be announced as Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join ...
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be '...
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the Uni...
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, inc...
Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport came under attack in heavy airstrikes on early Saturday morning (7 March), Iranian ne...
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
A powerful winter storm has struck the north-east United States, placing nearly 60 million people under weather warnings. States of emergency have been declared across multiple states and forcing a travel ban in New York City as heavy snow, fierce winds and coastal flooding batter the region.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
The Aerospace Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry has declared 2026 the Year of Visiting Baikonur, marking a strategic shift in how the famous cosmodrome is presented internationally.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be 'hit very hard'. His comments came a week into the conflict with Iran, which has spread across the Middle East.
The Azerbaijani State Security Service has said it has stopped Iran committing terror attacks against four targets in the country: Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan, a leader of the Mountain Jews religious community and the "Ashkenazi" synagogue.
The Israeli military says it has destroyed an underground bunker beneath Iran’s leadership complex in Tehran that it claims was built for former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Key humanitarian air, sea and land routes are being constricted by disruption from the war in the Middle East, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world's worst crises, 10 aid officials have told Reuters.
Global market valuation of virtual currencies has surged to an unprecedented $2.73 trillion, approaching half the value of the world’s gold reserves. Yet for many investors, the promise of decentralisation is overshadowed by a growing concern: digital assets may be seized without prior warning.
Emirates and Etihad Airways were resuming limited flight schedules to key global cities from their United Arab Emirates hubs on Friday (6 March), though the ongoing threat of missile fire piled pressure on airlines.
Air fares between Asia and Europe have surged after major Gulf hubs, including Dubai, partially reopened following closures linked to the conflict between Israel, the U.S. and Iran. Airlines are still rerouting flights around restricted airspace, cutting economy seat supply and pushing up prices.
Global air travel remained in turmoil on Monday after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory strikes in the Gulf region prompted widespread airspace closures across the Middle East, disrupting one of the world’s most important aviation corridors.
Chinese travellers made an estimated 362.58 million cross-regional passenger trips on Monday, the final day of the Spring Festival holiday, according to official data.
A powerful winter storm has brought large parts of the U.S. Northeast to a standstill, dumping more than 30 cms (a foot) of snow across several states and severely disrupting transport and daily life.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment