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.
EU’s increasing focus on connectivity — not only within the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region but extending towards Central Asia and Türkiye was a key message throughout the Business Forum held in Warsaw under the Polish EU Council Presidency.
Türkiye has firmly rejected Greece's unilateral actions and claims regarding maritime spatial planning (MSP) in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, asserting that these actions will have no legal consequences for Ankara.
Azerbaijani Speaker Sahiba Gafarova and Turkish official Hulusi Akar reaffirmed strong bilateral ties, praising growing parliamentary cooperation, regional unity, and post-war reconstruction during their meeting in Baku.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced on Tuesday that 234 senior members of transnational crime networks were detained in an operation covering five countries. The operation is being hailed as one of the most significant anti-organized crime crackdowns in recent years.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone, discussing the situations in Syria, Gaza, and efforts for a Ukraine ceasefire, according to diplomatic sources.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
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Starting this week, three major Japanese airports will introduce new electronic kiosks to streamline immigration and customs checks. This will simplify the current process, which requires passports to be shown multiple times.
From Wednesday, European visitors to Britain will need to purchase an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before arriving, as the UK implements new pre-entry screening measures to tighten border controls.
The head of IATA downplayed concerns that potential US trade tariffs would disrupt the ongoing surge in travel demand. While acknowledging added uncertainty, he suggested that Trump’s policies might ultimately benefit the airline industry by promoting consolidation and regulatory changes.
Greenland has recorded a significant surge in the number of tourists visiting the country after latest data showed a 14% increase in the number of passengers on international flights arriving in the country alongside a rise in hotel bookings.
An Air India flight from Mumbai to New York returned to Mumbai following a bomb threat on Monday morning.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
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