Cappadocia

It all started in 1984...

While the first hot air balloon flight was operated by Raks (Casette Tape Firm) for promotional purposes in Cappadocia in 1984, the first commercial flight with passengers was made seven years after in 1991 by Robinson Club (owner of today’s Lyki Lodge Kapadokya Hotel). Those commercial flights are commonly accepted to have been piloted by Kal and Lars. Almost all of passengers participating in those commercial flights were the customers staying in Robinson Hotel.

New balloon operators launched in years between 2000-2010.

As demand for hot air balloon flights increases over time, Cappadocian tourism players have significantly commenced investing in the hot air balloon sector, launching their firms. During the period between 2000-2010, more than 15 balloon operators founded as a result of the rising attractiveness of the industry. The number of balloons rising daily over Cappadocia has dramatically increased from 5 to 100 in less than ten years.

Hot air balloon slot allocation system introduced in 2013 to reduce air traffic in Cappadocia.

In the 2010s, the number of flights performed daily reached an alarming level in Cappadocia, elevating collision risk. This in return arose the need for further limitations on the number of balloons operating at the same time of day. To address the problem of air traffic congestion, the Civil Aviation Authority of Turkey introduced a wide range of regulations including a slot allocation system for the flight zone of Cappadocia. As a result, the number of balloons that are permitted to operate in a day in Cappadocia has been limited to 154.

Since hot air ballooning is an extremely weather-dependent activity, weather-related cancellations are highly common However, Cappadocia has ideal weather conditions (light winds, high visibility, no rain or storm) for hot air balloons, permitting balloons to fly around 250 days in a year.

There are 27 hot air balloon operators in Cappadocia with flight operation licenses. Each company has different passenger capacity and slot rights.

The pricing for hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia is influenced by various factors such as the season, time of the day, the number of passengers, and the operator’s reputation. During peak tourist season, which is from May to October, the balloon flight prices are generally higher than during the off-season.