Adrenaline attraction venture Zip World will launch its first giant blimp adventure next month. Its Rhyl-based Skyflyer balloon will take passengers 400 feet in the air to enjoy panoramic views over the coast of North Wales and beyond.
The £2.5m project has created an initial 11 full time jobs, while supporting hospitality jobs through Zip World’s partners Denbighshire Leisure who operate Rhyl Pavilion and 1891 restaurant opposite the Skyflyer site.
Zip World anticipates it attracting 50,000 visitors for the remainder of 2023 and then rising significantly to more than 100,000 annually thereafter.
The viewing platform can carry up to 28 passengers at a time with a total payload of 2500kg. The maximum capacity is 112 passengers per hour, with each flight lasting around 15 minutes.
Founder and chief executive of Zip World, Sean Taylor said: “When researching other commercial aerostats globally, I quickly realised that high winds seemed to be a common thread when it came to flight restrictions. The unique design and innovative technology of Skyflyer allows the safe operation in winds of up to 40 knots - this was a game-changer for me in terms of both customer experience and commercial viability.
“Equally, the fact that the operation only requires approximately a 160 square metre footprint means that we can operate in existing high footfall leisure developments as part of an overall tourism or leisure offer. The Skyflyer attraction is of course highly visible and presents some interesting sponsorship opportunities as well. I’m also really excited about exploring ways in which we can use the viewing platform for other activities - watch this space.”
Gwynedd-based Zip World launched its first attraction a decade ago with Zip World Velocity at Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda.
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