Sixty hot air balloons decorated the skies of Luxor on Monday after weather conditions improved, carrying 875 Egyptians and foreigners 450 meters above the ground to view monuments and temples scattered in the western and eastern banks of the Nile.
The sixty balloons from various companies only flew on four trips due to coronavirus precautionary measures, explained the director of a hot air balloon company in Luxor Hany al-Sayed.
These balloon trips are one of the most adventurous tourism programs for Egyptians and foreigners who visit the monuments and archaeological and tourist destinations in Luxor.
He explained that these trips are conducted in full coordination with Luxor security authorities to maintain the security and safety of all passengers, amid commitment to rules set by authorities to land at the designated airport for air balloons in the west of the city as well as strictly applying precautionary measures, including wearing masks, using disinfectants, measuring body temperatures, and completely sterilizing the balloon after each flight.
The President of the Luxor Association for Tourism and Cultural Development Ayman Abu Zeid expressed his joy at seeing the return of the air balloon flights, calling it one of the most important attractions for Egyptian and foreign tourists.
He added that the return of these trips helps with efforts to revitalize tourism and the return of tourists from different markets around the world to visit Luxor and Aswan.
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak Luxor was the third best country for balloon flights, Zeid said, having operated 1,000 flights annually carrying nearly 216,000 tourists.
Hot air balloon companies are now able to make more daily trips, after allowing balloons to fly at different times of the day, instead of being limited to the early morning hours only, Zeid added.
