History
The DHL Balloon was first located on Tan Quee Lan Street in the Downtown Core of Singapore, near the New 7th Storey Hotel and Bugis MRT Station. Launched at a cost of $2.5 million, the DHL Balloon was a joint venture by Aerophile Balloon Singapore Pte Ltd and Vertical Adventure Pte Ltd, and took one year to plan. The project was sponsored by global courier, freight and logistics company DHL Express which received exclusive advertising space on the balloon.
The business partners involved in the project worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore Land Authority and Singapore Tourism Board to allow public advertising on the balloon, and arranged to lease the site at a cost of more than S$1 million over two years. Prior to this project, large advertisements in public areas were not allowed in Singapore. S$800,000 was spent priming the ground for the balloon and another S$60,000 to purchase the helium.
On 19 April 2006, 40 crew members took 12 hours to inflate the French-made balloon, which took its first passengers in May 2006. The DHL Balloon was operated by Singapore Ducktours, a company which also offers city tours on its amphibious vehicles. By September 2007, more than 150,000 people had ridden on the balloon, 70% of whom were tourists. Up to 1,000 people rode the balloon each weekend and its usage was the highest among all of Aerophile's balloons.
The DHL Balloon's lease on its site on Tan Quee Lan Street expired in August 2008 and URA terminated the lease as the site was to be used for the new Bugis MRT Station. Singapore Ducktours considered three alternative sites: Beach Road near Park View Hotel, Clarke Quay near Novotel Clarke Quay Hotel, and Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay but was told by the authorities that these sites were unavailable. Other plans included relocating the balloon to Kuala Lumpur or Johor Baru in Malaysia. Terminating the venture would cost the company S$1.2 million.
Unable to find a suitable site at which to continue operations, Singapore Ducktours dismantled the DHL Balloon in October 2008.
NB: With a capacity of 7,800 cubic metres, the Lindstrand Technologies Hiflyer's in Johannesburg and Mexico City are believed to be the largest passenger carrying tethered helium balloons currently in operation.
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