The government said on Thursday it has banned hot air balloons from carrying passengers at the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest at the Central Harbourfront, citing safety concerns.

In a statement, officials explained that the organiser carried out a test on August 20, but the results were unsatisfactory.

Authorities observed that the balloons were heavily affected by wind direction and speed, making them difficult to control and creating “significant safety risks”.

A second test was held on Wednesday. After reviewing the results, the government approved the balloons for display purposes only at the four-day event, but not for carrying passengers.

“The government has always put safety first during the approval process while doing our best to support the smooth running of the event. Considering there was not enough time for further passenger tests to properly assess safety, the approval does not include carrying passengers,” the statement said.

According to the event website, the ride was priced at HK$580 per person, with balloons expected to rise 10 to 20 metres, carrying two to four passengers for a few minutes per ride.

The event organiser thanked government departments for their support and said after months of communication and technical demonstrations, they were pleased to have secured government approval for flying captive balloons within the venue for display purposes, with no passengers on board.