Hyderabad Hot Air Balloon Malfunction Reports False

In the morning, 18 hot air balloons operated successfully under DGCA-compliant procedures. All balloons took off, flew, and landed safely as per standard international hot air ballooning practices.

The balloon executed a normal, controlled landing. The landing was not done on a lake as is being circulated in some social media handles. There was no malfunction, emergency, or safety incident, said Captain M. Chouhan, Chief of Staff and Safety Manager, in a statement

“It is important to note that hot air balloons do not have predetermined landing sites and do not operate from runways. They fly in the direction of prevailing winds, and pilots select safe, open landing areas, such as empty fields, in accordance with global aviation norms. All balloon operations were conducted with licensed pilots and registered aircraft," he explained.

“At no point was passenger safety compromised. This clarification is issued for official record and to avoid any misinterpretation arising from unverified public commentary. It is requested not to circulate fake news pertaining to this incident,” he added.

The clarification was issued following reports on social media that a hot air balloon made an emergency landing in mud slush at Neknampur Lake on the suburbs of Hyderabad after it reportedly developed a technical snag in the morning.