At dawn over Hyderabad, two hot air balloons drift to shape city’s tourism plans

As the city was just beginning to wake up, Hyderabad revealed itself from a rarely seen vantage point on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) morning. At 7 a.m., two hot air balloon slowly lifted off from Jalamandali Park in Gandipet, carrying its passengers above the cityscape in what was a trial flight ahead of the hot air balloon festival scheduled from January 16 to 18.

The flight duration spanned about an hour doing 12 kilometres and landed in Osman Nagar at around 8.10 a.m.

This reporter was among the passengers on the flight organised by Telangana Tourism as part of preparatory exercises before the festival opens to the public. Unlike conventional aviation, there was no fixed runway or landing strip. Once airborne, the balloon drifted with the wind, its eventual landing point determined by real-time weather conditions rather than a predetermined destination. This balloon landed after a 20-minute flight.

From above, the familiar geography of Hyderabad appeared quieter and more expansive. Roads that usually thrum with traffic lay sparse, while clusters of buildings blended into patches of green and water bodies. For the pilots, the flight was less about spectacle and more about orientation. “The exercise was intended to help pilots understand the city’s terrain, wind behaviour, and safe landing options before tourist flights commence later this week,” said an official from Telangana Tourism.

The early-morning launch allowed pilots to observe wind patterns at low altitudes, which play a crucial role in hot air ballooning. Safety protocols, communication between ground crews, and landing procedures were also part of the trial.

The three-day festival, to be held from January 16 to 18, is being positioned as an experiential tourism initiative aimed at adding an adventure component to Hyderabad’s tourism portfolio. Multiple balloons are expected to take to the skies from Parade Grounds, Secunderabad during the festival period, offering residents and visitors a new way to view the city.