Hot air balloon lands in Slovenia

Slovenia is reaching new heights - literally - as Murska Sobota becomes home to the country's first hot air balloon factory. Launched by Turkish industry giant Pasha Balloons, it plans to craft more than 100 balloons a year, from classic passenger models to custom shapes, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The Cappadocia-based company that has been present on the markets of Asia, Africa, and South America for decades, but its Slovenian factory is targeting the European market, director Mehmet Halis Aydogan has told the Slovenian Press Agency.

More than €1.5 million has so far been invested in the facility.

"We are striving to become one of the largest hot air balloon manufacturers in the world."

Timi Gomboc, the company's consultant in Slovenia and deputy mayor of Murska Sobota, said that this is precisely the reason why Pasha Balloons has come to Murska Sobota.

"Here, they will meet all the requirements under EU law and obtain all the necessary certificates from the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Slovenian Civil Aviation Agency."

The Murska Sobota location is no coincidence, either.

"The city has been recognised as a strategic location for our expansion in Europe," he said.

Big plans for the future

In the coming months, when the facility is expected to become fully operational, it will employ more than 40 people, from engineers and seamstresses to production workers and administrative staff, Gomboc said.

The factory is expected to be able to put out more than 100 hot air balloons annually in the coming years. Special shaped balloons will also be produced, including models that depict fairy-tale characters and corporate mascots.

Aydogan said that emphasis will be placed both on innovation and traditional, handmade quality, but a research and education centre will also operate there.

"We are not just launching a production facility, but a European centre where we are developing cultural and social projects," he said.

One such effort is the initiative to twin Murska Sobota with the city of Ürgüp in Cappadocia, and joint organisation of hot air balloon festivals.

The first such event will be held from 28 to 31 August, when Murska Sobota, long home to hot air balloon competitions due to its geography, will host the Sobota Balonfest, a festival of custom-shaped hot air balloons.

"Our goal is to make Sobota Balonfest the largest hot air balloon festival in Europe within five years. The colourful balloons are not just a visual spectacle - we want them to become part of the city's identity," Gomboc said.