THE “Skyflyer” attraction due to open in Rhyl has come down this afternoon (September 19) as the aerostat felt the force of strong winds from Hurricane Lee.

Located on the town’s seafront, the Zip World airship “all of a sudden just collapsed into itself,” according to a Rhyl resident.

Shortly before 4.30pm today, the airship was seen deflating; the above photo was taken within seconds of it coming down.

In a statement, Zip World said: “We are aware that the Skyflyer aerostat has deflated and our team is currently onsite to manage the situation.

“We would like to reassure the local community that the surrounding area is safe, and apologise for any inconvenience caused”.

Rhyl Journal: The deflated SkyflyerThe deflated Skyflyer (Image: Rhyl Events and Activities)This is the latest in a series of hiccups for the attraction; only last month, residents spotted a tear in the Skyflyer following the sound of a “loud bang”.

Zip World re-inflated the Skyflyer in late June, and has been running tests on the long-awaited attraction since.

It had previously been due to open last summer, and then in March of this year.

Should it get off the ground, the Skyflyer will take passengers 400ft in the air to enjoy panoramic views of the coast of North Wales and beyond.

The Skyflyer was initially inflated prior to an August 2022 launch, but was then delayed until 2023 due to an “engineering and design challenge” found during testing.

Rhyl Journal: The deflated SkyflyerThe deflated Skyflyer (Image: Rhyl Events and Activities)

But after a revised opening date of March 11 was set, this was also postponed just days prior to this.

On a clear day, passengers on the Skyflyer will be able to see all the way to Liverpool and the Wirral, including the peaks of Moel Famau and Snowdonia.

It takes three minutes to fully ascend, and the ride is accessible to wheelchair users, people with other disability needs, people of all ages, and dogs.

The £2.5million project involves a 32-metre inflated balloon that takes 6,750 cubic metres of high-grade helium to inflate.

Automatically controlled while not in operation, the aerostat can face into prevailing winds even when in its moored position using a rotating platform.

And its viewing platform, which is attached below the envelope, can carry up to 28 passengers at a time with a total payload of 2,500kg.

Its maximum capacity is 112 passengers per hour, with each flight lasting about 15 minutes.