Zip World’s Skyflyer won't be coming to Rhyl after new setback

Zip World, the company responsible for the airship, confirmed the news this afternoon (October 6), saying it is “hugely disappointed” to have to stop its development.

It follows a number of setbacks experienced, with the Skyflyer having initially been planned to open in the summer of 2022.

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Zip World’s Skyflyer in Rhyl brought down as heavy winds deflate it

In August, residents then spotted a tear in the Skyflyer following the sound of a “loud bang”, before strong winds last month caused the aerostat to come down.

The deflated Skyflyer (Image: Rhyl Events and Activities)

Zip World had re-inflated the Skyflyer in late June, and was running tests on attraction until the winds brought it down.

A Zip World statement read: “Following a fault with Skyflyer last month, which caused the aerostat to deflate, we have now safely removed the aerostat from the site in Rhyl.

“Our primary aim has always been to work alongside the manufacturer to get Skyflyer operational, and we’re hugely disappointed the latest incident has resulted in us coming to the conclusion that this is not possible.

“Sadly, we’ve taken the decision to stop any, and all, further development of the Skyflyer experience.

“We understand that many in the local community will be disappointed with this updated, and we share their frustration.

“At present, we are in the preliminary stages with Denbighshire Leisure of exploring other alternative options for the Rhyl site.

“All customers with Skyflyer bookings or vouchers will be contacted directly by our adventure booking team.”

Located on Rhyl’s seafront, Skyflyer aimed to take passengers 400ft in the air to enjoy panoramic views of the coast of North Wales and beyond.

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