Prince Albert II of Monaco Cup cancelled and postponed
Prince Albert II of Monaco Cup postponed due to weather conditions © Les Aéronautes de Monaco / Ed Wright
Initially scheduled for the first quarter of 2024, the hot-air balloons won’t be lifting off until Q1 2025.
The new event, due to be launched this year, will instead begin in early 2025. The pilots were scheduled to take flight between February 1 and April 30 depending on weather conditions. Unfortunately, conditions were unsuitable and the organisers decided to postpone the Coupe Prince Albert II as a precaution.
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On 21 May 2024, Ballon Monaco made an announcement, explaining the reasons for the delay in detail: “Unstable weather conditions caused by global warming and the Principality’s particularly high urban density meant that we were unable to take off in the optimum safety conditions required.”
As a reminder, the competition is open to environmentally conscious pilots with the aim of showcasing ecological and efficient engineering. The route planned for this year would have involved the competitors taking off in Monaco, then crossing France before landing in Piedmont in northern Italy.