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TOWERING SIGHT: The wheel (right), which measures 165m in height, offers a 360-degree view across the island as well as neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia. It is expected to draw some 2.5 million people in its first year.
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THE Singapore Flyer, the first in a new wave of attractions in the Marina Bay area, took its maiden flight yesterday with 700 people on board.
They took in the views to be had 42 storeys off the ground at the observation wheel's highest point, in what everyone found to be a smooth, stable ride.
The capsules were spacious enough for passengers to mill about to catch the views of sea and city.
The 700 people were guests of 17 companies - banks like ABN-Amro, Citibank and Credit Suisse and retailers like Carrefour among them - which paid $8,888 to put 26 guests into each of the Flyer's 28 capsules.
And in keeping with the Chinese New Year season, yusheng, the raw fish salad, was served on board.
Mrs M.H. Teo, 41, a guest of ABN-Amro, comparing the ride to a six-seater ferris wheel she rode on in Taiwan three years ago, said: 'This is better. We get to walk around to see the different views, rather than having to sit still on a seat.'
Earlier, security was tight as people were boarding the capsules, with all bags being put through metal detectors.
All passengers had their own bar-coded boarding passes, which were read by scanners before they were let past the turnstile.
On the boarding platform, they stepped gingerly on board as each capsule swept up, without pause.
It was slightly hazy, and the sun was just about setting.
Two minutes after boarding, the skyline of the Central Business District came into view, followed by the Esplanade and the crane-littered site of the Marina Bay integrated resort.
The sights tripped off a photo-taking frenzy among those armed with cameras.
The Flyer made two rounds on this inaugural flight, though it will, as a matter of course, make just one when it is open to the general public from March 1.
Each capsule hit the highest point about 15 minutes into the half hour it takes to make one round, at which point passengers saw the East Coast Parkway and the now-defunct Kallang Stadium laid out far below.
The operators of the Flyer promise that, on a clear day, at 165m aloft, the view will stretch 45km across the island and even into neighbouring Malaysia to the north and Indonesia to the south.
From now until the end of this month, the Flyer will be used for private functions like yesterday's launch.
The $240 million observation wheel, inspired by the London Eye, is 30m taller than its British cousin.
It is expected to draw some 2.5 million people in its first year. Taking two years to build, its opening comes before that of the Gardens By The Bay and the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort.
These attractions are part of Singapore's arsenal to grow its tourism industry, and draw in 17 million visitors by 2015.
huichieh@sph.com.sg
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