Up, up and away

Hundreds of hot-air balloons of various colours, shapes and sizes took flight yesterday morning at the Mondial Air Ballons festival in Chambley Planet'Air aerodrome in north-east France in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons taking off together in less than an hour.

Though the record eventually remained unbroken, the dazzling spectacle of balloons was still a treat for the thousands of international visitors who had gathered for the event.

In its 16th edition this year, the biennial festival is one of the world's biggest hot-air balloon assemblies.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 30, 2019, with the headline Up, up and away. Subscribe