SINGAPORE - The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is not allowing a Singapore firm to launch a space balloon from here for safety reasons.

IN.Genius which planned to launch a near space balloon, which would have gone up to about 70,000 feet, on National Day had approached the authority about its plans.

In a release on Friday, the CAAS said: "Given the high density of air traffic in our skies and of the populace, space balloon flights cannot be launched from Singapore due to safety risks to aircraft in the Singapore Flight Information Region, as well as to lives and property on the ground."

In other countries where such flights have been done, they are carried out in specially designated facilities far away from civilian air traffic and populated areas.

IN.Genius had been informed of the authority's position in late 2013, the CAAS said.