THERE will be no Skyflyer coming to Rhyl after all, following the news that Zip World has stopped the development of its highly anticipated airship.
This was confirmed by the company last week, after the aerostat had faced engineering issues, a tear in its design, and the full force of heavy winds.
It had planned to take passengers in a 32-metre inflated balloon, 400ft in the air, to enjoy panoramic views of the coast of North Wales and beyond.
On a clear day, passengers on the Skyflyer would have been able to see all the way to Liverpool and the Wirral, including the peaks of Moel Famau and Snowdonia.
Here’s a look back at how the £2.5million never quite managed to take off:
April 2021 – Plans lodged to get Skyflyer off the ground
The initial planning application for the Skyflyer was submitted to Denbighshire County Council two-and-a-half years ago.
Zip World founder Sean Taylor said: “This is a fantastic attraction for Rhyl, as well as the whole of North Wales, and will see visitors from all over the country.
"The success of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd’s recent projects and investments has given us and other businesses the confidence to invest in the Skyflyer and the Rhyl seafront.
“Rhyl is definitely a sleeping giant, it is on the up and we’re excited to be part of that.”
September 2021 – Skyflyer given green light for take-off
It is just more than two years ago since proposals to build the Skyflyer were initially granted approval by Denbighshire County Council's planning committee.
At a meeting on September 8, 2021, there was 18 votes in favour of the plans, with no councillors abstaining.
Cllr Barry Mellor, who represents the Rhyl East ward in which the Skyflyer would have been situated, said at the time: “The Skyflyer is something very new, but the entrepreneur who is bringing this to Rhyl has a very good track record of exciting and adventurous developments, the zipwire in Snowdonia just being one of them.
“There is no liability on the council, so I really think it is worth giving it a go. It could become a real destination in North Wales."
July and August 2022 – Opening dates postponed as Skyflyer is inflated for the first time
Zip World had initially hoped to launch the Skyflyer on July 21, 2022, and for it to be joined on-site by “Big Red”, a mini zip line ideal for families to enjoy together.
But that was postponed due to the wind and weather conditions not being ideal to perform the first full inflation.
On July 27, residents then spotted the airship being inflated for the first time, ahead of a revised opening date of August 3.
Sadly, that didn’t go to plan, either, as on July 29, an “engineering and design challenge” led Zip World to postpone its launch until 2023 at the earliest.
The Skyflyer was deflated the following week.
March 2023 – Another ‘setback’ causes further delays
In February, a new opening date was set of March 11, only for this to fall by the wayside due to a “manufacturing issue”.
This caused an indefinite postponement, and led to the another re-inflation of the Skyflyer.
June 2023 – The Skyflyer returns to Rhyl’s seafront
Though no new opening dates were given after that, the Skyflyer was re-inflated on June 28 so that it could undergo further testing.
A Zip World spokesperson said: "You may have seen the inflation process in March, and whilst we were disappointed that some manufacturing challenges paused the launch of Skyflyer, we are pleased to say that we have now re-inflated the aerostat for testing on the evening of June 28.
"Now inflated, the aerostat will be undergoing rigorous testing for the foreseeable future.”
August 2023 – ‘Loud bang’ heard as residents spot tear in Skyflyer
After more than a month of testing, the Skyflyer suffered another setback in early August when residents spotted after a tear in the airship.
A resident said that, at about 5.15pm on August 5, they heard a “loud bang” before noticing that the Skyflyer had “popped”, before informing Zip World.
Another told the Journal that it appeared the Skyflyer’s “seams had split” and that its “wires had come off”.
Zip World responded by saying: “We are currently making temporary repairs to the Skyflyer following a tear to the outer layer of the air cushion which supports the aerostat.
“We would like to reassure the local community that the surrounding area is safe, and apologise for any concern caused.”
September 2023 – Skyflyer falls foul of Hurricane Lee
The heavy winds which Hurricane Lee brought to North Wales last month proved too much for the Skyflyer to endure, as it was brought down on September 19.
According to a Rhyl resident, the airship “all of a sudden just collapsed into itself” shortly before 4.30pm that day.
In a statement, Zip World said: “We are aware that the Skyflyer aerostat has deflated and our team is currently onsite to manage the situation.
“We would like to reassure the local community that the surrounding area is safe, and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
October 2023 – No way back for the Skyflyer
The September episode ultimately proved the final nail in the coffin for the Skyflyer.
On October 6, Zip World confirmed that it will not be continuing with the development, following the numerous issues it had faced.
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.”
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