Many travellers search for the Luxor balloon crash before booking, and they deserve a straight answer from an operator rather than silence. This is what happened in 2013, what the investigation found, and how flying in Luxor changed afterwards. We write it with respect for the people who died and their families.
What happened
On the morning of 26 February 2013, a hot air balloon carrying tourists caught fire as it came in to land near Luxor’s West Bank. Nineteen passengers were killed, most of them international visitors, including travellers from Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, France and Hungary. Two people survived, among them the pilot. It remains one of the deadliest ballooning accidents ever recorded.
What the investigation found
Egypt’s prosecutors and civil aviation authorities investigated. Officials ruled out criminal sabotage, and the aviation ministry later attributed the fire to a fuel leak during the landing. Once the fire started and weight left the basket, the balloon rose quickly and the situation became impossible to recover.
What changed afterwards
All balloon flights in Luxor were suspended while the industry was reviewed. When flying resumed, the framework had been rebuilt by the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA). The main changes included:
- Stricter inspection and maintenance, with fuel systems specifically targeted.
- Tighter pilot requirements for licensing, medical fitness and recurrent training.
- Centralised control of take-offs, wind limits and landing areas, rather than leaving them to individual operators.
- Limits on passenger numbers per basket and on the number of flights each morning.
Our full explanation of today’s rules is in Is hot air ballooning in Luxor safe?
Why we talk about it
A marketing page that claims nothing has ever gone wrong does not help anyone choose well. Ballooning is aviation, and aviation is never risk-free. What a passenger can do is choose a licensed, insured operator whose pilots are willing to cancel when conditions are marginal. That is a real choice in Luxor, and it is the reason we publish our weather and cancellation policy openly.
Five questions to ask any Luxor operator
- What is your ECAA operator licence?
- Are passengers insured?
- How many passengers will be in my basket?
- Who is the pilot, and how many hours do they have?
- What happens if the weather cancels my flight?
Meet our pilots and crew, and check who can fly in our requirements guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many people died in the Luxor balloon crash?
Nineteen people were killed in the accident on 26 February 2013.
What caused the 2013 Luxor balloon accident?
Egyptian officials attributed it to a fuel leak that caught fire as the balloon was landing.
Are Luxor balloons safe now?
Commercial ballooning in Luxor is regulated by the ECAA under the stricter rules introduced after 2013. Choose a licensed operator and follow the pilot’s briefing.
