Ballooning Cleared For Takeoff in ABQ

NM – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham helped to deliver recent positive news for Albuquerque’s ballooning community upon the FAA’s decision to permit hot air balloons to continue operation in Albuquerque’s airspace. The 2020 ADS-B Out regulations would have prohibited hot air balloons in Albuquerque’s (ABQ) Class-C airspace because such equipment is incompatible with balloons. The newly amended policy, however, will allow balloonists to operate in the airspace as long as operators sign an LOA with the FAA to ensure proper operational procedures.

The LOA will be valid until March of 2023. In the interim, the FAA will create a safety risk panel with community members to develop a long-term solution. Gov. Lujan Grisham advocated for the local ballooning community to the White House and federal transportation officials and highlighted the financial, cultural, and safety benefits of ballooning in the region. Albuquerque hosts 40,000 balloon passengers on an annual basis and is home to more than 125 balloon pilots and crews.