In the picturesque ambience of the Hacienda Son Antem Golf Resort on the sunny island of Mallorca, the ceremonial christening of the new Eurowings hot air balloon took place. Around 60 invited guests, including high-calibre personalities from politics, economics, and the media, gathered to celebrate this special event together with Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof and entrepreneur and presenter Victoria Swarovski.

From April Fool’s joke to reality: the new balloon bears the illustrious name Burgundy Dreams Victoria I – a tribute to the dream destinations that Eurowings flies to every day. The large, colourful balloon is eight storeys high (22 metres) and bears the colours and lettering of Eurowings. That alone is not what makes it special though, as it is the first hot air balloon in jet design to show the outline of an aeroplane: a cockpit at the front, the tail unit at the back and the wings on the sides.

The story began as an April Fool’s joke: ‘Eurowings is entering the hot-air ballooning business,’ read a press release from 1 April 2024. The response to the story was so great that balloon pilots applied to Eurowings by the dozen and numerous interested parties asked when the Mallorca flights in the burgundy balloon would actually start. In view of the euphoria, Germany’s No. 1 holiday airline remembered its favourite role as a dream fulfiller – and had the unusual flying object produced without further ado. The balloon was customised in a factory in Barcelona. From now on, it will float over the island as a landmark for ten years.

The decision to christen the balloon Mallorca is no coincidence: the island has been an absolute favourite destination for Germans for decades and is also a second home for Eurowings. ‘With our largest international station and now almost 1,000 employees, Mallorca is our centrepiece outside Germany,’ says Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof.

The naming ceremony ended with an impressive ascent of the balloon into the evening sky of Mallorca. From now on, the Burgundy Dreams Victoria I symbolises not only the passion for travel, but also the lightness and all the emotional experiences that Eurowings stands for as Germany’s largest vacation airline.