Strong winds during May caused hot air balloon tours to be postponed at the 2013 Beijing International Garden Expo. Photo: CFP

Lin Peng couldn't hide his disappointment when he arrived at the Beijing International Garden Expo shortly after its opening only to be told by staff hot air balloon tours had been grounded.

"Why? I came all the way here especially for a hot air balloon tour," moaned Lin, a 21-year-old university student. "Why wasn't it announced in the media beforehand?"

A staff member calmly informed Lin they had only received notice that tours had been postponed a day earlier.

Ahead of the expo's opening last month, local media had listed hot air balloon tours as one of the event's highlights. The six-month expo is Beijing's first public event to host hot air balloon tours, the Beijing News reported, with visitors able to enjoy 10-minute rides 50 meters above the 20,000-square-meter expo park in Fengtai district for 150 yuan ($25).

Tours were to begin on May 7, yet so far only hot air balloons carrying solitary pilots have floated above the park on trial flights.

"[The delay of tours] is due to safety concerns. We are still negotiating with [expo] officials," said Hao Fengni, assistant manager of expo partner Colavia Technology, which is responsible for coordinating the tours.

Strong winds throughout May made it too dangerous for hot air balloon flights, although tours will start from June 21 if the weather is suitable, Hao added.

Hot air balloon pilot Xu Shuaijun, 33, said such caution was necessary given hazardous local conditions. "North China is famous for its windy weather. Hot air balloons have no propulsion device, making it dangerous to fly when windy," Xu said.

Hot air balloons took off in China in 1982, when they were introduced by American media tycoon Malcolm Forbes as a diplomatic gesture.

In 1987, China held its first national hot air balloon competition in Xiangfan (now known as Xiangyang), Hubei Province. The activity has particularly grown in popularity in South China over recent years, with Hainan's provincial capital Haikou hosting an annual hot air balloon festival since 2007.

"Flying a hot air balloon is one of the best sports in the world. Climbing high and drifting with the wind, seeing the world from above [is something that] you never forget once you experience it," said Xu.

But a series of accidents, some of them fatal, has tarnished the appeal of ballooning among many tourists. On February 26, the deadliest hot air ballooning accident in history claimed the lives of 19 tourists, including nine from Hong Kong, near Luxor, Egypt. In 2009, four Dutch tourists were killed after pilots lost control of their hot air balloon, which burst into flames in Lipu, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Xu said such tragedies had hindered the development of hot air ballooning in China. "Now, hot air balloon pilots hardly get the chance to fly. The only opportunities come at events such as the Haikou Balloon Festival and shows hosted by the Aero Sports Federation of China (ASFC)," said Xu.

"The major risk of flying hot air balloons is the danger of fire breaking out. If a balloon erupts into flames during flight, it's difficult to avoid casualties. But if the quality of balloons is reliable and pilots are well-trained, it is the safest aircraft you can imagine."

Wu Xi, a hot air balloon event organizer with the ASFC, said aviation laws need to be amended to help ballooning soar higher in popularity.

"Hot air balloons differ greatly from planes in terms of cost and maintenance, but the law does not distinguish between the two forms of aircraft," said Wu.

"This means if a company wants to operate hot air balloon tours they must prove they have funds on par with an airplane tour company, which excludes many from the ballooning industry."