Company history
Our mother company Sky Ballonvaarten was founded in 1984 by the passionate aviation man Henny van Loosbroek. What started as a hobby grew out to be a commercial hot air balloon company with 9 sponsored balloons in 2017. Currently Sky Ballonavaarten is managed by Henny’s sons Bram and Daan van Loosbroek who a both experience balloon pilots with over 22 years experience.
In 2012 Bram van Loosbroek and Adika Tour and Travel founded Abyssinia Ballooning. Abyssinia Ballooning now has 2 sponsored balloons (the 10-12 passenger Zemen Bank Balloon and a 2-5 passenger unbranded balloon). Abyssinia operates througout Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Lalibela, Hawassa, Awash National Park and more) and organizes recreational balloon flights for over 1000 passengers per year (nationals, expats, companies, organizations, tourists and more). Abyssinia Ballooning is supported by the Dutch Government in the form of a matching grand (see www.rvo.nl)
By 2018 we aim to have 3-4 passenger balloons operational, employ 25 balloon specialists and have branches in Addis Ababa, Lalibela and Hawassa.
Mission
The mission of Abyssinia Ballooning can be summarized as followed:
Abyssinia Ballooning offers recreational balloon flights in Ethiopia for a fair price. With a lot of enthusiasm and with a focus on guest friendliness we offer a high quality ballooning service. We are only satisfied when our customers are satisfied. Pleasure and a high dosis of humor is important for us. We believe that a healthy company can only arise from empathy towards the needs of sustomers and from empowerment of and trust in our team.
Our services are based on the following pilars:
- Quality: we understand that our customers are about to engage a, for them, unique experience. We understand that they a significant amount of money for that and therefore we make sure that customers receive great value for money. We are happy to make an extra step to make our customers very satisfied.
- Safety: we understand that our customers commence their balloon experience with a certain level of anxiety. We also understand that our customers put their full trust in us. We are trained well in our profession and will always make decisions based on the principal ‘safety first’. We never take any risks with our passengers and will never let commercial preasure lead us.
- Guest friendliness: we very much dislike customer unfriendliness in any way. We understand that customers provide our livelihood. We are very grateful to our customers and will alway show that in guest friendliness and by offering a high quality service.
- Flexibility: we like to adjust our services to the customer’s wishes. What is not possible, is not possible and we will not promise things that are not possible. Often there is a simple and pragmatic solution to a problem. We like to find solutions for and with our customers.
- Team loyalty: we understand that the success of a balloon flight and our company is completely determined by the power and the happiness of our team. Our company is based on mutual trust and team empowerment. There is time for pleasure and fun. We believe motivation and hard work is partly based on that. Within our company there is a great co-worker atmosphere.
- Honesty: we like to do business honestly en we also expect this from our suppliers and customers. We are very proud of our beautiful services and believe that honesty and enthusiasm leads to business success.
Abyssinia Ballooning provides the following services:
- Combined passenger balloon flights, where you make a wonderful sunrise balloon flight together with other passengers from different take-off locations in Ethiopia.
- Private balloon flights, where you book a chartered flight for your own group (6-12 or 2-5 passengers) from a take-off location of your choice (if allowed by Ethiopian government and if the area is suitable for ballooning).
- Various special packages like Balloon & Lodge, Balloon & Spa, Balloon & Hike/Bike.
- Company services like company balloon flights, branded balloons and cold inflatable products.
The vison of Abyssinia Ballooning can be summarized as followed:
Abyssinia Ballooning strives to achieve a financially healthy company and to let people enjoy the wonderous world of hot air ballooning.
Achieved milestones
- Abyssinia Ballooning is the pioneer balloon company of Ethiopia
- We have organized a wonderful balloon experience in Ethiopia for over 2000 balloon passengers by April 2017
- By 2016 we have 2 hot air balloons operational
- We now employ 8 Ethiopians and 4 freelance Ethiopians
Skills
WAT ZEGGEN ONZE KLANTEN
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"What a fantastic and unique experience! En event that we will always remember. The great atmosphere and the way this activity was presented made our balloon flight really spectacular What we really enjoyed is that every passenger was involved in the flight. It is an activity that you experience together with the balloon team. We enjoyed greatly from the beginning to the end. "
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De Menken Keuken
“The contacts of our client Hoogvliet Supermarkten have enjoyed enormously. When we had meetings with them after the balloon flight took place they were still talkin about this unique experience. After this flight we have surprised many more clients with a balloon and they all were very enthusiastic about the experience.”
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Rabobank
“At Sky Ballonvaarten our Rabobank Balloon is in great hands.”
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De Rooi Pannen
“De Rooi Pannen balloon increases the general awareness of our brand in a very differentiating manner”
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ABAB Accountants
''ABAB-relationships are excited about the balloon flights at Sky Ballonvaarten! Good organization, great views and enthusiastic staff of Sky Ballonvaarten.''
