Photo credits: Monaco Balloning Team
The skies over Monaco and beyond are welcoming a new emblem of national pride. The Monaco Ballooning Team, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, concluded 2025 with a series of landmark achievements and has launched 2026 with renewed ambition. From the shores of the Principality to the airspace of Qatar and Italy, the team’s national hot-air balloon is rapidly establishing itself as a global ambassador for Monaco.
The year 2025 proved to be a turning point for the club. Central to this momentum was the unveiling of the Monaco-Moravia balloon. Presented to the public at the Monaco Yacht Show on the Terrasses du Soleil and later during an exclusive evening on Palace Square, the new balloon introduced the world to a national, eco-friendly aerial vessel created in partnership with Moravia Yachting.
Photo credits: EdWrightImages
Following its debut, the team embarked on a major international mission, attending one of the world’s largest balloon gatherings in Qatar. There, Les Aéronautes de Monaco proudly flew the red-and-white colors alongside crews from across the globe. The event underscored the club’s rising international stature. “The invitation we received to take part in the 6th Qatar Balloon Festival in December is a great recognition of the quality of our team. We are proud to have had the privilege of representing the Principality at this exceptional event,” said Alain Cruteanschii, President of the Monaco Ballooning Team.
The Qatar journey marked the culmination of an already intensive year, during which the club’s profile and operations steadily expanded. Cruteanschii emphasized the importance of the new partnership with Moravia Yachting: “It gives us the means to match our international ambitions and to showcase the image of the Principality around the world by taking part in the greatest aeronautical events on the planet. We are currently responding to numerous invitations from all continents.”
Photo credits: Photo EdWrightImages
A Bold Launch for 2026
True to tradition, the Monaco Ballooning Team began 2026 in Italy at the International Mondovì Festival, a flagship event that has served as the club’s annual opening for several seasons. The Monaco-Moravia balloon took flight in a warm and collegial atmosphere, reaffirming the team’s deep connection to this established rendezvous. “The city of Mondovì is the official operational base of the Monaco Ballooning Team, and we are full members of the Mondovì Aero Club. These few days on site mark the beginning of the aeronautical year and allow us to generate beautiful images,” said Cruteanschii.
The club’s ambitions for 2026 are extensive. Upcoming engagements include the International Balloon Festival of Château-d’Oex in Switzerland from January 24 to February 1, expected to bring together the largest assembly of mountain balloons in the world. Additionally, the team plans to participate in a historic attempt to cross the English Channel with 200 balloons, pending favorable weather before April 30. The season will also include tours of iconic Alpine locations such as Gstaad, Verbier, Méribel, and Courchevel for a television production highlighting the team’s work.
Within Monaco, the team continues to enjoy the unwavering support of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, who has authorized balloon launches from Palace Square. Cruteanschii indicated that such events, involving eco-friendly balloons, could set the stage for the inaugural Prince Albert II Cup in 2027.
As Monaco asserts itself on the international aeronautical stage, the Monaco-Moravia balloon carries not only the colors of the Principality but also its commitment to ecological innovation in the skies.