There’s even more adrenaline to be found at The O2 Arena. On March 10, iFLY opened its first London location at the arena and entertainment hub on the Greenwich peninsula in the southeast section of the city. The location joins sister U.K. properties in Basingstoke, Manchester, and Milton Keynes.
“The O2 is all about experiences, and we’re constantly exploring ways to keep our offering exciting, fresh, and enticing for visitors to The O2, come day or night,” said Janine Constantin-Russel, managing director at Icon Outlet at The O2, and the entertainment district at The O2. “I can think of no better place to launch London’s first indoor skydiving experience than a destination that is known to raise the roof on a daily basis!”
At the iFLY tower in London, adventure-seekers can suit up and float on a cushion of air inside the vertical wind tunnels during 60-minute sessions, including preflight training and an energetic flight demonstration by extensively trained instructors.
London’s newest thrilling entertainment hot spot includes a 360-degree viewing platform so friends, family, and other guests can enjoy the flights while keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground. But for those living the dream of flying, CEO Matt Ryan says, “The most important thing is just to relax.”
The O2 Is a Prime Location for iFLY
The company is delighted to be the first to bring the thrill of indoor flight to London. Simon Ward, CEO at iFLY International, explained that the company believes “everyone, at any age or ability, should have the opportunity to experience the pure, unadulterated joy of human flight.” “Opening the experience to Londoners is the next step in our mission to deliver the dream of flight to everyone,” stated Ward.
Landing at The O2, a 15-minute trip from Central London, is on-brand for iFLY. The company prefers to build vertical wind tunnels in high-visibility places. “It’s an iconic location,” Ryan said.
There is something for everyone to enjoy at the sizable entertainment district. The O2 Arena, formerly the North Greenwich Arena for the 2012 Summer Olympics, welcomes the biggest names in music, including The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Sam Smith, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and “The Boss” himself, Bruce Springsteen.
Guests who flock to The O2 for the Cineworld cinema, trampoline park, or range of restaurants and bars can now soar to new heights at iFLY.
Expansion Plans
The lively London location is just one facet of the company’s extensive expansion plans, including opening three to five more areas yearly, Ryan shared. In the United States and Canada, it plans to open a new location in Long Island City, New York; Boston; St. Louis; Las Vegas; Edison, New Jersey; North Carolina; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
According to Ryan, the company will also continue expanding the franchise and licensee business. He says that iFLY identified an additional 100-plus locations worldwide in its core markets. “People will travel for an experience, and there are plenty of markets around the world,” added Ryan.
Experience the Thrill of Flying
The first recorded human flight inside a vertical wind tunnel occurred in 1964. A NASA scientist working on the Apollo space program built one on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio for research purposes. And Jack Tiffany, a skilled machinist — and Green Beret with over 3,000 jumps — became the first person to experience soaring inside the vertical wind tunnel.
For those unfamiliar with iFLY, headquartered in Austin, Texas, think of it as the most awesome out-of-home family entertainment business. Since opening the first wind tunnel in Orlando, Florida, in 1998, the company has utilized proprietary technology to create a wind tunnel that is enclosed, controlled, and can deliver the flight experience very comfortably.
Families are iFLY’s best customers. That’s because the company strives to give them an incredible experience both as individuals and with their families whenever they visit the vertical wind tunnels.
Ryan promises that as long as families are looking for something fun to do together, “this business will be here to deliver what they can’t find anywhere else except by jumping out of an aircraft. And you can’t jump out of an airplane as a family with a 3-year-old or 6-year-old.”
That is what makes iFLY so impactful as a family entertainment experience. Chris Barrett, president of the retail division, said iFLY offers “a nice, safe, wonderful family experience for all.”
The family entertainment venue welcomes back many visitors. Because once they’ve come, they love it,” Barrett stated. As a result, the company delivers an experience that is consistently given a net promoter score of 82.
Barrett stated that’s proof “people love the experience, and they are enthusiastic.”
It also serves as the most epic field trip, thanks to iFly’s STEM Field Trip programs, and it runs a Flight School for kids ages 4 to 16. The military also utilizes iFLY’s vertical wind tunnels for training purposes.
See what everyone loves about iFLY at one of 100 tunnels located worldwide, including the United States, Canada, France, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
