A CONTROVERSIAL tourist attraction has taken a huge blow after some residents blasted it as an "awful" sight.
The SkyFlyer aerostat balloon was going to take passengers 400ft into the air before safety fears were sparked after it suffered a huge tear.
The latest issue comes after unhappy neighbours slammed the tourist attraction for blocking their stunning coastal views from their windows.
One homeowner snapped a photo of her front window with the white inflatable blimp filling up the entire windowpane.
She blasted it as "absolutely disgusting" while calling for the "awful thing" to be moved near the harbour "where it won't affect anyone's views".
The giant blimp has already been blighted by delays due to weather conditions, a “manufacturing issue” and an “engineering and design challenge”.
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Should it get off the ground, the Skyflyer will take visitors on a "UK-exclusive adventure" on their seaside days out.
But the white inflatable blimp has now suffered a further setback after onlookers spotted a huge rip in the outer layer in Rhyl, Wales.
A Zip World spokesman said: "We are aware some attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a tear in our Skyflyer aerostat; this is an external tear that does not impact the helium levels, nor is it a safety critical issue.
"Naturally there are many layers to the aerostat, allowing for this kind of incident.
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"Whilst it may be a setback for us, it’s not a health and safety issue, and we’re confident we can deal with it swiftly."
On a clear day, passengers on the Skyflyer will be able to see all the way to Liverpool and the Wirral, including the peaks of Moel Famau and Snowdonia.
Its maximum capacity is 112 passengers per hour, with each flight lasting about 15 minutes.
And its viewing platform, which is attached below the envelope, can carry up to 28 passengers at a time with a total payload of 2,500kg.
The SkyFlyer is undergoing test flights so it can be eventually cleared for commercial flights for passengers.
The UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency showed blimps can often carry on flying for hours even if riddled with bullets or missiles.
But it will not start carrying passengers until a high safety benchmark has been passed with the Civil Aviation Authority overseeing tests.
Bosses at the attraction say the SkyFlyer can “fly safely in typical British weather” even though the maiden flight set for July last year has been postponed three times.
A company spokesman added: “We are currently making temporary repairs to the Skyflyer following a tear to the outer layer of the air cushion which supports the aerostat.
"We would like to reassure the local community that the surrounding area is safe, and apologise for any concern caused.”
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Skyflyer is Zip World’s 23rd adventure scheme since the company launched in 2013.
A launch date is yet to be announced.
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