British Airways i360, the world's tallest moving observation tower, will open on Thursday 4th August; and tickets are now on sale for the new attraction on Brighton seafront.

When it opens, visitors will be able to glide up to 450 feet in a fully enclosed futuristic glass viewing pod to admire the unfolding views across Brighton and the south coast.

'Flights' are 20 minutes during the day and 30 minutes after 6.00pm, when the pod transforms into the Nyetimber Sky Bar serving the finest drinks from the region. Tickets cost from £13.50 for adults and from £6.75 for children, with under 4s free.

A number of events will mark the launch and will be announced in the coming weeks.

Conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye, the record-breaking attraction opens almost exactly two years to the day when the project team put the first spade in the ground to begin construction.

Architects David Marks and Julia Barfield said: "After two years of intense groundbreaking architectural and engineering work on Brighton beach, we are delighted to announce the forthcoming completion of British Airways i360 with tickets now on sale to the public for flights from Thursday 4th August.

“The team behind British Airways i360 has gone beyond the call of duty and created a new landmark they should all be proud of.”

With echoes of the opening of Brighton's majestic West Pier 150 years ago this year, extraordinary vision and world-class engineering led to the creation of the elegant, modern design that looks to the future while respecting the heritage of the site.

David Marks and Julia Barfield said, "Built at the landward end of Brighton's historic West Pier, British Airways i360 is a modern day vertical pier which invites visitors to 'walk on air' and gain a new perspective on the city, just as the West Pier invited Victorian society to 'walk on water'. 

"The glass viewing pod, ten times the size of a London Eye capsule and capable of carrying up to 200 passengers, will slowly rise up a slender steel tower to a height of 450 feet to provide passengers with stunning views of Brighton and Hove and a beautiful panorama of the south coast and English Channel.” 

Lynne Embleton, British Airways director of strategy and MD Gatwick, said: “British Airways i360 is now ready for take-off and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors on board. Brighton is home to thousands of our customers and colleagues and we fly to more than 65 destinations across the globe from Gatwick so we are delighted to be involved in this exciting attraction that we know UK and international visitors will love.” 

Tickets can be booked at BritishAirwaysi360.com or by calling 03337 720 360 (a £2 surcharge will be added to each booking made by telephone). Bookings can also be made at the British Airways i360 ticket office from Thursday 4th August.

Images (please credit British Airways i360): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bohyjjn9e8d7c95/AACNeawAt-IVKjBhUw1WyN4Ba?dl=0

For further media information please contact: 

Emily Bamber, PR & Communications Manager at British Airways i360

Tel: 01273 448363 or email: emily.bamber@britishairwaysi360.com

Useful information

Tickets and Pricing:

Tickets cost from £13.50 per adult and from £6.75 per child when booked online at BritishAirwaysi360.com at least three days in advance. Walk-up prices are £15.00 per adult and £7.50 per child. Discounts are available for students and pensioners, and children under 4 years old go free.

Priority Flights can be booked during peak times and cost from £22.50 per person, including fast-track entry and a guide book. Guide books and glasses of Nyetimber sparkling wine can also be booked in advance online at a 10% discount.

Visitors can re-live the experience year-round with an annual pass, which costs £90.00 per adult and £45.00 per child and entitles the holder to unlimited walk-up entry (subject to availability), monthly promotions across the attraction and early invitations to special events. Discounts are available for seniors and students.

Disabled visitors may bring an assistant with them free of charge and are encouraged to call the booking number to discuss their requirements (no surcharge will apply).

* For tickets booked online at least 3 days in advance
** Includes priority entry and complimentary guidebook

Residents Membership scheme:
A Residents Membership scheme will give Brighton and Hove residents living in BN1, BN2, BN3 and BN41 postcodes up to half-price tickets at British Airways i360 for just £1 per year. Membership discounts are available for off-peak tickets: any time Monday to Thursday, until 5.40pm on Fridays and before 11am on weekends and bank holidays. Discounted membership tickets cost £7.50 per adult and £5 per child.

To apply, residents should take a piece of photo ID and proof of their address to the British Airways i360 ticket office. Members will also receive monthly promotions and discounts across the site and will be able to book their tickets online through a dedicated member portal.

British Airways i360 chief executive Eleanor Harris said: “British Airways i360 is an exciting new part of the Brighton and Hove landscape, and just as the city's residents have welcomed this new attraction, so we welcome them to enjoy stunning views of their city with our Local Membership scheme.” 

Schools:
Every child attending a state school in Brighton and Hove during the 2016-2017 school year will be offered a flight on British Airways i360, with further details to be released.

The Belle Vue restaurant and the West Pier Tea Room:
The Belle Vue restaurant and the West Pier Tea Room will open at a later date, to be announced.

Information for editors

About British Airways i360
British Airways i360 is conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye. With an overall height of 162m, and an observation pod that rises from ground level to 138m above Brighton beach, British Airways i360 is the world's tallest moving observation tower. Each 'flight' will carry up to 200 visitors at a time to enjoy unprecedented views across Brighton and Hove, the South Downs and the beautiful south coast. While onboard, guests can enjoy a drink at the Nyetimber Sky Bar, which serves a range of drinks from Sussex producers including Nyetimber, an award-winning sparkling wine producer. At beach level is the stylish Belle Vue restaurant with sea views and a large terrace, serving delicious food from the region. The West Pier Tea Room is housed in a reconstructed tollbooth based on the original tollbooths built in 1866. The British Airways i360 shop includes gifts and souvenirs, many created by local Brighton artists.

British Airways i360 holds the Guinness World Record for the World's Most Slender Tower, with a diameter of just 3.9 meters at its widest point.

British Airways i360 has worked with the West Pier Trust to reconstruct two of the original West Pier tollbooths using Victorian building techniques. The reconstructed buildings now grace the entrance to British Airways i360, and will house the West Pier Tea Room and ticket office.

www.BritishAirwaysi360.com
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Facebook:       BritishAirwaysi360
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Hashtag:          #bai360

About Marks Barfield Architects

David Marks and Julia Barfield are the architect-entrepreneurs behind the creation of Brighton i360. They founded the company in 2005 and are its majority shareholders. Previously they performed a similar role creating the London Eye where they remained shareholders and directors until 2006. Together with a tight-knit group of extraordinary individuals, trusted consultants and companies, many of whom worked with David and Julia at the London Eye, they secured the planning permission, partners, land and funding for British Airways i360. Marks Barfield Architects is one of the UK's most versatile and innovative architecture practices, established in 1989. David chairs the British Airways i360 board.

www.marksbarfield.com

@marksbarfield

About British Airways
British Airways is one of the world's leading global premium airlines and the UK's largest international scheduled airline, carrying approximately 35 million passengers worldwide annually, on around 800 daily flights. The airline employs around 40,000 people, the vast majority of these at its sites throughout the UK, and has an annual turnover of £8.5 billion. It employs 2,500 people in Sussex, several hundred of them in Brighton. 

www.ba.com
@british_airways