The O2 entertainment district has welcomed over 100 million guests since its opening in 2007. It spans over 800,000 square feet and hosts 300-plus events every year. And in March 2023, iFLY London opened at The O2.
Located less than 20 minutes away from central London, The O2 is an excellent destination for individual thrill-seekers and adventurous families alike, especially since iFLY London Indoor Skydiving arrived. The ultimate high awaits at Peninsula Square on the Greenwich Peninsula in England’s capital city. The massive entertainment district is easily accessible by car, bus, cable car, river, or subway, so there’s no reason not to check out everything it offers.
Simon Ward, CEO at iFLY International, stated that the company is thrilled to bring the vertical wind tunnel experience to London. He explained that the company is “even more excited to be hosted at the world’s most iconic leisure and entertainment destination.”
The O2 is a smart choice for the new cutting-edge vertical wind tunnel. The company prefers to build new venues in locations with high visibility and/or foot traffic. Matt Ryan, iFLY CEO, said The O2 is “an iconic location for iFLY.”
Feel the Thrill: Float on Air at iFLY
There was nowhere to go indoor skydiving in London until iFLY opened at Peninsula Square. The company’s state-of-the-art, patented wind tunnel is the first in the area. The company brought the ninth generation of its wind tunnel to London; it generates wind speeds up to 150 mph. In addition, it has a new modular design that makes it less expensive and quicker to build.
The Austin, Texas-headquartered iFly opened its first vertical wind tunnel in Orlando, Florida, in 1998. Since then, it’s expanded and built 100 different wind tunnels worldwide. In addition to its location at The O2, it has four other UK venues: in Milton Keynes, Manchester, Basingstoke, and Birmingham. “Our buildings are quite unique,” said Ryan.
He explained that the company strategy is to be in locations where families come to eat, drink, shop, and be entertained. In other words, The O2 makes a perfect landing for a vertical wind tunnel.
Over the last 25 years, more than 19 million people have flown at iFLY. “The core customers are families,” said Ryan. The company’s mission statement is to deliver the dream of flight to everyone, and it means it.” said Ryan.
He continued, “As long as families continue to grow and babies are born, this business will be here to deliver what they can’t find anywhere else.”
Core customers seeking entertainment get suited up in a flight suit over their street clothing. They’re given eye goggles and a helmet before entering the wind tunnel. The memorable entertainment experience usually lasts approximately 60 minutes; it includes training, a preflight briefing, time flying inside the wind tunnel guided by an experienced instructor, and an entertaining demonstration by the instructors.
“For these customers, it is a one-on-one experience with a trained instructor who supervises you so that they can manage the experience,” Ryan said.
The company is committed to delivering an amazing experience. And when people enjoy their time floating around a vertical wind tunnel, they tell their friends and family. “Word of mouth is huge for iFLY,” said Ryan. “People get such a buzz off this, they tell their friends, and that brings customers to us. Once they come, they love it.”
The O2 and iFLY — A Perfect Match
The O2 opened to the public in June 2007. American rock band Bon Jovi headlined the kickoff concert at the arena. AEG, one of the world’s leading entertainment and sports presenters, owns the entertainment complex. It’s an entirely owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation. In addition to The O2, the AEG’s catalog of state-of-the-art venues includes the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, and The Globe Arena in Stockholm.
The O2 property includes plenty of exhibition space, a music club, an indoor arena, a Cineworld cinema, an Oxygen Freejumping trampoline park, and of course, iFLY.
Janine Constantin-Russell, managing director at Icon Outlet at The O2, and The O2’s entertainment district, stated that London’s premier entertainment destination is “proud to welcome iFLY to London, adding to our unrivaled day-to-night leisure offering that already houses a buzzing entertainment district.”
London’s leading entertainment district is also a top destination for dining and socializing. There’s something for everyone at the restaurants that feature an impressive array of global fare, from Ask’s perfect plates of Italian specialties and Busaba’s delectable Asian cuisine to Las Iguanas luscious Latin American dishes and Five Guys’ juicy burgers and freshly made boardwalk-style fries.
Visitors can work up an appetite inside the vertical wind tunnel before enjoying any of the eateries The O2 has to offer.
