The iconic blimp has been making several trips in the last few days, marking its first return to the UK since 2022
11:21, 08 Jul 2026Updated 11:23, 08 Jul 2026
The Goodyear Blimp is doing a loop of East, South East and Central London(Image: MyLondon)
The iconic Goodyear Blimp has been spotted in the skies above London once again, amusing people across the city. Lifting off from an airfield in Upminster this morning (Wednesday, July 8), the commercial airship has already completed a loop of East, South East, and Central London.
It now appears to be flying around for a second time, according to live data from Flightradar24. Sightings have been reported in Woolwich, Canary Wharf, and over Big Ben and the London Eye.
The blimp took earlier flights on July 1 and across the following weekend, with MyLondon readers flooding our inbox with great pictures. It will be touring the UK until July 14, Goodyear said.
MyLondon reader Nicola McKerras snapped this great picture earlier this month(Image: Nicola McKerras)
Ben Crawley, sales general manager consumer replacement Northern Europe, added: “The Goodyear Blimp is a recognisable icon worldwide and we’re thrilled to see it return to the UK this summer.”
The Goodyear Blimp is owned by the tire company of the same name and is a regular feature at motorsport events, football finals, and Coachella. It first graced British skies in June 1972, flying over Cardington, a village in Bedfordshire.
The airship made subsequent appearances at the royal wedding of Charles and Diana at St Paul’s Cathedral, the 1980 FA Cup Final and the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium. It is the same model as the three Goodyear Blimps operated by Goodyear in the United States.
The fleet was created in 1925, making it the oldest working airship program in the world. Blimps measure over 75m in length and almost 18m in height.
With a maximum speed of 125km/hr, the airships sport a semi-rigid skeleton composed of aluminium and carbon fibre trusses that hold three vectored engines. These advancements result in more precise operation and manoeuvrability of the airship, allowing it to hover in place and take off and land like a helicopter.
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